Research and Development Actions to Reduce CO2 Emissions Within the European Union

This paper describes the research actions put in place by the Directorate General of Research of the European Commission (EC) in the field of the mitigation of CO2 emissions. Global policy for climate change mitigation and the associated energy policy considerations are presented. The use of renewables and fossil fuels within the overall energy mix are discussed, leading to European Union research policy for fossil fuel carbon management options. The European Union's (EU) current and proposed RTD project portfolio for CO2 capture and sequestration is then given. An overview of the involvement by the EC in complementary international cooperation and coordination activities is also presented