17 November 2011: The European Environment Agency (EEA) has published a report describing the effects that carbon capture and storage (CCS) may have on emissions of key air pollutants, in addition to keeping carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.

The report, titled “Air pollution impacts from carbon capture and storage,”indicates that, while CCS may have an overall positive effect on air pollution, emissions of some pollutants may increase because it takes extra energy to run CCS plants. It says that fully understanding these trade-offs before deploying CCS technology across Europe and the world is imperative. The report identifies potential benefits for air pollutant reductions, based on a life-cycle case study out to 2050 that considers three scenarios, and illustrates the potential impacts on emissions of air pollutants if CCS were widely implemented in Europe. The report concludes that overall CCS can be generally beneficial both in terms of climate change and air pollution, although its potential increase in certain air pollutants is important to consider as well. [EEA press release][Publication: Air pollution impacts from carbon capture and storage]