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2020: it’s time to get real

Indeed, the UK has shown that it try to do it in the UK alone.”
is possible to reduce greenhouse gas So far, the UK has more or less
emissions and have growth; reducing succeeded at decarbonising the
its emissions by 42 per cent since 1990 electricity system by progressively
while growing the economy by 72 per closing coal-fired power plants and
cent. It seems like tackling climate replacing that generation with cleaner,
change is not only the sensible thing to low-carbon and zero-carbon generation.
do, given the economic risks if we fail to The growth of offshore wind in this
take action, but the moral one too, since country has also driven down the cost
the West’s rapid economic growth since of the technology for the rest of the
the Industrial Revolution is a big reason world, “so that’s a really good example
we are in this mess in the first place. of an internationalist approach from
hris Stark is very busy. Just That message has been harder to sell the UK,” says Chris.
hours earlier, the government to other big emitters, however. Many “On the other hand, we haven’t done
announced that it will ban sales seem reluctant to not only accept that very well on decarbonising the supply
of new petrol and diesel cars in climate change poses an existential of heat to UK buildings and we can
C 2035, so everyone wants a piece threat, but that it also presents myriad probably learn a lot more from what
of him today. Radio 5 Live will be calling financial opportunities. Just three years happens on the Continent, in particular
soon and later he expects to be asked to since the signing of the Paris accords, some of the alternative technologies
do Newsnight. I have 15 minutes to find no major industrial nation on earth is that they deploy for heat.
out what he’s going to be talking about on track to honour the commitments it “In Holland, they have really
at this year’s Sir Denis Rooke Memorial made in Paris. Since Donald Trump’s plumped for hydrogen as an alternative
Lecture. No spoilers, please, Chris. “I’ll announcement that the US will drop fuel and Scandinavian countries have
be talking about the UK’s goal for net out of the agreement made at COP21, it very extensive district heating networks
zero emissions and the very difficult seems the momentum has been lost. – there are all sorts of ways through
choices that face us when it comes to Last year’s COP25 was called this. And we could probably learn
what we do about heating in buildings, ‘a flop‘ and no major agreements a thing or two from other countries
which of course IGEM knows a lot were made. Australia was accused around the world,” he adds.
about,” he says. of ‘cheating’ and named by other Chris has said in interviews that the
“I’ve billed it as ‘electrons and countries and conference observers government must be strong enough to
molecules’ because at the moment as one of a handful of nations that make tough decisions and that 2020
there is a very polarising debate over thwarted a deal on the rulebook for will be a critical year in the battle to
what to do about reaching zero carbon the Paris climate agreement, drawing cut emissions. UK emissions were 44
heat,” says Chris. Ever since Theresa criticism throughout the fortnight- per cent below 1990 levels in 2018,
May, in one of her last acts as Prime long conference for refusing to give up however, we are on course to miss our
Minister, committed the UK to net zero so-called ‘carryover credits’ to meet its fourth and fifth carbon budgets. What
emissions by 2050, the heat and power 2030 emissions target. Meanwhile, the has been holding the UK back so far?
industries have wondered what that is country was experiencing some of the “There’s a general willingness to set
likely to look like in practice. worst wildfires in its history. targets and rather more reluctance
“At the moment, we get most of our At the same time, commitments from government to make plans to meet
heat from the natural gas system and made by Beijing in 2019 to open new them,” says Chris.
lots of people are either advocates for coal plants are sufficient on their own “Right the way across the various
using electricity for heat or they are to eliminate the entire planet’s chances sectoral challenges of decarbonising
advocates for using hydrogen as an of staying below 1.5°C of warming and, the UK economy you see these really
alternative,” he says. in Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro’s government important moments for the government
“I’m going to try to present as is rolling back decades of progress on to make a coherent policy that they
compelling a case as I can for doing it clean energy. haven’t yet taken.”
all and ending this debate between the With COP26 coming to Glasgow at However, today we have seen one of
hydrogen and electricity advocates. You’ll the end of the year, is the world waiting those moments, with the government
get a bit about the science and why we for the UK to step in and show some taking the bold step to phase out petrol
have to do all this, a bit about why I don’t leadership on climate change? “I think and diesel vehicles by 2035. Perhaps
think it’s the ruination of the country so,” says Chris “But I am always a bit the tide is changing? “We are going to
and a bit more detail on the steps that careful not to present it as something need to see a lot more of those bold
need to be taken and the opportunity the UK lead alone – I think it’s arrogant steps,” says Chris. “I would say that’s
to have a more integrated approach, to think that way. one of the easier ones to make. One
including both electricity and hydrogen.” “I would definitely state the fact that of the things I will talk about in the
Speaking of the ruination of the the UK is one of the leading economies lecture is the need for a similarly bold
country, is there actually a financial of the world demonstrates that you can step on heat in which the government
opportunity in all this for the UK? achieve the net zero goal and that it’s is going to have to lay out its plans
“Well, of course,” says Chris, “The not a competitive disadvantage. over this Parliament.”
whole story of decarbonising the UK “It’s also true to say that the things Talking about plans, what three
so far has been just that – that we that need to be done to get to net zero things would he include in the Energy
have done so while also growing the involve a mixture of things we know White Paper if it was up to him? “Oh
economy; more so than any other G7 something about and some things that God, I’m not sure I can answer that!” he
country. And that’s not something I we know less about. laughs. “The white paper really has to
expect to change in the future.” “We won’t crack this problem if we set out the skeleton for a series of other

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