Soft criteria. Important soft criteria for development of projects are, first, the public perception of CCU in general as well as perceptions about infrastructure and specific products; second, the acceptance of other stakeholders including policy makers, local authorities and intermediate users. Considering these two factors is decisive in creating the dynamics of a market pull. Whilst CCU technologies have partly reached the commercialisation stage, the CCU community has so far focused mainly on aspects of technical feasibility with less emphasis on the role of consumers and public acceptance (Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx, 2017). The approval of the general public of CCU products is essential, since CO2, as important greenhouse gas, is negatively viewed (Van Heek et al., 2017). As with other technologies, not only the inherent attributes of the technology, but also a lack of knowledge and familiarity and a feeling of not being well informed can add to a negative perception (van Heek et al., 2017). Based on research so far, perceptions of CCU are complex phenomena that vary depending on individual characteristics, context and framing through media coverage or otherwise. Results show that the general perception of CCU products ranges from support and cautious acceptance to rejection and appropriate communication strategies are needed, especially for laypeople, since public knowledge of CCU is at a very low level (Xxxxxx and Xxxxxx, 2017). For instance, most misconceptions about CCU products are linked to negative, albeit not scientifically supported, associations such as exposure to toxic CO2. Studies with a more market-oriented approach, i.e. focusing on potential customer perceptions of mattresses and plastics made using CO2, finds that risks are generally seen as low (Xxxxxx et al., 2017; Van Heek et al., 2017). Here the perceived risks differ slightly, with ‘perceived health complaints’ and ‘disposal conditions’ being categorised as main barriers for CCU (van Heek et al., 2017). However, participants raised doubts about the technical feasibility of the technologies as well as the long-term environmental benefits. Two arguments when scrutinising possible investments in CO2 utilisation are that they could detract from investment in other low-carbon technologies (such as renewables) or conflict with broader sustainability goals, so that CO2 utilisation is seen by some as being predicated on the continued use of fossil fuels (Xxxxx et al., 2016). Furthermore, confusion or co-mingli...
