UK Climate Targets

Amending the Climate Change Act 2008 in 2019, the UK became the first country in the world to provide a legislative basis for a net zero economy. The commitment by the UK government conforms to the Paris Agreement, where global economies pledged to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels. Transitioning toward a low carbon economy will not only spur investment into the development and implementation of clean technologies and infrastructure, ensuring long-term economic prosperity, but also provide an environmental imperative, cementing the UK’s position at the forefront of a global green economy.

The heart of the UK net zero strategy lies in the decarbonization of key sectors such as energy, transport, industry, agriculture, and the built environment. In 2020, the UK announced a multifaceted approach towards decarbonization, The Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, outlining specific goals and investments required within key sectors. The UK has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 44 % since 1990, leading among all G7 countries. Most of this reduction comes from a switch towards renewable electricity. The UK has over 10 GW of offshore wind, 14 GW of onshore wind, and 13 GW of solar energy capacity, contributing to almost 43 % of the UK’s electricity demand. To compliment the clean electricity, the UK government has also significantly invested in electric vehicles and related infrastructure and introduced a ban on the production and sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2035. It is worth noting that this transition towards a green economy has not come at the cost of stunted economic growth, but rather the UK economy has grown by over 75 % compared to 1990.

The UK’s sixth carbon budget, due in 2035, provides a set goal during the transitionary period towards a fully carbon neutral economy by 2050. The budget sets a legally binding target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 78 % compared to 1990 and provides recommendations on how different sectors may achieve the targets. It includes energy (increasing renewable energy deployments across the UK), transport (development of carbon neutral fuels and accelerating the shift towards electric vehicles), buildings (increased emphasis on energy efficiency and utilisation of low-carbon heating alternatives), industry (implementation of carbon capture technologies and a shift away from fossil fuels), and land (carbon sequestration through afforestation and sustainable agricultural practices). The budget has set near terms targets to assess the investment, technological, and policy support required to enable the UK to be a green global economy leader.

While commendable, the efforts of the UK government towards achieving the 2050 net zero targets still poses significant challenges. One of the primary obstacles is the deep decarbonisation of hard-to-decarbonise sectors, such as heavy industry, heavy transport, built environment, agriculture, and domestic heating. Hydrogen presents as a versatile energy vector, providing a broad range of technological and infrastructure opportunities, to combat the challenges of complete electrification in these energy intensive applications.