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UKCCSC Theme D - Social processes in relation to CCS
This work programme will explore the broader social and political
implications of, and conditions for, the implementation of CCS
technology through the engagement of specific stakeholder and public
groups.
Page contents:
- D1 - Media and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
- D2 - Stakeholder Analysis and Business Model
- D3 - Responsiveness to Events
D1 Media and Non-Governmental Organisations
Leader: Sarah Mander, University of Manchester
While there is ongoing work in public perceptions (Shackley et al,
2004; Curry et al 2004), and, to a lesser extent, in assessing NGO and
industry perceptions, the role of the media has received scant
attention. The way in which the media report any new technology can
radically affect the success of its implementation - how it is received
by the public and other stakeholders as well as decision-makers in
government and business. Potential risks of a new technology can be
subject to ‘risk amplification’ (Pidgeon et al. 2003) as a consequence
of media reports. The language used to describe the technology and the
associated risks also can have an effect on public discourse. This work
package aims to understand how media representatives perceive CCS
within the broader energy and environmental debate, what processes
affect these perceptions and what key risk issues journalists may seize
upon. Equally important is the role NGOs play in the introduction of a
new technology. We will convene three structured workshops: one at a
national scale involving high level print and broadcast media
representatives to be held in London and two regional workshops
involving representatives of the local press and community groups. We
will select two different regions likely to be most affected by the
adoption of CCS and explore the responses of the NGO community in these
regions. The workshops will be cooperative and interactive allowing the
content to respond to the needs and concerns of participants and to
accommodate developments in the research and political landscape.
D2 Stakeholder Analysis and Business Model
Leader: David Reiner, University of Cambridge
A critical question to the future of CCS will be the path to
commercialisation, which requires an assessment of the political,
institutional and firm drivers. Potential business models for
generation, capture, transport, and storage include:
- a purely private model,
- a sectoral model where one or more components is developed as part of an intra-industry consortium,
- publicly-owned pipelines or reservoirs, licensed or leased to private entities.
The model chosen will depend critically on the incentives provided
by government and perceptions by industry of the public acceptability,
economic viability and likely incentives of alternative strategies. The
first question is whether CCS fits into the current business model used
by the oil and gas industry and the electric utility industries that
would take the lead in developing CCS. The assessment must also take
into account exogenous forces including the development of enhanced oil
recovery (EOR) in the North Sea, the carbon price that emerges from the
first and second periods of the EU ETS and from the Kyoto process (and
emerging estimates for subsequent. periods) Interviews will be
conducted with key stakeholders that will influence the process,
including those in industry, government, and NGOs. After alternative
models have been developed, a stakeholder forum will be held to test
the desirability of the various alternatives and look at the barriers
and opportunities associated with each model.
D3 Responsiveness to Events
Leader: David Reiner, University of Cambridge
The time horizon of the project (2005-2008) coincides with a
critical period in the evolution of CCS. Addressing climate change,
inevitably including CCS, will be a key theme of the UK's G8
Presidency. The IPCC Special Report will be published in 2005 setting
the stage for consideration of the role of CCS in the international
framework, as the rules for the first Kyoto commitment period are
finalised and the second commitment period negotiated. The first period
of the EU emissions trading scheme will be completed and the second
phase commencing. The strategy set out in the UK Energy White Paper
will also face re-evaluation, with inevitable calls for new investment
in nuclear power. Prospective EOR activities in the North Sea will
confront critical decision points. Pilot projects in the US, Norway,
Algeria, and elsewhere will begin to yield results. Each event will
yield observable results in terms of media coverage, shifts in
government policy and changes in attitudes of the public and of key
opinion leaders. Specifying the specific trigger in advance is
impossible, but at least one such opportunity will likely present
itself each year. Monitoring baseline views via media analysis will
allow the team to analyse resulting shifts in media coverage, corporate
investment, or government policy or incentives.
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