Kohko Tokushige

Public perceptions on the acceptance of geological storage of carbon dioxide and information influencing the acceptance

Abstract Public acceptance will be important for the implementation of the geological storage of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). The purpose of this study is to evaluate how the general public perceives this storage and the factors crucial for its acceptance. Further, this study attempts to analyze and evaluate what kind of information would influence the public acceptance and how. In order to evaluate them, questionnaire surveys concerning the acceptance of CO 2 geological storage were conducted among Japanese university students. The questionnaire was designed under the assumption that there were five important factors with regard to the acceptance: risk perception, benefit perception, trust, and two perceptions relating to human interference with the environment (one each for CO 2 geological storage and global warming). The questionnaire also investigated the effects of two kinds of information supplied: on natural analogues and on field demonstrations of CO 2 storage. The responses were analyzed through confirmatory factor analysis, and the dynamic changes in the perceptions resulting from the supplied information were analyzed. The analysis results include the following: the five factors explained the acceptance very well (>83%), the benefit perception was primarily important for determining public acceptance, and information on the natural analogues decreased the risk perception greatly.

Exploration of public acceptance regarding CO2 underground sequestration technologies

Publisher Summary This chapter investigates the mechanisms of gaining public acceptance through questionnaires and focus group interviews as part of a project to develop the CO 2 aquifer sequestration technology being promoted by RITE. As part of the investigation, valuable knowledge was acquired although certain attributes were not verified with a reasonable degree of certainty, with the sample size being small. The results of the investigation have indicated that the publics concerns regarding the global warming issue are fairly modest and few respondents oppose the development of CO 2 aquifer sequestration technology. However, about half of the respondents felt it is too early to decide whether such technology should be put into practical use. Respondents had many questions concerning the effects of CO 2 leakage on the local environment, the reasons for choosing this technology, and the capacity of aquifers. They also expressed anxiety and doubts regarding the promoter of the technologies. About half of the respondents regarded the process through which mutual agreement is reached as important. It is found that focus group interviews are a valuable complement to quantitative research done through questionnaires and might also be useful for deepening the understanding or visualizing the process by which mutual agreement can be reached.

Evaluation of risk perception and public acceptance of CO 2 underground storage by factor analysis

Publisher Summary The public acceptance is an important issue for carbon dioxide (CO2) underground storage technology to be utilized in practice. This chapter presents a study that tried to analyze the way general public perceives the technology and also to evaluate the kinds of information that would affect the public acceptance and how. The study investigated the risk and risk-benefit perceptions of CO2 underground storage through analyses based on a questionnaire survey conducted on university students. In addition, perception changes were investigated by providing a set of relatively detailed information on global warming and CO2 underground storage. While the initial risk perception was relatively large for CO2 underground storage, the risk perception decreased by providing the information. Contrary to the common anticipation, the “Unknown Risk” perception was almost unchanged even after providing the information. To decrease the “Unknown Risk” perception, the development of stored CO2 monitoring technology, for example, would be crucial to further increase the public acceptance of CO2 underground storage.