… and frequently asked questions 3 1. Setting the scene for ECN2030 1.1 UK Policy Background Various national targets and regulatory drivers have been created to incentivise action to avoid the potentially devastating impacts of climate change. These include: The UK Climate Change Act 2008 is the principle piece of legislation legally committing the UK to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050…
… against a 1990 baseline. It previously required an 80% emission reduction but was updated in 2019 after the Climate Change Committee produced a report called ‘Net Zero- The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming’. As a result the UK became the first major economy to commit to a net zero carbon target by 2050. The 2016 Paris Agreement, ratified by the UK, has the aim to ‘strengthen…
… emissions from housing and to balance new development with investment in public transport and infrastructure. 1.4 What do we mean by carbon neutral? We have stated that we wish to “achieve a carbon neutral town by 2030” This means that we expect to have net zero carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2030. To achieve this we expect to have lowered our emissions as much as possible and captured…
… emissions, 43% of the total, so decarbonising this area will be key to hitting our net zero carbon goals. Nearly half of the gas consumption of our own buildings is from the crematorium (Fig.13). 3.3 Council owned and operated buildings This category, shown in Fig.11, includes consumption from: offices (inc. depots and stores); our public use assets such as the theatres, the Tennis Centre…
… is the next highest priority. The National Grid’s Future Energy Scenarios (FES) indicate that even under a scenario that meets the UK’s net zero by 2050 (Two Degrees), electricity demand still increases. On the other hand, SCATTER’s High Ambition Pathway assumes that electricity demand reduces due to improvements to efficiency of operation. Factors such as increased electrification of heat…