The promises of blue hydrogen are proving to be over-hyped and under-delivering when it comes to combatting climate change. Many polluters pushed blue hydrogen, which is created by using methods that separate natural gas into hydrogen and carbon dioxide, because it offers carbon capture strategies that companies like Shell believe offset enough of the greenhouse gases still emitted to justify its use. Reducing emissions—even by up to 90% as Shell wants for its Quest Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) facility—is simply not enough when we must work toward sustainable long-term solutions. Even worse, Shell can’t even hit that 90% mark that many within the industry boasted was possible. According to a report released on Thursday by the human rights group Global Witness, Shell’s Alberta, Canada, facility captures just 48% of its emissions.

The Quest facility, which has been criticized for encroaching on First Nations land, is just one part of the problem of the larger Scotford Complex where it’s located. It’s worth noting that Shell has done little to address the concerns of nearby communities, as legitimate climate justice just probably doesn’t look like good PR to the polluter, nor does it help Shell continue to pump out up to 255,000 barrels of oil per day from the Scotford Complex. Since Quest CCS began operating in 2015, the facility has been used to capture emissions from the Scotford Upgrader in the Alberta tar sands, which is located in an area known as “Upgrader Alley.” Quest CCS also offers Shell one hell of a way to greenwash the Scotford Complex, which saw 7.5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases that include methane and carbon emitted in the first five years of Quest CCS’ use. Quest CCS was only able to capture 5 million tonnes of greenhouse gases in that same time period. Global Witness found that the substantial amount of carbon not captured by Quest per year is the equivalent of emissions from 1.2 million cars.

Quest CCS also cost a pretty penny—but mostly for the Canadian government. Despite its $1 billion USD price tag, government subsidies covered about $654 million USD of that price. As Global Witness noted in a press release for its report, “the lesson from Quest should be loud and clear for governments all over the world. Do not invest in a technology that is not only failing to deliver any effective action in tackling the climate crisis—but is in fact contributing to it.” Canada clearly hasn’t learned that lesson, as the country paid nearly $18 billion supporting the fossil fuel industry last year alone and continues to subsidize other polluters. It’s a global issue that will require cooperation, if not only for net-zero’s massive price tag. In Canada alone, experts believe it will cost the country $2 trillion over the course of 30 years to reach that milestone.

But in a scenario in which companies like Shell emit more greenhouse gases than they capture, the cost of doing little to nothing in the face climate change makes $2 trillion seems entirely reasonable. Catastrophic flooding in Canada last year was considered the fifth-costliest disaster in the world by charity Christian Aid, which ranked numerous U.S. storms on its list. The flooding in British Columbia was estimated to cost $7.5 billion and made 2021 one of the most expensive years for natural disasters that Canada had ever experienced. The U.S. found itself under similar circumstances as weather events like Hurricane Ida and Winter Storm Uri severely damaged entire communities and led to dozens of deaths. Global disaster costs are only going to get worse as climate change increases extreme weather events. That’s why legislation like the Build Back Better Act must pass if the U.S. and the entire world stands a chance at combatting climate change’s worst, and deadliest, effects. Call on Congress to pass Build Back Better and invest in greener solutions instead of buying into Shell’s and other polluters’ bullshit.