It has taken a long time for Robert Habeck to initiate legislative changes on Monday that will enable companies to capture CO2 and then inject it into the ground. In the noughties, this technology was already en vogue among the major CO2 emitters. Coal-fired power producers, cement manufacturers and steelmakers had high hopes for CCS (carbon capture and storage). Still, it was never given the green light following political concerns and fierce public protests.

Habeck was also one of those who took to the streets in Schleswig-Holstein to protest against the alleged risk strategy. Today, around two decades later, during which practical experience has been gained in other countries, and the technology has been further developed, the Green Federal Minister of Economics admits that climate neutrality cannot be achieved by 2045 without the capture, utilisation and storage of CO2.

He not only has the business community on his side in favour of this new course but also scientists such as Ottmar Edenhofer, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and some essential environmental associations. There is a consensus that there will always be emissions from specific industrial processes for which a solution must be found. Alternatives are not foreseeable. The German government's move to clear the way for a controversial technology is, therefore, the right one.

Germany is no pioneer in this area. Norway is not the only country that has been pushing this technology for a long time. There are already CCS projects in numerous EU countries, such as Italy, the Netherlands, France, Poland, and Denmark. The USA is promoting the capture and storage of CO2 in the Inflation Reduction Act. The EU Commission has also already presented the Net Zero Industry Act.

Ultimately, only a few sectors will benefit from the German government's new carbon management strategy. However, the change of course in policy is vital for their long-term survival – for companies in the raw materials industry and thermal waste management. Gas-fired power plants should also be able to benefit as a bridging technology, even if this is likely to lead to public debate. The German government must now implement its strategy quickly. After all, it will probably be another decade before the CCS infrastructure is in place.