Public awareness and acceptance of carbon capture and utilisation in the UK

This paper presents the results of a UK survey of public opinion on carbon capture and utilisation (CCU). The survey of 1213 adults was carried out using a questionnaire developed as a part of this research. The aim was to establish the extent of people’s awareness and acceptance of CCU and to elicit the importance they put on different sustainability issues relevant to CCU. The survey findings suggest that there is a very low level of public awareness of CCU — only 9% of the respondents expressed confidence in knowing what it was. The study indicates that, while the general public are willing and able to express preferences for sustainability issues relevant for CCU, a relatively high rate of ‘don’t know’ responses indicates that respondents were unable to comprehend certain aspects. As public acceptance is vital for successful implementation of novel technologies, the current unfamiliarity and poor understanding of CCU among the general public may hinder its future deployment. However, low levels of awareness and understanding of CCU also mean that there is a considerable potential for public perception to be shaped by relevant stakeholders.