Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and procedural justice

The attached paper was prepared for an International Workshop on Public Participation and the Governance of Carbon Capture and Storage, in London, organised by the Interdisciplinary Cluster on Energy Systems, Equity and Vulnerability (InCluESEV) on October 31st and 1st November 2011.

It reviews the issues raised by Carbon Capture and Storage which might trigger demands for procedural justice, the principles of procedural justice which might apply, and the actors that might be responsible for delivering justice.

It suggests that the current focus on improving project level engagement, while valid, will not either eliminate public objections to CCS, nor provide procedurally just governance. It suggests moving public engagement earlier in the development chain and enhancing mechanisms for accountability of key actors, including corporations.

A finalised version of the paper was published in Energy and Environment Vol. 23, No. 2 & 3, 345-65.