Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the risks and benefits of greenhouse gas removal technology; and what plans they have, if any, to increase funding of research into that technology.

The Government is continually monitoring the evidence base relating to Greenhouse Gas Removal technologies (GGRs). Additionally it commissioned a review by the Royal Society and Royal Academy of Engineering on GGRs, published in September 2018, which includes specific assessment of the risks and benefits of the different GGR options.

BEIS is co-funding an £8.6 million GGR research programme with UK Research & Innovation (UKRI) which will continue until 2021. In addition, projects for some GGR approaches are in scope for both our £20 million Carbon Capture and Utilisation Demonstration (CCUD) Programme and £24 million Call for Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (CCUS) Innovation. The details of these successful CCUS and CCUD projects will be announced in due course.

BEIS has held constructive discussions with UKRI about the possibility of new research funding for GGR demonstrators.