Which of the following best describes CCS/CCUS and its most effective applications?

• A. Carbon capture and storage/use; most effective in energy-intensive industries like cement and steel, and in fossil-fuel power plants with large emissions.
• B. Alternative energy storage methods for renewables.
• C. Geoengineering technique for weather modification.
• D. A policy framework for climate adaptation.

Answer: (A)

CCS/CCUS is about preventing CO2 from entering the atmosphere by capturing it at its source, then transporting and storing it underground or using it to make products. The key strength of this approach is most visible at large, centralized emitters—like fossil-fuel power plants and heavy industry such as cement and steel—where CO2 is released in big, concentrated streams, making capture technically and economically more feasible. In cement and steel, emissions come not just from burning fuel but also from chemical processes inside the production itself, and CCS can address those emissions as well as the combustion emissions. When CO2 is stored in geological formations or used in products with long-term stability, its climate impact is effectively removed from the atmosphere.

The other options miss what CCS/CCUS does: energy storage for renewables focuses on balancing supply and demand rather than capturing emissions; geoengineering for weather modification is a different concept altogether; and a policy framework for climate adaptation is about preparing for climate impacts, not reducing emissions through capture and storage.