Policy Focus

Chris Davies blasts “divisive and dangerous” Greenpeace carbon capture report

Source: press release

Date published: May 5 2008

A Greenpeace report - "False Hope" - published on Monday May 5ththat claims that the development of carbon capture and storage(CCS) technology is a "scam" has been condemned by Chris Davies,the MEP responsible for steering the legislation through theEuropean parliament.

The ALDE group deputy described the comments by Greenpeace as"ill-informed, divisive and dangerous." Davies claims that CCS canhelp to buy the world time to develop zero carbon powertechnologies not yet available.

"The Greenpeace report is a mixture of inaccuracies and distortionstied together to fit an agenda that takes no account of reality.The International Energy Agency predicts that worldwide use of coalwill increase by 70 per cent over the next 20 years. If we are tofight the menace of global warming we have to deal with life as itis not how Greenpeace would like it to be, said Davies.”

"The organisation is divisive in that their efforts turnenvironmental campaigners against one another. For example, WWF,the world's largest environmental charity, strongly supports CCSdevelopment.

"It is dangerous because the UN predicts that up to two billionpeople on the planet will within 20 years face acute watershortages partly as a result of climate change. If we do not reducecarbon emissions from coal many, many people will die."

A total of 24 per cent of all Europe's CO2 emissions are derivedfrom coal-fired power stations. While CCS will be slow to developbut is expected to play a major part in reducing overall emissionsby 80 per cent by 2050.

The ZEP low emission technology platform, set up by the Europeancommission and involving industry, NGOs and scientists, says thatCCS will be commercially viable by 2020. The increased costs ofoperation, taking into account savings in carbon allowances throughthe emissions trading scheme, are expected by 2030 to be no morethan 10 per cent on present prices in real terms.

Davies added, "In recent days there have been riots in Indiabecause of power shortages. That country gets 70 per cent of itselectricity from coal and people there will now be demanding thatpoliticians turn to greater use of coal to boost supplies. This isthe reality that must be faced by campaigners against globalwarming, but it is a reality that Greenpeace chooses toignore."