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From rejection to reliance on carbon capture and storage in Denmark : a case of mitigation deterrence?

Hougaard, Inge Merete LU and Christiansen, Kirstine Lund LU (2026) In Environmental Politics
Abstract

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has in recent years gained increasing attention as a climate solution. In Denmark, geological CO2-storage was earlier rejected, but in 2020 CCS was incorporated into national climate policy as key to reach the country’s 2030 target. In this article we investigate the incorporation of CCS into Danish climate policy as a case of mitigation deterrence. Through the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, we analyse the relation between technology, risk and identity, illustrating how CCS was first resisted and rejected, but then reemerged and became embedded in national policy, extending into subnational climate plans. We posit that the incorporation of CCS in Danish climate policy likely... (More)

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has in recent years gained increasing attention as a climate solution. In Denmark, geological CO2-storage was earlier rejected, but in 2020 CCS was incorporated into national climate policy as key to reach the country’s 2030 target. In this article we investigate the incorporation of CCS into Danish climate policy as a case of mitigation deterrence. Through the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, we analyse the relation between technology, risk and identity, illustrating how CCS was first resisted and rejected, but then reemerged and became embedded in national policy, extending into subnational climate plans. We posit that the incorporation of CCS in Danish climate policy likely constitutes a case of mitigation deterrence in the forms of substitution and failure and mitigation foregone. We argue that the reliance on future technologies to reach climate targets was enabled by a national imaginary of being a green frontrunner.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
carbon dioxide removal (CDR), climate politics, Negative emission technologies (NETs), science and technology studies (STS)
in
Environmental Politics
publisher
Routledge
external identifiers
  • scopus:105033906728
ISSN
0964-4016
DOI
10.1080/09644016.2026.2638045
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
28b454f0-7dc6-4e89-bf3a-f6ffe6ede094
date added to LUP
2026-04-30 13:11:15
date last changed
2026-04-30 13:11:45
@article{28b454f0-7dc6-4e89-bf3a-f6ffe6ede094,
  abstract     = {{<p>Carbon capture and storage (CCS) has in recent years gained increasing attention as a climate solution. In Denmark, geological CO<sub>2</sub>-storage was earlier rejected, but in 2020 CCS was incorporated into national climate policy as key to reach the country’s 2030 target. In this article we investigate the incorporation of CCS into Danish climate policy as a case of mitigation deterrence. Through the concept of sociotechnical imaginaries, we analyse the relation between technology, risk and identity, illustrating how CCS was first resisted and rejected, but then reemerged and became embedded in national policy, extending into subnational climate plans. We posit that the incorporation of CCS in Danish climate policy likely constitutes a case of mitigation deterrence in the forms of substitution and failure and mitigation foregone. We argue that the reliance on future technologies to reach climate targets was enabled by a national imaginary of being a green frontrunner.</p>}},
  author       = {{Hougaard, Inge Merete and Christiansen, Kirstine Lund}},
  issn         = {{0964-4016}},
  keywords     = {{carbon dioxide removal (CDR); climate politics; Negative emission technologies (NETs); science and technology studies (STS)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  publisher    = {{Routledge}},
  series       = {{Environmental Politics}},
  title        = {{From rejection to reliance on carbon capture and storage in Denmark : a case of mitigation deterrence?}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09644016.2026.2638045}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/09644016.2026.2638045}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}