Objectives

• Clarify complex issues: Visually explain how carbon capture and storage (CCS) is marketed as a “net zero” solution despite major scientific and technical challenges.
• Highlight upstream emissions: Show how methane leakage and energy use in Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) extraction, transport, and processing dramatically increase total emissions.
• Support advocacy and transparency: Create accessible, evidence-based content for use by campaigners, climate researchers, and the public.

Target Audience

• Primary: Policy makers, climate scientists, and campaign organisations.
• Secondary: Members of the public supporting environmental and crowdfunding campaigns.

Animation Approach

The animation was designed to communicate detailed environmental data in a clear and engaging visual format suitable for both professional and general audiences.

The artwork was illustrated in Adobe Illustrator and animated in Adobe After Effects, using flat design and clear data visualisation to ensure the information was easy to follow. Subtitles and text overlays were hard-coded into the animation so it could be understood without sound when viewed on social media.

Two versions were produced:

• Policy Maker Version – ending with a call to action for transparency and review of fossil fuel and CCS policies.
• Public Version – encouraging engagement and support through awareness and crowdfunding campaigns.

Production & Content

The video script and visuals were developed collaboratively to explain:

• The role of BP and Equinor in promoting carbon capture as a low-carbon solution.
• The unproven performance of CCS technology, which has never achieved the 90–95% capture rates claimed.
• The scale of methane emissions linked to imported LNG, referencing Carbon Tracker’s analysis estimating total emissions between 20 and 40 million tonnes of CO₂ equivalent.
• The planning and approval process for NZT, highlighting data omissions and the ongoing legal challenge by climate campaigner Dr Andrew Boswell.
• How expanding similar gas projects in Teesside, the Humber, and Scotland risks locking the UK into fossil fuel dependence and contradicting COP26 commitments under the Global Methane Pledge.

The animation concludes with a focus on genuine climate solutions — renewable energy, energy storage, efficiency, and demand reduction — as the sustainable path forward.

Outputs

• 2 x 4-minute animations (landscape) – for presentations and websites.
• 2 x 4-minute animations (portrait) – for social media platforms.
• Voiceover and background music.
• Folder of 1080x1920p still JPEGs from the animation for social and campaign use.
• Delivered as h.264 HD .mp4 files via digital transfer.

Result

The Net Zero Teesside animation delivers a factual, visually clear explanation of a complex and controversial energy project, helping both decision-makers and the public understand why carbon capture cannot offset the full climate cost of continued fossil fuel expansion.