Image description: Silhouette of windfarm against a sunset sky. Image by Anna Jiménez Calaf / Unsplash
Following recent reports that there are just two years remaining at current emission rates to meet the international target of 1.5°C, it is welcome news that the UK can meet its net zero targets for 2050, according to the Climate Change Committee (CCC).
The CCC, the government’s statutory climate advisers, said in their annual progress report to parliament that it believes both the 2050 targets and interim carbon budgets for 2030 and beyond can be realised.
While the report did include some caveats, such as a pressing need to overhaul the way energy is taxed in order to make electricity much cheaper than gas, the Guardian reports that the optimistic tone of this year’s CCC progress report stands in stark contrast to recent years, which have tended to find that government policy was way off track. This is reportedly due to decisions taken by Labour in the past year such as lifting the ban on onshore windfarms and boosting offshore wind, which have brought the UK closer to the policy framework needed to reach net zero. Some policies of the previous government are also paying off in higher uptake of heat pumps and electric vehicles, though these are still not happening fast enough, the CCC warned.
Overall, Piers Forster, chair of the CCC, said: “This is an optimistic report. It is possible to meet our carbon budgets for 2030 and 2050, provided we take steps forward [on policy]. It’s very important that our country steps up to deliver our commitments.” He also added; “the CCC had found that reaching net zero would not destroy the UK’s economy, contrary to some claims. “We think it will be beneficial to our economy – not instantly, but by the seventh carbon budget [from 2038] the economy will be receiving significant benefits, and we expect that to continue [to 2050]”.
Image description: Dam installation at Kinder Scout, Derbyshire. Image: National Trust/ Paul Harris
National Trust unveils 2030 Net Zero Transition plan
Five years after announcing their ambition to become a net-zero carbon charity by 2030, National Trust has published its first climate transition plan, confirming plans to expand farmer engagement across more than 200,000 hectares.
Edie reports the plan is one of the first from a UK charity. It sets out how the Trust intends to at least halve its absolute carbon footprint by 2030, relative to 2019/20. National Trust does not intend to offset to reach net-zero; rather, it will use its 250,000 hectares of land to capture more carbon than it emits. National Trust has already reduced its absolute emissions by 31% against a 2019/2020 baseline and intends to deliver a 5% year-on-year reduction each year for the rest of the decade.
Beyond reducing agricultural emissions and restoring nature, the plan sets out other key action areas, namely:
- Enhancing building energy efficiency, rolling out onsite renewables and installing low-carbon heating
- Transitioning the Trust’s own fleet to electric vehicles
- Making it easier for staff and visitors to choose low-carbon transport
- Reshaping the Trust’s investment portfolio
- Engaging with suppliers on decarbonisation, with a particular focus on suppliers to National Trust construction projects and the charity’s commercial operations
Although the Trust was not legally required to produce this transition plan, it believes the move is necessary – both to lead by example and to manage long-term risks. The plan will be updated every three years, with annual progress reports aligned with the recommendations of the UK’s Transition Plan Taskforce.