Roundtable on Negative Emission Technologies
In June 2019 the University of Melbourne hosted a one-day Roundtable on Negative Emission Technologies (NETs) at the Woodward Conference Centre in Melbourne.
The meeting brought together 40 invited participants from academia, industry, state and federal government departments, NGOs and research organisations.
The Roundtable considered the need for negative emissions in the future in the overall context of moving to a low carbon or zero carbon future. NETs considered included bioenergy and CCS (BECCS), direct air capture and storage (DACS), enhanced weathering, biochar, industrial processes, CO2 use and mineralisation.
The meeting collectively addressed the technology readiness status of NETs and the engineering, regulatory, accounting, financial and policy challenges that they might face in significantly contributing to the mitigation of climate change.
Presentations were as follows (selected presentations are available for download):
Setting the scene: the need for negative emissions
Speakers: Kristen Tilley, Andrew Lenton (PDF 2.7 MB), David Newth (PDF 1.6 MB)
Global models and projections need for negative emissions in the mitigation portfolio; status of the various scenarios. What we know/don’t know; what are the uncertainties. Magnitude of the global challenge and Australia’s ‘share’?
Negative emission technologies
Speakers: Henry Adams (PDF 806.7 KB), Barry Hooper (PDF 566.9 KB), David Byers (PDF 1.2 MB), Walter Gerardi, Paul Webley (PDF 412.1 KB) , Robin Batterham (PDF 1.7 MB), Ralf Haese (PDF 777.1 KB), Marcus Dawe (PDF 1.9 MB), Ian Filby (PDF 906.9 KB)
‘Terrestrial engineered’ NETs such as CO2 capture, uses of CO2, biochar, geological storage, BECCS, DACs, mineralisation, enhanced weathering, biochar, high-CO2 products.
Policy settings and regulation of NETs
Speakers: Ross Garnaut, Simon Every, Clare Penrose (PDF 454.1 KB), Matthew Riley, Ian Havercroft (PDF 734.1 KB), Fiona Haines (PDF 82.7 KB) , Monica Richter (PDF 843.2 KB)
What are the current policy settings (Federal and State) and the commercial, economic, regulatory and social issues that will potentially impact on the development and deployment of NETs?
Transformation pathways and innovation requirements Presentation of Negative emissions
Speaker: Jan Minx (PDF 1.8 MB)
Assessment of NET Systems and their potential for deployment in Australia
Speakers: Matthew Stuchbery, Andrew Heap (PDF 1.2 MB), John Beever, Barry Hooper (PDF 917.4 KB)
How technology-ready are NET systems? If they were to be deployed, what would be a realistic timetable. Are there particular economic opportunities for NETs in Australia; what might an Australian NET portfolio might look like and what are the barriers to realising the opportunities. What are the issues (technical, commercial, regulatory, social, environmental, policy, political) that need to be addressed?
Summary of the day
Key findings especially as they relate to Australia and its future place in a low-carbon world; possible actions (priorities, time scale), opportunities, barriers; social, economic, technical, regulatory, structural issues?