International associations for CCS
The following information details the key international organisations/forums examining CCS technologies and/or considering issues relevant to their deployment.
Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum
Australia is contributing internationally to the consideration of carbon dioxide capture and geological storage (CCS) by being an active member of the Carbon Sequestration Leadership Forum
(CSLF). The CSLF is an international climate change initiative to develop CCS technologies as a means to accomplish long-term stabilisation of greenhouse gas levels in the atmosphere through coordinated research and development. The purpose of the CSLF is to make these technologies broadly available internationally, and to identify and address wider issues relating to CCS. This could include promoting the appropriate technical, political, and regulatory environments for the development of such technology.
Structure
The activities of the CSLF are conducted by a Policy Group, which governs the overall framework and policies of the CSLF, and a Technical Group, which reviews the progress of collaborative projects and makes recommendations to the Policy Group on any needed actions.
Members
The CSLF currently has 22 members comprising: Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Colombia, Denmark, the European Commission, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Korea, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, the Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Meetings / Key Outcomes
The first Ministerial-level meeting took place in Washington on 23-25 June 2003, and was attended by delegations from 16 countries and the European Commission. The charter of the CSLF was established as a framework for collaboration between governments, industry, researchers, and non-government organisations. The CSLF charter will continue to 2013, unless extended or terminated.
At the June 2003 meeting, participating countries developed terms of reference and procedures that established the Policy and Technical Working Groups and a Secretariat (based in the United States).
The second Ministerial Meeting of the CSLF was held in Melbourne from 13-15 September 2004. The meeting drew out the importance of focussing on technological collaboration and information sharing for the further development of carbon dioxide capture and storage technologies. The key outcomes of the meeting included:
- acceptance of a CSLF Technical Roadmap
- recognition of 10 CSLF projects – international collaboration efforts
- acceptance and release of a CSLF international regulatory issues report
- agreement on a CSLF Stakeholder Engagement Strategy.
The most recent annual meeting of the CSLF was held in Cape Town from 13-17 April 2008. Presentations and papers from CSLF meetings can be found on the CSLF website.
International Energy Agency
The International Energy Agency (IEA) acts as an energy policy advisor for its 26 member countries in their efforts to ensure reliable, affordable and clean energy for their citizens. The IEA conducts a broad programme of energy research and data compilation and publishes information on energy policies and practices.
In May 2005, IEA Ministers asked the IEA to focus its work on a number of key areas in accordance with a request from the G8. They included the pursuit of energy efficiency, particularly in the transport and building sectors, and research and development of cleaner combustion technologies and CCS.
Work on CCS activities is being conducted through a number of IEA programs including the IEA Working Party on Fossil Fuels, the Greenhouse Gas Research and Development Program and the IEA Clean Coal Centre. The IEA is also working with the CSLF to prepare a report for the G8 on early opportunities for CCS.
IEA Working Party on Fossil Fuels
The IEA Working Party on Fossil Fuels (WPFF) was established under the IEA Committee on Energy Research and Technology (CERT) with a key focus on Zero Emissions Technologies for Fossil Fuels - also known as ZETs initiatives.
In July 2004, a joint IEA WPFF/CSLF Workshop on Legal Aspects of CCS was held in Paris to examine legal issues in domestic and international law surrounding CCS. The outcomes of the workshop highlighted the need for an appropriate regulatory and legal framework to facilitate the successful uptake of CCS.
The IEA WPFF subsequently established in June 2005 a Legal Issues Subcommittee to progress legal issues associated with CCS activities. The Subcommittee, which was chaired by Australia, organised an IEA Workshop on Legal Issues for CCS which was held in Paris in October 2006. The workshop, which attracted about 130 participants from government, industry, the research community and leading international law firms, focussed on a discussion paper put together by members of the IEA WPFF in conjunction with the CSLF. The final paper Legal Aspects of Storing CO2 was launched at the second G8-IEA-CSLF Assessment Workshop on 'Early Opportunities for Carbon Capture and Storage' in Oslo in June 2007.
G8-IEA-CSLF Assessment Workshop on Early Opportunities for Carbon Capture and Storage
As part of their Gleneagles Summit in July 2005, G8 leaders asked the IEA to play a major role in delivering a G8 Plan of Action to address the challenges of climate change and to be a partner in a dialogue it had opened up with other significant energy consumers. In relation to CCS, the Gleneagles Plan of Action stated:
"We will work to accelerate the development and commercialization of CCS technology by:
…inviting the IEA to work with the CSLF to hold a workshop on short term opportunities for CCS in the fossil fuel sector, including from Enhanced Oil Recovery and CO2 removal from natural gas production."
In the response to the G8 request, the IEA and CSLF agreed to hold three workshops during 2006 and 2007 on early opportunities for CCS. The first Workshop took place in San Francisco, California in August 2006 where the main issues were identified. These issues were subsequently assessed in a follow-up Workshop in Oslo, Norway in June 2007. A third workshop on recommendations for the G8 was held over November 27-28 2007 in Calgary, Canada. A report on the Gleneagles Plan of Action, of which these workshops formed a part, is expected to be considered at the next summit of G8 leaders under the Japanese presidency in 2008.
Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP)
The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate (APP) brings together Australia, China, India, Japan, the Republic of Korea and the United States to address the challenges of climate change, energy security and air pollution in a way that encourages economic development and reduces poverty. The inaugural APP meeting was held in Sydney in January 2006 and led to the establishment of eight international government and business taskforces including a Taskforce on Cleaner Fossil Energy. This Taskforce includes an objective to identify the potential for, and encourage uptake of, CO2 geological storage opportunities in Partnership countries.
APEC Energy Working Group
The APEC Energy Working Group (EWG) is a voluntary, regional-based forum operating under the APEC umbrella. The EWG helps to further APEC goals to facilitate energy trade and investment, and ensure that energy contributes to the economic, social and environmental enhancement of the APEC community. The APEC EWG, with the assistance of its Expert Group on Clean Fossil Energy (EGCFE), is undertaking a number of CCS projects.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was established to assess scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant to understanding climate change. The IPCC is currently finalising its Fourth Assessment Report Climate Change 2007.
International Climate Change Partnerships
In addition to multilateral action on climate change, Australia is working with bilateral partners, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, on practical actions that contribute to the global effort to respond to climate change. Further information on Australia’s international climate change partnerships can be obtained from the Department of Climate Change.