SO HOW DO WE DECARBONISE GAS?

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is the industry’s term for the process by which greenhouse gases produced by industry can be pumped into the earth, so they don’t add to cumulative tallies in the atmosphere. Proponents have talked it up for years, but in Australia there is just one functioning CCS project, although more are planned, and the one that is working (operated by Chevron off the WA coast) has been plagued by performance issues.

Mr McConville says he’s absolutely confident the technology will become viable, and on a big scale. “CCS can help Australia to not only meet, but beat our emissions reduction targets,” he said.