온실가스 감축을 위한 이산화탄소 회수․저장사업의 법적 규제

Abstract

The raison d’etre for carbon capture and storage (or sequestration) (CCS) is to enable continued use of fossil fuels in a carbon emission constrained world. Benefits include economic competitiveness, energy security and a non-disruptive transition to low-carbon energy systems. CCS is at a very early stage of deployment, but it has the potential to play an important role in the portfolio of climate change mitigation technologies, supplementing the carbon emission reductions to be achieved by energy efficiency, conservation, and renewables. To achieve this potential would require large-scale, worldwide deployment of CCS in the electric utility industry, capturing and storing billions of tonnes of CO2 per year. Large-scale CCS deployment will require the creation of a legal regime to manage risks and supporting policies to facilitate technology investment. Within this framework, regulatory, legal, and public perception considerations emerge as crucial factors that could either accelerate or inhibit CCS deployment. Policy makers worldwide need to work towards a system of regulation and risk governance for CCS that is globally consistent, nationally coordinated, and which adequately manages local risks. This article examines regulatory issues associated with capture, transport and geological storage of CO2. It identifies key areas where relevant stakeholders should collaborate and proposes a model for development of national deployment and regulation, which incorporates jurisdictional specificities. This article is targeted at policymakers engaged in the planning, deployment and risk oversight of CCS.