Germany's “No” to carbon capture and storage: Just a question of lacking acceptance?

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) is frequently regarded as a promising approach to mitigate global warming. Yet, by and by CCS is losing political support. The key reason for that is largely seen in the lack of public acceptance for this technology. The absence of public acceptance, in turn, is in particular due to the environmental risks ascribed to CCS and the adverse effects this technology may create with respect to the development of renewable energy technologies. However, the effects of CCS are manifold and an adequate evaluation of this technology should take into account relevant aspects as comprehensively as possible. Since sustainability indicators are not the only ones stakeholders are interested in, attention also has to be paid to further indicators. By means of a multi-criteria analysis considering different scenarios, we investigate the consequences of the application of CCS in Germany that may serve as an alternative to an extension in the use of renewable energies. In doing so, we employ a set of indicators that also include factors distinct from sustainably indicators. The results show that there is a broad range of factors causing the future of CCS in the German power sector to look gloomy.