Europe Expands Carbon Capture Amid Policy Shifts

Austria has updated its climate policy by maintaining its carbon tax while eliminating the Klimabonus rebate, a move intended to encourage lower-emission behaviors but sparking debate over economic fairness. In Europe, large-scale carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects are progressing, such as Norway's Northern Lights and the UK's Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) in northeast England. The NEP, a collaboration between bp, Equinor, and TotalEnergies, is partnering with Halliburton to develop infrastructure capable of transporting and permanently storing up to 4 million tonnes of CO₂ annually beneath the seabed. These efforts exemplify a wider trend of repurposing fossil fuel infrastructure and utilizing public funds to support climate goals. The initiatives also highlight the technological leadership of traditional energy companies in the CCS sector. However, they raise ongoing questions about the effectiveness, economic impact, and equity of such approaches.