Headline:
Industrial Decarbonisation Strategies
In the fight against climate change, we need to adopt a range of different strategies to reduce anthropogenic emissions. Technologies for capturing and utilising CO2 can be part of the solution. In carbon capture and utilisation (CCU), the carbon released from fossil sources in conventional manufacturing processes is replaced with carbon dioxide (CO2). That CO2 can then be captured from industrial flue gases. Indeed, it's already technically feasible to capture CO2 directly from the air. In chemical conversion processes, the captured CO2 can be used to produce synthetic fuels or substances for the chemical and construction industries.
Many CCU technologies are at an early stage of their development. The CO2 Utilisation Strategies and Society research group focuses on the potential effects of their further development and possible real-world application. How and under what circumstances can society benefit from CCU technologies? What can these technologies contribute to the achievement of energy and environmental policy targets in Germany and the rest of Europe - and in less developed parts of the world? Is there a danger of path dependencies that perpetuate fossil-based energy infrastructure, and how can they be avoided? What sectors have a strategic interest in CCU pathways, and what cross-sectoral cooperation is necessary to achieve the targets set? How are CCU technologies perceived, and to what extent are the lessons learned from an analysis of the societal aspects of CCU technologies applicable to other sustainable technological innovations?
The interdisciplinary research group addresses these and other questions in transdisciplinary processes. Policy options and workable solutions take centre stage in an inclusive dialogue with various stakeholder groups.
