Why Terminology Matters for Successful Rollout of Carbon Dioxide Utilization Technologies

Frontiers in Climate

Barbara Olfe-Kräutlein¹  Lorenzo Cremonese¹  Michele Mutchek²  Volker Sick⁴  Katy Armstrong⁵ 

[1]Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies, Potsdam, Germany

[2]National Energy Technology Laboratory Support Contractor, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

[3]National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pittsburgh, PA, United States

[4]University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States

[5]University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom

关键词: carbon dioxide removal (CDR);    terminology;    glossary;    carbon capture and utilization (CCU);    carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS);   

DOI  :  10.3389/fclim.2022.830660

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

To realize their full sustainability potential, carbon dioxide utilization technologies (carbon capture and utilization/CCU) presently require policy support. Consequently, they require acceptance among a variety of stakeholders in industry, policy making, and in the public sphere alike. While CO2 utilization is already a topic of discourse among these stakeholders, there is a lack of common terminology to describe such technologies. On the contrary: The present article shows that terminology in the field of CO2 utilization technologies is currently used inconsistently, and that different designations such as CCU, CCUS, or CDR convey different meanings and contexts. These ambiguities may cause communication problems with regard to policy making, funding proposals, and especially in public discourse. In order to initiate and accompany a goal-oriented and knowledge-based debate on CO2 utilization technologies in the future, actors in the field are asked to question their own choices of terminology and to assess its accuracy. Acronyms and technical abbreviations are the chief cause of potential misunderstandings, and so should be avoided whenever possible or else include a brief explanation. Consistent and precise use of terminology will facilitate transparent dialogue concerning CO2 utilization in the future.

【 授权许可】

Unknown