The growth of political support for CO2 capture and storage in Norway

Abstract

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has enjoyed stronger political support in Norway than in other countries. Early CCS initiatives were motivated by the challenge of reconciling relatively ambitious climate policy targets with growing emissions from Norway's offshore oil and gas operations, whose expertise and project opportunities formed the basis for these initiatives. The early start of the CCS debate created political path dependence effects, including recruitment of much of the environmental sector (government agencies and some NGOs) as CCS promoters. Paradoxically, the historical absence from Norway of fossil-based power generation also favoured CCS. Initiatives to add gas-fired generating capacity to Norway's previously emissions-free power supply created an entrenched conflict in which CCS became a politically necessary compromise. The more recent growth in political support for CCS in other countries may be explained by the fact that governments increasingly experience similar, politically difficult climate/energy policy dilemmas.