Switzerland backs CO2 storage under the sea

GENEVA: Switzerland on Wednesday laid the groundwork to export carbon dioxide (CO2) for storage under the seabed from next year, passing a key amendment to a global ocean protection agreement.

At its weekly meeting, the Federal Council government ratified the 2009 amendment to the London Protocol, it said in a statement.

“From 2024, it will therefore be possible to export CO2 for storage in sub-seabed geological formations,” it said.

Of the three major greenhouses gases, CO2 accounts for about 64 percent of the warming effect on the climate.

“Permanent CO2 storage is crucial for achieving both national and international climate objectives,” the government said.

“To achieve the goal of long-term net-zero greenhouse gas emissions, Switzerland will also need to use storage sites abroad. One such option is the storage of CO2 in sub-seabed geological formations.”