Citizens discuss CCS with experts at MARUM

The Citizens' Jury is a small group of 12 to 15 people with as little or no previous experience of CCS (carbon capture and storage) as possible and ideally represents a cross-section of the population. This includes age and gender, employment status, and migration background. After a brief round of introductions, the jury was presented with two different CCS methods in a specialist presentation, which were analyzed as part of the moderated discussion.

The focus was on the use of basaltic ocean crust in the North Atlantic, which is being investigated as part of the aims³ collaboration coordinated at MARUM (under the roof of CDRmare) to demonstrate the effectiveness of the underlying reactions. In contrast to classical CO2 injection into former oil and gas reservoirs, aims³ uses the permeable upper ocean crust to separate limestone from CO₂ in injected waters. This would render the greenhouse gas harmless to the climate for millions of years. The jury discussed the innovative research project in the Atlantic Ocean against the background of transparency regarding environmental impacts, feasibility, potential costs, and geopolitical implications.

Summary of the Citizen Jury results:

• Participants developed a comprehensive citizen statement highlighting various aspects. Particular attention was paid to transparency and communication, as well as the geopolitical impact and the need for a clear financial distinction between public and industrial funding.
• The question of responsibility and oversight in CO₂ sequestration was also a focus, as were concerns about potential impacts on CO₂ reduction efforts in other areas. The participants called for a transparent comparison of CCS with other reduction methods to achieve the German government's climate targets.

In the final discussion, the participants emphasized the importance of different perspectives and considered the Citizen Jury to be an effective democratic instrument. The urgency of the technology and the importance of increased cooperation in communication were emphasized.

The Citizen Jury at MARUM shows how direct participation of the population can lead to well-founded decisions. The knowledge gained will help to promote the acceptance of CO₂ storage methods and at the same time bring the concerns of citizens into the political discussion.