Climate protection underground?

The German state of Baden-Württemberg wants to make underground carbon dioxide storage possible. A Citizens’ Forum will discuss the opportunities and risks and develop recommendations for a planned state law. Randomly selected citizens from across the state will examine the opportunities and risks of CO₂ storage and develop recommendations for a proposed state law. The mini public is expected to begin in the coming months.

The initiative is part of the governing coalition’s plans to establish a legal framework for storing carbon dioxide underground in Baden-Württemberg. This would make it possible to capture CO₂ from industrial facilities and store it permanently instead of releasing it into the atmosphere. The state government considers this an important contribution to climate protection, particularly in industries where CO₂ emissions are technically difficult to avoid.

Citizens should have a say from the outset

Minister-President Cem Özdemir has justified the Citizens' Forum by referring to the state's experience of involving the public in legislative processes.

“Especially on an issue such as carbon management, it is important to involve people at an early stage, take questions and concerns seriously, and bring different perspectives together,” Özdemir said on 14 October 2026.

The Forum is intended to make different views on the proposed CO₂ storage legislation visible before political decisions are made. Both potential benefits and concerns about the technology will be discussed. The recommendations of the randomly selected citizens are intended to inform the further drafting of the law and its subsequent implementation.

Climate protection and economic interests

Underground carbon dioxide storage is particularly relevant to industries in which CO₂ emissions cannot be eliminated simply by switching to renewable energy. Cement production is one example. Waste incineration also produces emissions that are difficult to avoid.

Carbon capture involves collecting carbon dioxide before it enters the atmosphere. The captured CO₂ can then either be stored permanently or reused as a raw material. Suitable geological formations may provide storage sites. Whether and under what conditions such storage should be permitted in Baden-Württemberg is the subject of the proposed legislation.

Net-zero by 2040

Environment Minister Thekla Walker considers the technology a necessary complement to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “Without carbon management, we cannot achieve our climate protection targets,” she said.

Economics Minister Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut emphasised its importance for industry. She argued that the planned legislation would send an important signal about the competitiveness of Baden-Württemberg as an industrial location.

The state aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Avoiding and reducing emissions is intended to remain the priority.

Four stages leading to recommendations

The Citizens’ Forum is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2027. However, the participation process will extend beyond the deliberations of the randomly selected citizens. It will consist of four stages.

First, representatives of environmental organisations, businesses and other civil society groups will identify questions that the mini public should address. They will also be able to suggest experts who can present different perspectives on the issue.

This will be followed by an online public consultation. All interested citizens will be able to propose additional topics and experts.

Only then will the Citizens’ Forum itself begin. The randomly selected citizens will receive information, discuss the different arguments and develop joint recommendations.

Finally, the results will be presented publicly and submitted to the state government.

Statewide random selection

Members of the forum will be drawn from across Baden-Württemberg and are intended to reflect the diversity of the state's population. In comparable citizens’ forums organised by the state, factors such as gender, age, educational attainment and migration background have been taken into account.

The process will be organised and supported by the Baden-Württemberg Service Centre for Dialogue-Based Citizen Participation (Servicestelle Dialogische Bürgerbeteiligung). The centre assists the state government in organising Citizens’ Forums.

The process follows Baden-Württemberg’s established approach, in which the agenda is prepared with input from civil society groups and the wider public before the randomly selected citizens begin their deliberations.

Recommendations to inform legislation

The state government intends to conduct the Citizens’ Forum alongside the drafting of the proposed law. Citizens should therefore not be asked for their views only after the main political decisions have effectively been made. Instead, their recommendations should be considered during the legislative process itself.

The findings are also intended to inform the subsequent approval of potential storage facilities. Important questions include the safety of storage sites and the protection of local residents and drinking water.

Environment Minister Walker has set out a clear condition for underground CO₂ storage: “This will only be permitted in Baden-Württemberg if it can be carried out safely and in an environmentally and socially acceptable manner, including the protection of local residents and drinking water.”

By combining random selection, wider public consultation and an ongoing legislative process, the planned Citizens’ Forum offers another example of how Baden-Württemberg intends to integrate citizens’ deliberations into political decision-making.

Note: The image accompanying this article was created using AI.