Do stakeholders still believe in Carbon Capture and Storage?
How are perceptions or Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage Globally?
Global sentiment towards Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage is strongly positive, with favourable discussion accounting for 42% of total coverage.
Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage (CCUS) receives strong global endorsement as a climate solution supporting the clean energy transition. The US and UK lead the global conversation, while emerging markets, such as the UAE and India, show the greatest positivity. From a government and regulatory perspective, overall sentiment remains favourable, though local project pushback and legal challenges drive regional divides. In the private sector, 60% of CCUS firms benefit from strong sentiment but have limited exposure, offering an opportunity to shape public perception before broader scrutiny intensifies.
What are the key themes driving sentiment around CCUS?
The predominantly favourable coverage of CCUS is driven by technology advancement and climate themes, such as Carbon Commitment and Sustainability. Negative commentary is limited and typically linked to greenwashing concerns or legal compliance, pointing to the sector’s reputational sensitivity. To maintain momentum, CCUS companies can communicate their progress and credibility more proactively, ensuring public trust keeps pace with visibility as scrutiny grows.
Where are we seeing the discussion on Carbon Capture take place?
The US dominates carbon capture conversation, while emerging markets lead on positive sentiment.
As a stakeholder group, how do policymakers view Carbon Capture?
Overall sentiment from governments and regulators is positive, especially in Australia and the EU. Regional division persists as the UK and US face policy pushback and legal challenges
Overall score with Governments and Regulators: 26. What is driving that score in each region?
Australia: Grants Major Project Status to the Bonaparte CCS project, expanding its leadership alongside Gorgon and Moomba, two of the largest CCS operations globally.
EU: The European Commission mandates 44 oil and gas companies to contribute to its collective target of storing at least 50m tonnes of CO₂ per year by 2030. It also launches the Industrial Carbon Management (ICM) Strategy to lay the groundwork for a unified CO₂ market across member states.
India: The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI Aayog) advances policy and legal framework to address regulatory and infrastructure gaps in CCUS implementation, with the technology positioned as essential to the continued use of local coal resources.
United Kingdom: Announces a £22bn, 25-year funding commitment for Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects in Merseyside and Teesside regions. While framed as “game-changing” by Rachel Reeves, chancellor of the exchequer, the initiative is met with criticism from the Public Accounts Committee, which questions the viability of backing an “unproven” technology at this scale.
United States: The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ boosts tax credits for CCUS under Section 45Q, amid broader funding cuts of green subsidies in the US. However, ongoing regulatory disputes between Summit Carbon Solutions and the South Dakota Supreme Court over the company’s carbon capture pipeline project dampen the stakeholder sentiment at the regional level.