Social perspectives of carbon capture, transportation, utilization, and storage in Switzerland

• Main Authors: Dallo, Irina, id_orcid:0 000-0001-8949-514X, Marti, Michèle, id_orcid:0 000-0002-4997-1153, Kuratle, Lorena Daphna, Ly, Công, Zeller, Stefanie, Zaugg, Simone
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2024
• Subjects: Carbon capture; transportation; utilization; and storage; Public perception; Perceived benefits and risks; Public familiarity; Iceland
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/675537; https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-000675537

Carbon capture, transportation, utilization, and storage (CCT(U)S) is indispensable to reduce the hard-to-abate emissions and, consequently, to achieve the Swiss climate goals by 2050. Around the world, there are various efforts of CCT(U)S. The pilot project Demonstration and Upscaling of CARbon dioxide Management solutions for a net-zero Switzerland has evaluated the technological, economic, regulatory, and social feasibility of two specific CCT(U)S pathways and their upscaling potential: (i) CO2 utilization and permanent storage in recycled concrete in Switzerland, and (ii) CO2 transport and permanent storage in geological reservoirs in Iceland. To assess the Swiss public's perception, familiarity, acceptance, and support of the two pathways and to provide recommendations on how to best inform the public about CCT(U)S, we conducted six focus groups and an online survey. As part of the online survey, we did a between-subjects experiment to test a set of communication products which presented the same information about the two pathways differently. Our results, among others, indicate that (i) the Swiss public is not familiar with CCT(U)S in general and the two pathways specifically; (ii) the Swiss public's acceptance and support are driven by various personal factors (e.g., climate change concern); (iii) perceived benefits and risks depend on the specific capture, transportation, and storage processes; and (iv) infographics are preferred over just written text to learn more about CCT(U)S options. Our findings are intended to support efforts to adequately inform the public about CCT(U)S options taking into account their attitudes, concerns, and preferences; key to the growing number of pilot projects in this field. ISSN:2214-6296