Research and analysis

Ability of bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) to generate negative emissions

Report by the Chief Scientific Advisor’s Task and Finish Group on the carbon dynamics of BECCS, aiming to establish an evidence-based position on its validity as a greenhouse gas removal option.

Documents

Details

The Department of Energy Security and Net Zero convened a BECCS Task and Finish Group with the aim of understanding:

  • can biomass be a carbon neutral feedstock?
  • can BECCS result in the net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere and its permanent geological storage?
  • will BECCS, as is being proposed in the UK context, result in the permanent net removal of CO2 from the atmosphere?
  • what are the key social barriers to delivering BECCS?
  • what is the opportunity cost of not delivering BECCS?

The Task and Finish Group’s members represent industry, academics, the financial sector, non-governmental organisations, the legal sector, representative organisations, and HMG science advisors and policy officials.

Published 10 August 2023