The real debate on Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is not “yes or no”, but where it adds genuine and durable climate value. This 2026 edition deepens the analysis, incorporates new stakeholder feedback, and reflects evolving decarbonisation realities, including the scaling of alternatives like electrification, circularity, and efficiency.
Domien Vangenechten, Programme Lead, EU Industry at E3G, said, “Europe’s industrial transformation demands smart choices on CCS. Our CCS Ladder cuts through the noise, highlighting indispensable uses in process-heavy industries while signaling where other solutions like electrification will dominate – ensuring every euro spent maximises climate and competitiveness gains is vital to future-proof Europe’s industries.”
The Ladder assesses CCS applications across key industrial sectors, evaluating their climate value for 2030 and 2050 based on three core criteria:
competition from alternatives
mitigation potential
feasibility.
It highlights where CCS is indispensable, where it plays a transitional role, and where its relevance declines as other solutions outperform it.
With limited public funding, infrastructure constraints, and political attention, prioritisation is essential. The Ladder and its underlying analytical framework provide a structured basis to support stakeholders in considering where infrastructure and policy support can deliver most value in a constrained environment.
Georg Kobiela, Policy Lead at Bellona Deutschland, said, “To efficiently deploy public funds and achieve the maximum climate impact, CCS applications must be prioritised based on their climate benefit. Our CCS Ladder offers a conceptual framework for this. Similar transparent and evidence-based frameworks should be applied in the German Carbon Management Strategy – which must now be adopted quickly.”
Key insights
High-value applications. CCS remains critical for sectors like lime and – to a lesser extent – cement production, where process emissions from limestone decomposition have limited viable alternatives. In these areas, its climate value is high and stable through 2050.
Declining value in power. In the power sector, CCS has low and decreasing value, as renewables, storage, and flexibility options deliver deeper emissions cuts at lower costs.
Variable-value sectors. For sectors like waste processing and hydrogen production, the value of CCS varies depending on residual emissions, demand shifts, and system dynamics. Alternatives such as circularity, recycling, and renewable hydrogen show high scaling potential but face economic, infrastructure, and deployment uncertainties.
Dynamic over time. The update shows shifts between 2030 and 2050, emphasising that CCS must complement broader system transformations.
