developer, editor
60,576
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
SW: expand lead and add ref
{{#Badges: CoalSwarm|Navbar-cleancoal}}The '''Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute ''' was announced in September 2008 as a global initiative by the Australian Prime Minister, [[Kevin Rudd]] and the Resources Minister, [[Martin Ferguson]]. Announcing that the Australian government would invest $100 million a year in the institute, Rudd stated that a global plan on climate change "must deal with carbon capture and storage. Unless we deal with coal we are not dealing with a core part of the challenge." Rudd claimed that CCS had the potential to capture nine billion tonnes of carbon by 2050 which would represent approximately 20 per cent of the total reduction required to limit atmospheric greenhouse gas levels at 450 parts per million. "We have got to crack the whip and make it happen," Rudd stated.<ref>[http://www.smh.com.au/news/environment/global-warming/rudds-100m-climate-hq/2008/09/19/1221331158264.html "Rudd's $100m climate institute"], ''Sydney Morning Herald'', September 19, 2008.</ref>
In April 2009, Australian Prime Minister [[Kevin Rudd]] announced that the former the former President of the World Bank, [[James D. Wolfensohn]], had been appointed as Chair of the International Advisory Panel of the Institute. The first meeting of the panel is scheduled for late April 2009.<ref name="IAP">Kevin Rudd, [http://www.pm.gov.au/media/Release/2009/media_release_0902.cfm "Appointment of Mr James Wolfensohn to Global Carbon Capture and Storage Institute Advisory Panel"], Media Release, April 6, 2009.</ref>
In the 2010 Australian federal election campaign, the leader of the Opposition, [[Tony Abbott]] told reporters that the institute was a part of deposed prime minister Kevin Rudd’s "grand Copenhagen plan" and that "frankly if we’re the only country that is backing it and funding it, it’s never going to happen, let’s save the money". In response, Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard defended the institute. "I’m not surprised Mr Abbott would pick it for a cut given he has been completely dismissive of the science of climate change". CCS, she said, is "an important new technology for the nation’s future as we combat climate change."<ref>[http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/abbott-to-axe-cleancoal-funding-20100720-10irq.html "Abbott to axe clean-coal funding"], ''Sydney Morning Herald'', July 20, 2010.</ref>
