Under the Japanese Presidency, the G7 environment and energy ministers agreed and issued their communiqué on the 16 April. They acknowledge the current global energy crisis but reaffirm their commitment to accelerating the clean energy transition to net zero GHG by 2050 and with a diversification of supply sources to enhance energy security and affordability. I note the significant inputs from our colleagues at the IEA (IEA Contributions to the G7 in 2023 - Event - IEA ). They also state their intent to keep 1.5C within reach.
It is good to see the G7 continuing their support for CCS and CDR deployment under the Japanese Presidency, this time framed under "Carbon Management", implying an increased emphasis on engineered CDR. They recognise the need for expanding geological storage and transport hubs, promoting development of export/import mechanisms, and international cooperation on MRV of CDR.
They also recognise the importance of low-carbon hydrogen and the need for decarbonising the industrial sector, both areas are key roles for CCS, as well as the need to end financing and construction of unabated coal power (ie without CCS). As well as CCS and CDR, there is strong encouragement for the role of carbon markets (specifically referring to Paris Agreement Article 6.4) demand-side measures, more renewable power, and for safe nuclear power ("for those countries who opt to use it") in order to achieve net zero. They also recognise the importance of critical mineral supply chains in the clean energy transition, an issue that affects CCS less than other low-carbon technologies.
From the first support for CCS from this body in 2005 under the UK Presidency, where IEAGHG delivered one of the five CCS initiatives which was to assess and define "capture ready" (IEAGHG report 2007-04), to the latest G7 encouragement of CCS and CDR, IEAGHG continues to support and enable the G7's intentions on CCS and the clean energy transition to achieve net zero. Specifically with this G7 Communique, directly relevant work from IEAGHG is as follows: for CO2 transport and storage hubs (IEAGHG reports 2013-18, 2015-03, 2018-01); for export/import mechanisms (IEAGHG reports 2021-TR02 on the London Protocol and 2020-10 on infrastructure), for CDR (IEAGHG reports on BECCS 2011-06, 2013-11, 2014-05 and on DACCS 2021-04, 2021-05), for MRV on CDR (IEAGHG work in progress), and for CDR collaborative workshops (IEAGHG 2022-TR04). Noting that six of the G7 countries (plus EU) are members of IEAGHG.
What started in G8 in 2005 continues!
For more information see G7 Ministers' Meeting on Climate, Energy and Environment in Sapporo | Ministry of the Environment, Government of Japan
For some history of CCS in the G8/G7/G20 listen to the GCCSI podcast interview with Tim Dixon: Global CCS Institute Podcast - Capture, Store, Repeat - Global CCS Institute.
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