Carbon Capture and Storage

 News Release-
 International expertise
 to guide CCS regulatory review
 (March 11, 2011)
Burning fossil fuels like coal, oil and natural gas through activities like transportation and energy development produces greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). These emissions contribute to global climate change. 

Governments across the globe are responding to climate change through a number of initiatives, including reducing their GHG emissions. Alberta is no different.

In 2008, Alberta developed a Climate Change Strategy that commits to reducing projected GHG emissions by 200 megatonnes by 2050. Carbon capture and storage, or CCS, will provide 70% of Alberta’s GHG emissions savings.

To achieve this goal, the Government of Alberta has undertaken a number of initiatives:

• the creation of two laws: Carbon Capture and Storage Funding Act 2009 and Carbon Capture and Storage Statutes Amendment Act 2010;
• the development of the Carbon Sequestration Tenure Regulation; 
• a $2 billion CCS funding program; and

• the Regulatory Framework Assessment. 

CCS will enable Alberta’s economy to continue to grow, while reducing carbon emissions from large-scale operations like coal-fired electricity generation, oil sands extraction and value-added upgrading.  Essentially, this technology will deliver the majority of our GHG reductions to allow us to meet our climate change goals, while providing Albertans with the economic advantage and quality of life they expect.