European Commission Survey on Public Perception of Sequestration

The European Commission has released the results of its internet public consultation “Capturing and storing CO2 underground–should we be concerned?” The survey, conducted in spring 2007, found some major concerns regarding carbon capture and storage (CCS) among Europeans. Around 90% of respondents were concerned that injected CO2 might not stay underground, 58% had concerns with CCS taking support away from renewable energy and energy efficiency, 71% believe CCS will be a bridging technology while other forms of energy are developed, and about 49% were concerned about liability issues. Most respondents stated that they were willing to pay more to have CO2 sequestered.