---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
Subject: WWFs position on CCS
From: "Kellie Caught" <kcaught@...>
Date: Wed, April 16, 2008 9:06 pm
To: gcca@...
Cc: "Paul Toni" <PToni@...>
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Anne Goddard
Global Climate Change Action

Dear Anne,

Thank you for you call, please find below an explanation of WWFs
position regarding carbon capture and storage. I would also encourage
you to read this article by the climate institute
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23550921-7583,00.html
If you require additional information or have any further questions
please let me know.


Climate Change is one of the greatest threats to the planet. To avoid
dangerous climate change we need to stay below 2 degrees rise.

There is no single solution - the world must simultaneously reduce
energy consumption and become more energy efficiency, halt and reverse
loss and degradation of forest, and change our energy supply by
replacing traditional fossil fuels with zero and low emission
technologies.

With respect to energy technology, WWFs Climate Solutions (
http://wwf.org.au/publications/gefreport/ )[1] ( #_ftn1 ) report
found that we must rapidly and concurrently deploy a range of renewable
and low emissions technology, including carbon capture and storage
(CCS).

This position is shared by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change (IPCC)[2] ( #_ftn2 ), the International Energy agency (IEA), NASA
scientist Dr James Hansen, UKchief economist Sir Nicholas Stern,
environment groups such as the Climate Institute and PEW centre,
pre-eminent research centres, and the vast majority of Governments.

If CCS works it can be applied not just to new and retrofitted coal
power generation, but also gas power generation; to other large CO2
sources such as the chemical, steel or cement industries; and to natural
gas production.

Retrofitting is particularly important when the US, Europe, Chinaand
Indiahas plans to build 100s of new coal fired power plants in the next
few years. It has been estimated that within the next decade China’s CO2
emissions from power plants will increase from 2,680,000,000 tones to
4,270,000,128 tones[3] ( #_ftn3 ).

WWFs Climate Solution report finds that if one or two of the zero or
low emission technologies fail or are delayed, including CCS, the chance
of beating the climate and energy challenge drops dramatically.

The problem for CCS is that at the current rate of technology
development it could take 15 to 20 years to contribute to the climate
change solution, which would be too late for the planet.

Which is why WWF is calling for a national co-ordinated approach via a
taskforce to accelerate CCS demonstration, to determine whether CCS is
practical for broad application, so if it works it contributes to
greenhouse gas reduction sooner, and if it doesn’t work we know sooner
so we can move on.

On the issue of funding CCS demonstration projects and indeed
additional renewable energy funding, WWF is advocating for a polluters
pay principle, and is calling on the Government to put a levy on coal
and gas exports, electricity generators and energy intensive and
polluting industries to pay for the development of low and zero
technology.

It is rare in the environment movement to leave an environmental
solution up to an industry, environment advocates regularly call on
government to regulate or put a price on pollution, this is no
different.

WWF is also calling for a moratorium on new coal-fired power stations
without CCS on Commission and aGreenhouse Gas Emission standard at 400g
Co2/kWh to drive industry investment in low and zero technologies.

The reality is that if CCS (and other renewable technologies) is ruled
out or delayed WWF could face the choice of advocating for accepting a
2.5 - 3 degrees rise. If we reach a three-degree rise in temperature, 35
per cent of species will become extinct. WWF has a responsibility to try
to prevent this from happening, which means supporting a range of
climate change solutions that maximise our chances.

In addition to pursuing acceleration of CCS technology, WWF will
continue to push for greater investment and regulation for energy
efficiency, renewable energy, a halt to land clearing and climate
adaptation.

Kind regards

Kellie Caught


[1] ( #_ftnref1 )WWF (2007) Climate Solutions: WWFs Vision for 2050,
www.wwf.org.au/publications/gefreport/

[2] ( #_ftnref2 )IPCC (2007) Fourth Assessment working group III
climate change mitigation report Chapter 4 Energy supply, pg 255

[3] ( #_ftnref3 )http://carma.org/


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