The challenges the UK face reaching net zero carbon by 2050.

In June 2019 legislation was signed committing the UK to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, albeit a great target it won’t come without its challenges. Becoming net zero means that emissions that are produced will be balanced through schemes to offset them.

Many other countries have made similar commitments, with Finland planning to be carbon neutral by 2035, Sweden aims to hit their carbon neutral target by 2045 and Denmark by 2050. As per recent announcements, Japan and South Korea have joined the global effort to become a carbon neutral world by 2050, as two of the most fossil fuel reliant countries this is a huge step in the right direction.

One of the key challenges of achieving net zero carbon will be reducing energy demand, this requires individuals, businesses and large corporations to take responsibility and prioritise energy efficiency; through energy management and energy storage systems. Systems will need to be implemented into buildings to help them operate as efficiently as possible which will in turn prevent energy wastage.

Lighting and heating are one of the largest sources accountable for producing the most greenhouse gas emissions however the movement to the use of renewable energy sources for example solar, wind and geothermal is a vast improvement.

New laws will be laid out for domestic properties, for example; from 2025 new homes will no longer have gas boilers fitted, instead they will have to install electric heat pumps that absorb and extract heat from outside or in the ground. However, what can be done going forward is not the biggest problem we face, the issue we will see will be changing the existing infrastructure of gas heating.

There are a lot of improvements individuals can make but becoming net zero as a nation relies heavily on the government investing in new technologies and implementing many new measures and initiatives to ensure we reach the 2050 target.

Monday 7th December 2020