Reducing global warming by trapping CO2

Reducing the effect of fossil fuel emissions on climate change has become a major focus of scientific research. Over the last few years, the EU has supported a number of projects focused on capturing and storing carbon dioxide (CO2).

Climate Change and Environment

The best way to remove CO2 waste from the atmosphere is by trapping the gas near the source of the pollution. The CO2 is then sequestered so that it cannot re-enter the air. This is known as ʹcarbon capture and storageʹ (CSS) and it has the potential to meet 20 % of the world's emission reduction targets by 2050. Zero emission platform support secretariat' (Zeppos) is an EU-funded administrative body that has been successfully supporting the European Technology Platform for Zero Emission Fossil Fuel Power Plants (ETP-ZEP) since 2008. Members of the ETP-ZEP include petroleum companies, academic institutions, equipment suppliers, national geological surveys, environmental non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and European utilities. Their ultimate goal is to make CSS technologies commercially available by 2020. To this end, Zeppos has organised networking, fundraising and communication activities for the ETP-ZEP. The secretariat has also provided financial management and performs other activities like data collection and analysis. It was recently decided that Zeppos would continue this kind of support over the next few years. This decision is expected to have a profound positive impact on European climate change policies.