The UK government has come under increasing pressure to accelerate its climate goals during a heated debate on UK government policy surrounding reaching net zero by 2050.
Held in Westminster Hall on Tuesday 6 June, the debate was opened by Conservative MP Kwasi Kwarteng, who was proud to share that the net zero strategy has received “more support from the House than any other policy”.
When talking about the deadline for achieving net zero by 2050, Kwarteng was quickly questioned by Green Party MP Caroline Lucas on whether countries like the UK can go “further and faster” and if policy should focus on getting closer to 0°C by 2030.
Kwarteng quickly established, however, that this is not possible due to “technological constraints and the financial and fiscal pressures.” As the UK only represents a small percentage of global GDP, the government needs to collaborate with other G7 and G20 nations, as well as countries in the developing world.
Successes of UK’s net zero strategies so far
One of the biggest successes in the net zero space, according to Kwarteng, is that the UK has been able to decarbonise power generations significantly. In 2012, 40% of energy was derived from burning coal. Today, that figure stands at 1.5%.
Additionally, Kwarteng highlighted offshore wind installation as being a “hugely successful” project. The UK has a target of installing 50 GW of offshore wind by 2030 and has already installed 13 GW.
Decarbonising UK homes
Liberal Democrat MP Richard Foord highlighted draughty houses make up 14% of the UK’s carbon emissions. “In 2012, we were insulating 2.3 million houses every year, whereas now we are insulating fewer than 100,000,” he stated.
Kwarteng said tackling energy supply to domestic homes has been “the most difficult nut to crack in the whole decarbonisation space.”
He went on to explain that buildings in the UK – which has the oldest housing stock in Europe – typically are not very energy efficient. Some 90% of those houses rely on burning fossil fuels for their heating and energy needs.
“Hydrogen has to be part of the answer,” suggested Kwarteng when talking about alternatives for fossil fuels to power homes.
In response, Lucas said there was a need to “unleash truly abundant renewables, alongside storage and batteries” in order to fully power homes and reduce consumer energy bills.
Creating jobs from the UK’s net zero transition
A recent report from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) stated that most UK workers won’t benefit from the transition to net zero unless stronger policies are implemented. While 250,000 jobs have been created, realising the full workforce potential requires better management and policies.
Both Conservative MP Virginia Crosbie and Labour MP Barry Gardiner urged the government to make the most of the economic opportunities that the transition can bring.
The UK’s ‘addiction’ to fossil fuels
In her speech, Lucas wanted to focus on the “heart” of the climate crisis, which she believes is the nations “seemingly insatiable addition to fossil fuels”.
She condemned the current government’s plans to continue extracting oil and gas from the North Sea, before debunking the common argument that producing oil and gas on British land is better for the planet.
Lucas said the UK’s fossil fuel production is two-and-a-half times more polluting than Norway’s, as the UK still uses practices such as flaring and venting – which have been banned in Norway since the 1970s.
“The government maintains that new extraction is entirely in line with delivering net zero,” Lucas added. “But that is only because they have washed their hands of emissions produced when the oil and gas are burned — otherwise known as scope 3 emissions.”
Other MPs who also attended the event include SNP’s Gavin Newlands and minister for energy security and net zero Graham Stuart.
