The Necessity of CCS in International Agreements

The Minister's speech was based on the following:


Ministers – Distinguished colleagues – Ladies and gentlemen,

In light of the vast potential for CO2 reductions offered by CCS technology, Norway, like several other countries, sees CCS as an indispensable part of an effective portfolio of greenhouse gas mitigation tools.

From what we have learned today, from the IEA and from the roundtable discussion, I think we can all agree that to reach the full potential of CCS, the dissemination and deployment of it need to be incentivised. I strongly believe that incentives must be established at a global scale, in order for CCS to be deployed rapidly enough to meet the enormous challenge of climate change.

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Consequently, Norway believes that global action under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol is necessary to move the global implementation of CCS forward. 2009 is a critical year in this respect. The climate change negotiations in Copenhagen are approaching. We must all work towards an ambitious and effective international response to climate change.

An effective international response would be to include CCS in an appropriate mechanism that covers actions in developing countries, and by that stimulate
CCS-related investments in these countries. This is important in order to promote sustainable economic development as well as enhance energy security.

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While deploying CCS is critical to maximizing CO2 mitigation opportunities worldwide, the inclusion of CCS in an appropriate international mechanism will also contribute to speeding up the transfer of technology and expertise to developing countries. Knowledge sharing and capacity building activities are imperative in making both countries and industry capable of employing CCS technologies.

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I am pleased that the draft communiqué recommends that CCS be included in any incentive mechanism that comes out of Copenhagen. I would welcome strong language on this particular point. We must give a clear message that we are committed to the global deployment of CCS.

This is also the recommendation given by the stakeholders today. They advocate full integration of CCS into a climate change deal, and ask us to make it happen.

Mr. Tanaka of the IEA is equally clear. Without the inclusion of CCS in a financing mechanism under the United Nations climate change framework, it is unlikely that CCS will be deployed in developing countries at the required level.

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I now open the floor to what I hope will be a fruitful discussion, and I welcome you all to share your views.

Thank you.