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8th Session of WG-III and 24th Session 
of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 

 



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Thu 22      
Fri 23      
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Wed 28 &
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As of 10:30pm (EST)
Delegates reached agreement on the inclusion of a new section identifying gaps and knowledge regarding some aspects of CCS. The meeting was then suspended until midnight to update the documents prior to final consideration of the SPM and its underlying reports. 


As of 10:00pm (EST)
Delegates continue to debate DENMARK's proposal to include language on biomass in the section on large point sources of carbon dioxide. 

As of 9:30pm (EST)
After agreeing on outstanding issues relating implications of CCS for emissions inventories and accounting at 21h30, delegates turned their attention to a proposal by DENMARK for a revised paragraph on biomass.

As of 9:00pm (EST)
The contact group on implications of CCS for emissions inventories and accounting are reporting on the outcomes of their discussions.

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ENB Breaking News:

As of 12:52am (EST), 25 September 2005


Plenary has resumed to consider the SPM and its underlying reports. Delegates then approved the SPM  and the Adjustments to the Technical Summary and Chapters for consistency with the approved SPM. Delegates approved, without comment, the Underlying Scientific/Technical Assessment in the Special Report. At the suggestion of BELGIUM, WG III decided to pass on its best wishes to the family of the late David Pearce. Co-Chair Metz gaveled the meeting to a close at 1:15am (EST).






Right photo L-R: Lead Author David Keith (center) in discussion with Olav Hohmeyer (Germany), Klaus Radunsky (Austria) and José Romero (Switzerland).


Highlights for Saturday, 24 September 2005

On Saturday, delegates continued line-by-line deliberations over the draft SPM in plenary. In the morning, delegates finished consideration of a section of the SPM concerned with the costs of CCS and its economic potential. In the afternoon, evening and late into the night, delegates considered sections on inter alia: local health, safety and environmental risks of CCS; global risks of CCS; legal issues for implementing carbon dioxide storage; implications of CCS for emission inventories and accounting; and the public perception of CCS.


Left photo L-R:
Lead Authors Ed Rubin and Paul Freund in consultation with
J.P. van Ypersele (Belgium) (center)



CONSIDERATION OF THE DRAFT SUMMARY FOR POLICYMAKERS


What are the costs of CCS and what is its economic potential?

After the US expressed concern about text being policy prescriptive, delegates agreed to reword a sentence to state that “energy and economic models indicate that the major CCS system’s contribution to climate change mitigation would come from deployment in the energy sector.” Delegates then considered text on the minimum carbon dioxide emission reduction prices for a major CCS contribution to mitigation.


CHILE and NEW ZEALAND expressed concern over the US$ 25 - 30 price quoted in the draft SPM, given the potential for the long lifetimes of some projects. 

Above photo: David Wratt (New Zealand)


On text noting that worldwide storage capacity in geological formations is likely to be at least 2,000 Gt CO2 of storage capacity, discussions centered on the figure of 2,000 Gt CO2. DENMARK and GERMANY suggested noting that the amount is an estimate. 

Above photos L-R: Ursula Fuentes and Olav Hohmeyer (Germany)



CHINA expressed concern that the text does not explain that 2,000 Gt CO2 relates to technical, as opposed to economic, potential.

Above photo L-R: Jiahua Pan (China)


Lead Author Sally Benson explained the origin of the
2,000 Gt CO2 figure.

Above photo L-R: Lead Authors Ken Caldeira and Sally Benson 



GERMANY noted that ocean storage potential cannot be compared to geological storage potential given their very different retention times.

Above photo: Ursula Fuentes (Germany)


GERMANY , AUSTRIA , and KENYA highlighted the relevance of a figure portraying the contribution of CCS as part of a mitigation portfolio.

Above photo L-R: Richard Odingo (Kenya)


What are the local health, safety and environmental risks of CCS?


On local risks associated with carbon dioxide pipeline transport, ZAMBIA sought clarification of a statement that the risks are possibly lower than comparable hydrocarbon pipelines in operation. 

Above photo: Lemmy Namayanga (Zambia)


Lead Author Richard Doctor explained that the statement was based on 20 years of experience in the US. The text was accepted without amendment.

Above photo: Lead Author Richard Cook




Above photos L-R: IPCC Chairman Rajendra Pachauri (India) with Renate Christ, Secretary IPCC; Co-Chairs Davidson
and Metz in consultation with Lead Authors Sally Benson, David Keith and Paul Freund, with Heleen de Connick (IPCC)observing; Lead Authors Makoto Akai and Ken Caldeira.




On a paragraph addressing the effects on ecosystems of direct carbon dioxide injection into the ocean, discussion focused on whether injection “would” or “could” cause mortality of ocean organisms. JAPAN sought to include text specifying that mortality only occurs near injection points. 

Above photo L-R: Masahiro Nishio and Toshiyuki Sakamoto (Japan)


CHILE, supported by MALAYSIA and CHINA , said ocean effects could not be inferred from the results of existing studies in confined environments.

Above photo: Samsudin Musa (Malaysia)



Will physical leakage of stored CO2 compromise CCS as a climate change mitigation option?”


After revising the section title to better reflect the issues addressed, delegates reorganized the text in this section. FRANCE , with support from others, stressed the need to highlight that leakage from ocean storage could offset some of the benefits of CCS.

Above photo: Jacques Varet (France)


The US, with support from JAPAN, CANADA and others, proposed separating wording on geological and ocean storage because retention issues for each type of storage is different, and to include mineral carbonation as a separate heading. Delegates approved text that divides the text based on this proposal.

Above photo L-R:  Trigg Talley and Michael Artts (US)


What are the legal and regulatory issues for implementing CO2 storage?


Discussion for geological storage focused on the type of sources, the distance from sources to storage locations, and the location of sources.



GHANA , supported by SWITZERLAND , CANADA and NORWAY , noted that the list of existing regulations that could be directly applicable to geological storage was limited.
Above photo: William K. Agyemang-Bonsu (Ghana)


Delegates agreed to add “inter alia” before the list, and to add pollution controls to the list as proposed by NORWAY .

Above photo L-R: Øyvind Christopherson and Torgim Asphjell (Norway)



Above photo L-R: Coordinating Lead Authors Carlos Abanades, Keywan Riahi, Mohammed Soltanieh, Ogulade Davidson, Peter Cook, Marco Mazzotti, Sally Benson, Makoto Akai, Balgis Osman-Elasha, Howard Herzog, Ed Rubin, David Keith, Bert Metz, John Gale, Richard Doctor, Paul Freund, Ken Caldeira, and Wolfgang Heidug. Missing  in action Kelly Thambimuthu, Andrew Palmer, Koen Smekens, Jim Dooley, Riitta Pipatti


 

This service was prepared in cooperation with the IPCC Secretariat



Links

IPCC Secretariat
Session documents
National Greenhouse Gas Inventories Programme
Working Group I: Physical Basis for Climate Change
Working Group II: Climate Change Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change
UNFCCC Secretariat
Ozone Secretariat
ENB coverage of IPPC-22
ENB coverage of UNFCCC COP-10
ENB coverage of UNFCCC Seminar on the development and transfer of environmentally sound technologies for adaptation to climate change

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