Background/Objectives

As one of the largest emitters of greenhouse gases, the United States heavily relies on coal and gas for electricity generation and industrial facilities. While the country has a long-term strategy in place to decarbonize the electricity and industrial sectors, the goals can hardly be met by the reduction of future emissions. In such a case, through federal initiatives such as the Inflation Reduction Act, the country has been planning to scale up carbon dioxide removal, capture, and storage. Rapid decarbonization can cause disproportionate impacts on disadvantaged communities, such as increased energy burden and job displacement. These impacts could be severe in regions such as southeastern Michigan which are already harmed by the past infrastructural development. Thus, it is important to prioritize the needs and concerns of these communities by implementing targeted policies and investments, increasing awareness, and empowering them to participate in decision-making processes. This paper explores the pilot initiative of carbon capture and storage in the southeastern Michigan region while promoting a sustainable environment and just transition. Our study has three objectives: (1) Where are disadvantaged communities located in southeastern Michigan and what biophysical and social circumstances make them disadvantaged? (2) What would be the societal impacts (positive and negative) of deploying a carbon capture and storage project considering different social life cycle assessment boundary conditions? (3) How can carbon capture and storage projects promote social justice and larger investment flow to disadvantaged communities as required by the Justice 40 initiative in the United States?

Approach/Activities

Our study utilizes three broad approaches: (1) burden indicators mapping using spatial analysis of southeastern Michigan, (2) social life cycle assessment, and (3) stakeholder consultation regarding the environmental justice issues in the region and the implementation of Justice40 initiative mandates in carbon capture and storage.

Results/Lessons Learned

Our results present the reclassification of pollution burden based on the burden indicators such as energy and housing from the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool.  Further, the cluster analysis presents spatial distribution patterns and the relationships with the emitter location and disadvantaged communities. The results of the social life cycle assessment offer vital insights from the lens of sustainable development's three pillars: People, Planet, and Prosperity. The societal aspect of the development of a carbon capture storage facility includes key stakeholder categories, such as workers, consumers, local communities, society, children, and other value chain actors. Our study demonstrates the need to focus more on the disadvantaged communities and the sites that have been historically harmed.  Further, our study presents difficulties in engaging with local social groups and the need for ensuring transparency, building credibility, and upholding aspects of recognitional, procedural, and distributional justice. This is our ongoing project so we will be able to provide detailed quantitative and qualitative results of our assessment by the conference date.