The Social Acceptance of Carbon Dioxide Utilisation: A Review and Research Agenda

Christopher R Jones,Katy Armstrong,Barbara Olfe-Kräutlein,Henriette Naims

doi:10.3389/fenrg.2017.00011

Abstract

CO2 utilisation technologies—also called Carbon Dioxide Utilisation (CDU) and Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU)—convert CO2 via physical, chemical or biological processes into carbon-based products. CO2 utilisation technologies are viewed as a means of helping to address climate change and broadening the raw material base for commodities that can be sold to generate economic revenue. However, while technical research and development into the feasibility of CO2 utilisation options is accelerating rapidly; at present there has been limited research into the social acceptance of the technology and CO2-derived products. This review article outlines and explores three key dimensions of social acceptance (i.e. socio-political, market, and community acceptance) pertaining to innovation within CO2 utilisation. The article highlights the importance of considering issues of social acceptance as an aspect of the research, development, demonstration and deployment process for CO2 utilisation and explores how key stakeholders operating on each dimension might affect the innovation pathways, investment and siting decisions relating to CO2 utilisation facilities and CO2-derived products. Beyond providing a state-of-the-art review of current research into the social acceptance of CO2 utilisation, this article also outlines an agenda for future research in the field.

Highlights

Carbon dioxide utilisation (CO2 utilisation or carbon dioxide utilisation (CDU)) technologies— called Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies—utilise CO2 as a valuable carbon resource
To date there has been very little systematic research in this area (Jones et al, 2015). This is a situation that contrasts markedly with the rich literature that exists relating to the key factors and actors likely to govern the “social acceptance” of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) technologies. We directly address this knowledge gap by first outlining a key framework for conceptualizing the social acceptance of technological innovation, before summarizing and synthesising the findings from the extant literature pertaining to the social acceptance of CO2 utilisation technologies
The aim of the current article was to outline the importance of considering the “social acceptance” of CO2 utilisation technologies and products, while simultaneously identifying some of the key factors and actors likely to shape this acceptance

Summary

Introduction

Carbon dioxide utilisation (CO2 utilisation or CDU) technologies— called Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) technologies—utilise CO2 as a valuable carbon resource. CO2 utilisation technologies can be defined as converting CO2 via physical, chemical, or biological processes into carbon-based products (see Figure 1). These technologies can be thought of as a new synthetic carbon cycle, which uses and releases CO2 back to the atmosphere or sequesters it in products. By sequestering CO2 and/or reducing the direct reliance on extracted fossil fuels as a carbon-feedstock for the manufacture of commodity products, CO2 utilisation technologies are seen as a means of helping to mitigate climate change, while simultaneously creating useful, saleable products that can potentially offset the costs associated with the capture and/conversion processes (Styring et al, 2014). CCS is a CO2 mitigation strategy; its objective is to deal with large volumes of CO2

Objectives

Conclusion