The UK's carbon capture and storage (CCS) program is a prime example of how government policy can be shaped by powerful interests, resulting in a costly and ineffective solution to climate change. The program, which has been pitched as essential for cutting carbon emissions, is actually a massive boondoggle that will do little to reduce emissions while costing the public billions of pounds. The program's projected cost of £264 billion is a staggering figure that will be divided between the public and private sectors, with the public bearing the brunt of the burden. The government's commitment to pay a 'premium' for the hydrogen produced by the CCS program for 15 years is an uncosted expense that could run into the tens of billions more. The program's focus on fossil fuel-based schemes is particularly concerning, as it will lead to increased gas use and imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which has higher emissions than coal. The CCS program is also being driven by lobbying from fossil fuel companies, which have attended numerous meetings with Conservative ministers to discuss the program. The scientific credibility of CCS as a climate solution was shaped by the oil company BP, which financed and helped steer one of the most famous climate papers, the 'Wedges' paper, which greatly oversold CCS and presented it as 'already deployed at an industrial scale'. The program's history is one of shiny promises followed by partial or total failures, with three attempts in the UK alone being abandoned due to cost escalation and infeasibility. The lead operator of the government's first CCS cluster is BP, which is a clear indication of the program's true purpose: to provide a gigantic, publicly funded reason for the fossil fuel industry to stay in business. The wasted money, the lost years, and the lost lives are a stark reminder of the failure of the UK government to address climate change effectively. The program's focus on CCS is a distraction from the real solutions to climate change, such as pushing fossil fuel use in the electricity sector down to zero and scaling up renewables and battery storage. The UK government needs to wake up to the reality of climate change and stop being swayed by powerful interests. The time for action is now, and the public deserves better than a program that is a waste of billions of pounds and a threat to the planet.
