📋 Written Ability Test (WAT)/Essay Analysis Guide

Should Carbon Capture Technology Be Mandatory for Industries with High Emissions?

🌍 Understanding the Topic’s Importance

Carbon capture technology is pivotal for industries like steel and cement, which contribute significantly to global emissions. This topic integrates technological, economic, and environmental dimensions essential for MBA candidates to analyze comprehensively.

📅 Effective Planning and Writing

• ⏳ Time Allocation:
• Planning: 5 minutes
• Writing: 20 minutes
• Review: 5 minutes
• 📖 Preparation Tips:
• List key statistics and examples.
• Outline arguments with clear data-driven points.

✍️ Introduction Techniques

1. ⚖️ Contrast Approach: “While renewable energy adoption grows rapidly, industries like cement and steel remain heavily reliant on fossil fuels, making carbon capture a crucial bridge technology.”
2. 💡 Solution-Based Approach: “To limit global warming to 1.5°C, mandatory carbon capture could play a transformative role for heavy industries.”

📚 Structuring the Essay Body

• 🏆 Achievements:
• Highlight successful projects like Norway’s Sleipner and U.S. incentives.
• Use global statistics to emphasize impact.
• ⚠️ Challenges:
• Analyze cost and infrastructure barriers.
• Discuss public opposition and safety concerns.
• 🔮 Future Outlook:
• Suggest pathways for scaling adoption through public-private partnerships.

✅ Concluding Effectively

1. ⚖️ Balanced Approach: “Mandatory carbon capture offers promise but must be complemented by incentives and broader decarbonization efforts.”
2. 🌐 Global Comparison: “Adopting Norway’s model could provide a blueprint for balancing economic and environmental priorities.”

📊 Analyzing Successes and Shortcomings

• 🏆 Key Achievements:
• Demonstrated CO2 reduction in operational facilities.
• Increasing government support and subsidies.
• ⚠️ Ongoing Challenges:
• Limited implementation in developing economies.
• High costs for smaller firms.
• 🌍 Global Context:
• Norway and the U.S. showcase models for scalable adoption.

🔄 Recommendations for Sustainable Progress

• 💸 Develop financial incentives like tax credits or grants.
• 🌍 Foster international collaboration to share technology and expertise.
• 🎓 Invest in public education to alleviate safety concerns.

✏️ Sample Short Essays

Balanced Perspective:

“Mandating carbon capture offers a pathway to reduce industrial emissions but requires a supportive ecosystem of subsidies, infrastructure, and public acceptance.”

Solution-Oriented:

“With net-zero goals in sight, carbon capture should be mandatory for major polluters, complemented by policy incentives and phased rollouts.”

Global Comparison:

“Drawing lessons from Norway’s success, industries worldwide can adopt carbon capture technologies as part of a multi-faceted approach to combat climate change.”