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Net Zero by 2050
The UK's contribution to stopping global warming

12 June 2019

 

The Prime Minister has today announced that the UK will aim to eradicate its net contribution to climate change by 2050. A statutory instrument to implement this will be laid in Parliament today, Wednesday 12 June. This will amend the Climate Change Act 2008.

Bean Beanland, Chairman of the GSHPA welcomed the new target and said:

"The Government's commitment is welcome but undoubtedly challenging. Decarbonisation of heat will be essential to deliver the 2050 target, as nearly 70% of heat for homes and businesses is currently produced from natural gas. The Government's Clean Growth Strategy says that meeting the 2050 emissions target implies decarbonising nearly all heat in buildings and most industrial processes. Reducing the demand for heat through improved energy efficiency will have an important role to play but will not by itself be sufficient to meet the 2050 target. Reducing emissions from buildings has stalled, and the deployment of low carbon heat is still extremely limited. We need a credible new strategy and a much stronger policy framework for decarbonising heat over the next three decades starting very soon.

Ground source heat pumps have a major part to play. They are a proven, efficient and low carbon technology that can deliver heating to households and businesses at the lowest operating cost. A heat pump deployed today is progressively lower in carbon emissions over its lifecycle as the electricity grid is decarbonised further.

Existing policies to encourage the take-up of low carbon heating are not delivering change at the required pace and need to change if the 2050 target is to be achieved. The GSHPA urges Government to bring in a new support framework for low carbon heating beyond 2021, including a capital grant for the installation of heat pumps, with a target of one million installations a year by 2035, and make the energy efficiency retrofit of existing homes a national infrastructure priority."

 

Theresa May will also meet young science and engineering students today to discuss the ambitious new target, which is based on advice from independent experts: the Committee on Climate Change.

The UK already leads the world in tackling climate change, and Government commissioned this advice in October having recognised the need to go even further to limit its effects.

In its report, the Committee on Climate Change forecast significant benefits to public health and savings to the NHS from better air quality and less noise pollution, as well as improved biodiversity.

This legislation will mean that the UK is on track to become the first G7 country to legislate for net zero emissions, with other major economies expected to follow suit. But it is imperative that other major economies follow suit. For that reason, the UK will conduct a further assessment within five years to confirm that other countries are taking similarly ambitious action, multiplying the effect of the UK's lead and ensuring that our industries do not face unfair competition.

For the first time, young people will have the chance to shape our future climate policy through the Youth Steering Group. The Group, set up by DCMS and led by the British Youth Council, will advise Government on priorities for environmental action and give a view on progress to date against existing commitments on climate, waste and recycling, and biodiversity loss. They will start their review in July.

Prime Minister Theresa May said:

Whilst it will be for future governments to determine the precise direction of future climate policy, the Committee on Climate Change acknowledge that we have laid strong foundations through our Clean Growth Strategy and taken action to tackle climate change across key sectors of the economy identified by the report.

Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark said:

The UK is already a centre for clean growth and innovation. Low carbon technology and clean energy contribute £44.5 bn to our economy every year. We are ending the sale of new diesel and petrol cars and vans through our world-leading Road to Zero Strategy, and protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainability through our 25 Year Environment Plan.

Businesses, academics and people across society have endorsed the advice from the Committee on Climate Change. Welcoming the announcement, Dame Carolyn Fairbairn DBE, CBI Director-General, said:

We will retain the ability to use international carbon credits. Using international credits within an appropriate monitoring, reporting and verification framework is the right thing to do for the planet, allowing the UK to maximise the value of each pound spent on climate change mitigation.

We will continue to work with our international partners to tackle climate change, including through our bid to host COP26 in 2020.

 

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