IEA has talked up the potential role of CCUS
Letter on carbon: Reality check
The IEA has tempered recent optimism over CCUS with a downbeat assessment of the technology’s role in achieving net zero
The IEA has talked up the potential role of CCUS in the net-zero project in recent years, but its patience with the technology’s pace of development now appears to be wearing thin. “After years of underperformance, CCUS must now show it can deliver,” it said in the latest iteration of its influential Net Zero Roadmap. “So far, the history of CCUS has largely been one of unmet expectations. Progress has been slow and deployment relatively flat for years.” The IEA’s somewhat scathing assessment of CCUS’ progress comes with a downgrade of the technology’s projected contribution to global emission reductions, compared with forecasts in the 2021 edition of the roadmap. In Europe, the North
Also in this section
2 January 2026
This year may be a defining one for carbon capture, utilisation and storage in the US, despite the institutional uncertainty
23 December 2025
Legislative reform in Germany sets the stage for commercial carbon capture and transport at a national level, while the UK has already seen financial close on major CCS clusters
15 December 2025
Net zero is not the problem for the UK’s power system. The real issue is with an outdated market design in desperate need of modernisation
28 November 2025
The launch of the bloc’s emissions trading system in 2005 was a pioneering step, but as the scheme hits 21 its impact as a driver of decarbonisation is still open to debate
