CCS at the 23rd session of the UNECE Committee on Sustainable Energy, Geneva, 19-20 November 2014

In the 23rd session of the UNECE Committee on Sustainable Energy at the UN in Geneva, CCS was covered in a lecture by David Hone, Chief Climate Change Adviser, Shell  and a panel session with the title ‘From source to use: the role of fossil fuels in delivering a sustainable energy future’.

In his lecture on the evening of 19th November, ‘Putting the Genie Back: 2 degrees will be harder than we think’ Mr Hone took on the subject of climate change in a frank and open discussion built on more than 30 years in the energy industry. “Climate change could be categorised as the most pervasive yet least understood issue of our generation. Some deny it, others are incensed by it, but most are left in the middle wondering what to think and, more importantly, do about it.

Governments have been trying to come to terms with this for over twenty years and have little to show for their efforts; emissions just continue to rise. From Canberra to Capetown and Washington to Warsaw, controversy abounds.”  As he summarised it “The solutions lie within our grasp; it’s just a question of whether we want to use them.” ­ and as those who follow his blogs will know, Mr Hone considers CCS to be a significant part of these solutions.

Prior to the panel session on 20th November the Committee members discussed and approved UNECE Recommendations to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) on how carbon capture and storage in cleaner electricity production and through enhanced oil recovery could be used in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The panel and audience then discussed aspects of a sustainable energy future with a particular focus on fossil fuels:  ‘From source to use: the role of fossil fuels in delivering a sustainable energy future.’ Topics included:

(a) Resource management and energy sustainability;

(b) Methane management to enhance economic growth, strengthen energy security and reduce greenhouse gas emissions;

(c) Carbon capture and storage;

(d) Gss as a transition fuel;

(e) Unconventional fuel sources.

Panellists were:

Michael Lynch-Bell, Senior Independent Director, Kazakhmys and Chair Ex-officio, Expert Group on Resource Classification

Jon Gibbins, Director, UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre [see presentation]

Jan Roelofsen, Research Director and Advisor for Unconventionals, IHS

Torstein Indrebø, Secretary-General, International Gas Union and Vice Chair, Group of Experts on Gas

Barry Worthington, Executive Director, United States Energy Agency

Click here for a news story from the International Institute of Sustainable Development.