Norway survey: With more information about carbon removal, public became more confident in their opinions — but not necessarily more supportive of technologies
A new suggests that giving non-experts time to discuss and learn about carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies can make them more confident in their opinions — but does not necessarily make them more supportive of the technologies themselves.
Researchers from the University of Bergen, NORCE Research, and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy conducted an online “deliberative poll” with Norwegian participants, exposing them to information and group discussions about five CDR approaches: bioenergy with carbon capture and storage (BECCS), enhanced rock weathering (ERW), ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE), macroalgae sinking, and marine biomass-based BECCS. Out of a random sample of 6,574 people contacted in Norway, 206 participated in the opinion poll.
The study found that deliberation modestly improved perceptions of land-based BECCS, while opinions on the other technologies changed little. However, uncertainty fell sharply. “Do not know” and “no opinion” responses dropped by 71% after the discussions, particularly for ERW and OAE, suggesting that structured public engagement helped participants form firmer views on emerging climate technologies.
Participants tended to focus on practical concerns such as cost, effectiveness, risks, and whether Norway is well suited for deployment. Many expressed skepticism toward large-scale interventions in marine environments, viewing ocean-based approaches as harder to control and potentially riskier than land-based methods.
The paper also found that participants generally favored what they perceived as more “natural” climate solutions and worried that reliance on carbon removal could weaken efforts to reduce emissions directly. Researchers concluded that deliberative polling could become a useful tool for involving the public in future net-zero policy decisions, particularly as governments consider scaling emerging carbon removal technologies.
