Wopke Hoekstra, Teresa Ribera and Stephane Séjourné take the exam to become Commissioner and EVP for the next College of Commissioners. What is their take on CCS?

On 7 November, Wopke Hoekstra secured his second term at the helm of the EU's climate policy after his successful hearing in the European Parliament.

We were very happy to see that Commissioner Hoekstra is willing to play a personal role in the promotion of CCS deployment.

Replying to to questions from MEPs, the Commissioner stresses that the European Commission ought to provide political leadership and further financial support to CCS, while adding that he sees it as a necessity to for industrial decarbonisation.

This sort of political momentum is exactly what we need to Make CCS Happen.

In the words of our Director, Chris Davies: “The Commission’s Communication on Industrial Carbon Management calls for 280 million tonnes of CO2 to be captured annually by 2040. It is a hugely ambitious target. What is needed from the Commission is political leadership to persuade Member States to introduce measures to decarbonise their industries. In Wopke Hoekstra, it looks like we have a leader who is ready to take responsibility for making CCS happen.”

On 12 November, it was Ribera and Séjourné's turns. Commissioners-designate Stéphane Séjourné and Teresa Ribera outlined priorities for the Clean Industrial Deal, but fell short of offering any real detail.

While both committed to swift decarbonisation, their statements lacked clarity on concrete steps for aiding hard-to-abate sectors. The lack of a clear pathway is a real risk to the European Commission's ambitions for industrial renewal.

Without a clear plan on what appears to be the Commission's headline initiative, meaningful progress on climate goals and industrial competitiveness is in peril.

The EU's industry deserves a transparent, actionable framework to drive decarbonisation forward with CCS technology at its core.