Carbon capture and storage must be part of a portfolio of solutions if the world hopes to keep global warming below 2 Degrees Celsius, according to the Global CCS Institute. Brad Page, CEO at the Institute called for bold policy commitments in a statement released earlier today.

The Institute’s call comes as more than 150 leaders from across the world are descending on New York to sign the Paris Climate Accord. The agreement reached in the France Capital last December calls for global efforts to minimize the warming of the earth to 2 Degrees Celsius but with aspirations to hit the 1.5 Degrees target.

"In order to meet these demanding climate targets in the real world, we've got to reduce emissions from every possible sector of the global economy - urgently and without bias," said Page. "All low carbon technologies must be part of the conversation – including renewables, nuclear power, energy efficiency, and CCS.”

Page went on to say that coal-fired generation will remain a staple in the electricity for years to come, noting that there are approximately 2,400 facilities planned by 2030. Even replacing coal with natural gas won’t be enough. This means CCS has an important role to play.

“CCS is vital to limiting the emissions that are effectively already locked in by these facilities,” he said. "Even replacing unabated coal power with gas is insufficient for the world to limit greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to meet its own nominated targets. Gas-fired power plants still require CCS in order to realize their full emissions reduction potential.”

Carbon capture and storage technologies can not only help reduce emissions in the electricity sector but they are also well suited to industrial facilities, another significant source of global GHGs.

"Outside of the power sector, one quarter (25 percent) of the world's CO2 emissions result from industrial sectors such as iron and steel, cement, petrochemicals refining, and chemicals and fertilizer manufacturing,” said Page. "CCS is the only technology that can achieve large reductions in emissions from these industrial processes.”