Talent and capital: Twin drivers of energy’s future

In an exclusive interview with Energy Connects at the 9th OPEC International Seminar in Vienna, Austria, Jarad Daniels, CEO of the Global CCS Institute, explained why carbon capture and storage (CCS) is no longer just a supporting technology but a central pillar of any serious climate strategy. Daniels outlined how CCS has evolved from a power-sector solution to an industrial necessity, and why gigatonne-scale deployment is unavoidable if the world hopes to meet its mid-century climate targets. He also warned of a growing skills gap and made the case for an integrated, systems-level approach that brings together renewables, nuclear, and CCS in tandem. Here are the edited excerpts from the interview:

Give us a perspective on the role of the Global CCS Institute.

The Global CCS Institute was started by the Australian government over a decade ago with the mission of accelerating the commercial deployment of carbon capture and storage as a technology essential for tackling climate change. It is an international, member-based think tank. About two-thirds of our members are now governments, both federal and sub-national, and the rest are private companies in the energy and CCS space. Together, we focus on overcoming the critical issues to accelerate CCS deployment worldwide, but with tailored approaches for each region. 

CCS has seen strong support in recent years, but also pushback from some quarters. What are your thoughts, and how do you see the future of technologies like carbon capture?

I’ve been working in CCS for around 25 years, first with the US Department of Energy and now at the Global CCS Institute.

Two decades ago, CCS was seen primarily as a way to decarbonise the stationary power sector, when coal still supplied more than half of US electricity and China’s growth was accelerating. The conversation then shifted: the same expertise used to extract oil and gas is needed to return CO2 securely to the subsurface. Oil and gas companies became essential for deploying CCS at the gigatonne scale required by climate science.

In the past five years, heavy industries such as cement and steel have entered the debate. These sectors have no alternative technology pathway. Even if powered entirely by renewable electricity, their processes emit CO2 as an unavoidable by-product. CCS is indispensable for decarbonising such industrial point sources.

The conclusion is unavoidable: whether people like it or not, the mathematics of climate stabilisation demands gigatonnes of CCS deployment, not only at point sources but also through carbon removal technologies such as direct air capture and bioenergy with CCS.

Momentum is building. CCS is increasingly being recognised alongside renewables, efficiency, and, where acceptable, nuclear, as part of a system-wide strategy. The investment community is leaning in; the insurance sector is offering new products; and in the Global South, there is growing interest in ensuring these technologies are not limited to affluent countries but deployed globally. 

Is enough being invested in CCS? What are the investment pathways?

In short, no. More investment is urgently needed, not just in CCS but in all forms of low-carbon technologies. Developed societies, governments and the private sector alike, have a responsibility to invest and support those on different stages of the journey.

Demand for energy and industrial products is relatively flat in developed economies, but rising exponentially in developing regions. This creates a unique opportunity to embed low-carbon technologies from the start, whether in power generation or new industrial facilities.

We’re seeing momentum in Southeast Asia and China with projects at megatonne-per-year scale, and in Saudi Arabia with industrial CCS hubs such as Jubail. These projects not only cut emissions but also deliver energy security, industrial resilience, jobs and wider economic benefits. CCS is becoming part of a broader investment strategy to maintain sovereign industrial capacity while lowering carbon footprints.

Looking ahead, what skills will be needed to scale CCS?

The skills gap is significant. Deploying CCS at a climate-rel.evant scale will require expertise across many fields. Engineers will be needed for above-ground capture equipment, while geologists and geophysicists must en.sure safe and permanent storage underground.

Beyond technical roles, we’ll need more project developers, financiers, and project managers because CCS projects are large, capital-intensive endeavours that demand multidisciplinary collaboration.

The next generation will need tremendous skills, not just for CCS but for all forms of clean energy. Digital tools such as AI can help optimise integration, but ultimately this is a human-capital challenge. If we are serious about climate change mitigation, we must invest in people as much as in technology.