UK greenhouse gas removals review
An independent review is underway into options for greenhouse gas removals.
The UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has commissioned the review to consider how options for greenhouse gas removals can assist in meeting UK net-zero targets by 2050. These include large-scale power bio-energy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS) and direct air carbon capture and storage (DACCS).
The review is to report by October 2025.
DESNZ says the review is not centred on any specific project and will consider all greenhouse gas removals, with a focus on engineered approaches.
The review will produce a report including a set of recommendations, in line with the scope of the review, which will be submitted to the DESNZ Secretary of State in October 2025.
DESNZ Secretary of State, Ed Milliband, has appointed Dr Alan Whitehead CBE as review Chair, with overall responsibility for the review and its outputs.
The review will consider:
- The potential scale of emissions savings required to be enabled by each greenhouse gas removals technology to support the UK’s Nationally Determined Contributions and its legally binding Carbon Budget 6, Carbon Budget 7, and net-zero targets by 2050.
- The opportunities of greenhouse gas removals deployment at scale through the UK’s strong scientific and engineering expertise, and co-products associated with different greenhouse gas removals technologies including energy and hydrogen production.
- Barriers to deployment at scale such as recognising the gaps in scientific evidence, current regulatory framework, availability and prioritisation of resources (including energy and feedstocks), and public perceptions.
- Anticipated economic cost of deploying greenhouse gas removals in the UK, including deliverability, value for money and global comparative costs.
- Approaches to transitioning away from public investment and attracting private investment, including through carbon markets.
- Role and opportunities of greenhouse gas removals in supporting government’s wider growth and clean energy superpower missions.
- Role and options for all greenhouse gas removals, domestically and internationally, to balance the UK’s residual emissions.
The review will consider, where relevant, the relative prioritisation of biomass uses in the UK’s energy system.
DESNZ claims government has a significant policy programme to support cost-effective deployment of greenhouse gas removals, including:
- Continued negotiations with energy from waste projects as part of the Track-1 CCUS cluster process.
- Opening the expansion of the Track-1 HyNet CCUS cluster and future processes to greenhouse gas removals projects.
- Development of both the greenhouse gas removals Standard and Business Models for greenhouse gas removals (includes DACCS), Power BECCS and Waste ICC (includes energy from waste).
- Forthcoming government response on integration of greenhouse gas removals into the UK Emissions Trading Scheme, as well as consulting on actions to strengthen the Voluntary Carbon Market.
- Forthcoming consultation on a Common Framework for Biomass Sustainability.
