Supporting policy makers and regulators with CCS deployment

As the delivery of CCS continues to progress at pace, the importance of supporting policy makers and regulators in enabling an effective and successful deployment programme is paramount. Academics have a key role here as CCS stakeholders who can provide an independent voice. Academics are also trusted by, and engage with, the public and are therefore able to raise any concerns and help ensure just and socially acceptable practices are developed. The CCUS team at the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has grown at a rapid rate both in the lead up to, and following, the announcement by the UK Government in the Spring budget of over £20 billion funding for the sector. To ensure timely progress, regulatory bodies have also seen a similar scale-up in their CCUS teams to meet the increased workload that this investment and the expected follow-on developments will bring. These teams will need to be supported with accessible, accurate and trusted information to inform their work and decision-making. The support and information provided needs to be digestible and concise, differing somewhat from the standard format in which academic papers are usually presented, as accessibly communicating CCS research, its impact and results is essential to supporting knowledge transfer. Organisations like the UKCCSRC can help to channel the voices of the academic community in supporting the government and regulators with experts working throughout the whole chain of CCS delivery.