The High-level Conference on Fighting Climate Change with Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) took place in Bergen, Norway from 27-28 May 2009. The conference sought to provide an arena for high-level policy makers and other key stakeholders to discuss concrete experiences, priorities, ideas and initiatives to achieve a comprehensive global approach for delivering climate solutions.

The event began on Wednesday morning, 27 May, with an excursion for ministers to the CCS facility at the “Sleipner” platform in the North Sea. This was followed by a high-level opening session hosted by Norway’s Prime Minister, Jens Stoltenberg, and a dialogue between ministers. The high-level session was followed by a gala concert coordinated by the Norwegian Foreign Ministry and the 57th Bergen International Festival.

On Thursday, 28 May, experts from business, research and development groups and non-governmental organizations met throughout the day to discuss key aspects of CCS.

At the close of the conference, Jonas Gahr Støre, Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, presented a Chair’s summary of the meeting. The summary concluded that: a comprehensive approach to reduce CO2 emissions must include CCS; CCS can play a key role in the transition to a low emission society; more large-scale demonstration plants, more research and development (R&D) and a major scaling-up of present CCS efforts are needed; stimulating framework conditions are necessary to encourage wide-scale capture and storage; transport and storage projects must minimize the risk of negative impacts to the environment, health and safety; private sector companies have a particular role to make CCS commercially viable; CCS must be made accessible to developing countries; and CCS should feature in discussions at the UN Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December 2009 and in other relevant fora. More.