Environmentalists Urge UK to Scrap £24 Billion Carbon Capture Funding
Chris Packham and climate groups are calling on the UK Chancellor to redirect £24 billion in carbon capture spending toward proven green energy solutions.
Environmentalist Chris Packham and several campaign groups are urging the UK Chancellor to scrap £24 billion in planned spending on carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies in the upcoming budget. Packham describes the technology as a "tech fairytale" and a "national embarrassment," arguing that the funds should instead support proven green schemes and household grants for electric heat pumps to lower energy bills.
The planned spending exceeds the combined commitments of the United States, European Union, Norway, and Japan, supporting projects involving companies such as BP and Equinor. Oil Change International warned that cutting support for proven climate solutions while continuing to fund unreliable carbon capture projects would add insult to injury.
In response, the Carbon Capture and Storage Association warned that pulling back funding would undermine investor confidence and risk industrial decline. Martin McCluskey of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero stated that while fiscal pressures may affect the pace of the industry's development, the government remains committed to the technology.
