Understanding and assessing public perceptions of Carbon Dioxide Utilisation (CDU) technologies

We presently know very little about public perceptions of Carbon Dioxide Utilisation (CDU) technology. The importance of understanding public opinion should not be underestimated, as the ‘public face’ of technologies can govern investment and siting decisions. This chapter offers a perspective on the complexity underlying the simple question: ‘What will the public think of CDU?’ Discussion centres on the importance of questioning what we should mean by ‘the public’ and outlines some of the challenges faced when attempting to accurately assess opinions of new and unfamiliar technologies. The results of a small qualitative study designed to elucidate opinions of CDU in a group of nonexperts are also presented.