28 / 2021-11-26 15:12:41

Social Awareness and Public Acceptance of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS): Research in Poland

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS),public acceptance of CCS,social research of the public acceptance of new technologies,social awareness of CCS

Clean Processing and Conversion of Energy Resources > 7. CO2 Conversion and Utilization

The research is a part of the AGaStor project realized in AGH-UST and University of Stavanger. The aim of the paper is to present social aspects of the developing the CCS technology in Poland described as social awareness (SA) and public acceptance (PA). The main research questions of the CCS PA concentrates on knowledge, acceptance of the technology, risks and benefits, the existence of NIMBY movements (Tcvetkov et al. 2019).

The qualitative method of analysis of CCS PA is a survey method. In Poland were realized only local qualitative research (cf.: Brunsting et al. 2013; Kaiser et al. 2014). The study of the small population generally fails to capture significant variables that define attitudes towards CCS. Such variables as territorial distribution of worldviews or the size of localities - in small scale tend to be little differentiated. It produces the gap between the macrolevel analysis of social discourses and focuses oriented very locally.

The AGaStor research fills that gap and describes the mezzo-social level of the CCS public acceptance. The randomized sample (N= 695) were made in Zachodniopomorskie region (West-North Poland) in 2021. The main variables which influence CCS PA are: place of living, education, economic situations and general worldview of the respondents.

The results shows the correlation between place of living and CCS PA (higher PA in big cities); education with CCS SA (higher declarations of knowledge and SA by well educated people); NIMBY potential in villages and small towns, and the ecological worldview with the CCS PA.