Subsurface Convergence Zones and the Net-Zero Future

As nations strive toward net-zero emissions, underground spaces are increasingly envisioned as critical for decarbonization efforts. This chapter explores the socio-cultural complexities and local responses surrounding subterranean carbon capture infrastructures, focusing on the HyNet North West project in the UK. Drawing from ethnographic research involving consultations and community interactions, it highlights how the underground serves as a convergence zone, where geological, technological, political, and cultural narratives intersect and conflict. While proponents frame it as essential for achieving a sustainable and economically prosperous future, residents of local communities affected by the project express significant anxieties about environmental risks, disruption to daily life, and historical injustices. Concerns particularly revolve around the invisible risks associated with buried pipelines and offshore CO₂ storage. These tensions underscore that decarbonization initiatives are not frictionless technological solutions to climate change and must grapple with socio-economic realities and community perceptions.