For years, Germany approached carbon capture the way many Europeans approach nuclear power at dinner parties: cautiously, awkwardly, and preferably not at all. The country that built Europe’s industrial backbone somehow became one of the continent’s most politically hesitant nations on CCS. Carbon capture remained trapped in endless debates over storage, liability, public acceptance, and whether supporting the technology might somehow undermine climate ambition itself. Meanwhile, reality kept moving. Heavy industry still emitted enormous…