The Committee on Climate Change (CCC), an advisory body to the UK government, has called for concrete steps to meet Britain’s carbon emission targets. This includes a shift in the power generation mix towards low-carbon fuels as well as enhanced energy efficiency.
UK emissions are down 38% on 1990 and have fallen by an average of 4.5% a year since 2012. This progress is almost entirely due to emissions reductions in the power sector, particularly reduced use of coal as government policies have driven an expansion of renewable generation.
By contrast, in the rest of the economy emissions fell less than 1% as there has been only a slow uptake of low-carbon technologies in the buildings sector, while improved vehicle efficiency has been offset by increased demand for travel as fuel prices have fallen. There is also minimal evidence of progress in the industrial and agriculture sectors.
Whitehall had quickly accepted the fifth carbon budget and voiced its support for the Paris Agreement – now all eyes are on the implementation of these pledges. “The vote to leave the EU does not alter those commitments – nor does it change the risks that climate change poses,” Lord Deben, CCC Chairman, said, calling for concrete action to ensure the UK can deliver its climate obligations at least cost.
Auctions for low-carbon contracts
If hydrogen is to be a serious low-carbon option, carbon capture and storage (CCS) will be needed, the committee stressed, saying this “will only be possible if the government urgently introduces a new strategy for its development and deployment in the UK.”
“The cheapest forms of low-carbon electricity generation, including onshore wind and solar where these are locally acceptable, should also be provided with a route to market, such as new auctions for low-carbon contracts. Excluding these technologies increases costs for UK consumers,” analysts warned.
Roll-out of multiple low-carbon heating options is also called for. “The UK’s attempts to deliver low-carbon heat have so far been unsuccessful,” the CCS said, calling on policy makers to agree on a proper strategy on to advance the matter. “That must include the immediate and properly targeted roll-out of heat pumps and heat networks between now and the mid-2020s, alongside sizeable trials of hydrogen for heating,” it said.
As for energy efficiency, CCS analysts suggest that efficiency measures could cut energy demand for heating by around 15% while reducing energy bills. Notably, a new energy efficiency programme for UK homes is meant to improve 7 million insulations of walls and lofts.