果冻影院

Achieving听net zero听greenhouse gas emissions in the UK by 2050 is a massive challenge. It鈥檒l mainly be achieved by cutting听fossil fuel听use: including coal, natural gas and oil. Doing this will require rapid, deep transformation across the UK鈥檚 energy system.

Smaller energy transformations have taken place before in the UK. For example, during听1966 to 1977, moving millions of buildings from using town gas (made from burning coal) to using听North Sea听natural gas involved building a听national gas grid. but modern energy is far more complex and the UK has never transformed such a large, critical system.

There are two main ways we can cut emissions from fossil fuels:听elimination and decarbonisation.

Elimination means that low-carbon energy sources such as renewables, hydrogen gas and nuclear power replace fossil fuels. This requires 鈥渇uel switching鈥� 鈥� changing or upgrading systems across the country to run on these new fuels, such as moving from petrol to听electric cars. The two largest domains where fuel switching is required are vehicles and building heating.

On the other hand,听decarbonisation听requires capturing emissions as they are produced. This technology, called听carbon capture听and use or storage, is generally done by chemically compressing carbon dioxide into a liquid and either storing it or听using it听to make synthetic fuels, chemicals and building materials.

Other 鈥�negative emissions technologies鈥� that take greenhouse gases out of the air are being developed, but so far none are ready for mass deployment.

In the UK, plans to reach net zero emissions are already well underway. Among contributors are the听Committee on Climate Change, the Department for听Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy听and the听National Grid.

Country governments, including听Scotland,听Wales听补苍诲听Northern Ireland听have also made plans 鈥� but how achievable these will be in practice remains to be seen.

Among the many challenges that these plans pose, two stand out: sorting out mass fuel switching and deploying complex new technologies related to low-carbon fuels.

惭补蝉蝉听fuel switching听could cause problems if new equipment is initially too scarce, unreliable, or more expensive to buy or run than existing equipment. Additionally, actually meeting population听energy demand听using only low-carbon energy is far easier said than done, and could lead to shortages if not carefully controlled.

While these problems may only occur for a short time while we get used to a new, low-carbon economy, they would still require rapid responses from those governing the transition to avoid听social unrest.

Most energy transition plans also rely on some new technologies being added to our roster to help generate more, greener energy. These include carbon capture and storage, as well as听advanced nuclear tech听such as small modular reactors and听green hydrogen听produced using low-carbon electricity. The speed with which these inventions are developed and adopted, both in industry and society, will have to听increase听if we are to meet climate goals.

My听own research听into how to make energy transitions successful shows that to keep a transition on track, we need strong听political leadership.

Leaders shouldn鈥檛 just set ambitious energy efficiency goals. They must also support energy efficiency improvement programmes like听retrofitting houses, encourage听investment听in energy technology research, and help local governments to make the transition easier for the public: for example, by installing more electric vehicle听charging points.

Making a successful transition to low-carbon energy wouldn鈥檛 just help the UK meet its听climate obligations. Other benefits could include better local听air quality, less听energy poverty, better national听energy security听and more听reliable transport.

Social movements could play a key role during this transition. This might look like supporting听vulnerable people听(including the elderly, chronically ill and refugees) through the fuel switching process. And it could involve developing new businesses that improve the efficiency of a听decarbonised supply chain.

And internationally, the UK could become more economically competitive within a decarbonised world, demonstrating how industrialised countries can听cut emissions听while maintaining economic power and social听wellbeing听for their citizens.

This article first appeared in on 10^th December 2021.

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• 果冻影院 Bartlett School of Environment, Energy & Resources
• 果冻影院 Faculty of the Built Environment

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