What Does Success Look Like For Net Zero In the UK?

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Net Zero is a term that has recently been used more frequently. With the extreme weather that we have seen over the past years, there is no doubt that current human activity is creating greenhouse gases and in turn, is changing our climate. In order to stop the climate emergency, in 2019, the UK became the first major economy to commit to the country reaching Net Zero by 2050. Currently, the Uk are emitting a large amount of fossil fuels, with carbon dioxide being the most significant, due to it being burned for our demand for energy. Therefore, ‘carbon emissions’ is often  a term to describe all greenhouse gas emissions.

So what is Net Zero? Net Zero is a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas that we produce and the amount that we remove from the atmosphere. This will be achieved through reducing the amount of emissions from homes, transport, agriculture and industry, which won’t be easy, however there are a number of ways that will help contribute to the success of achieving Net Zero. 

Changing The Way We Use Electricity 

You’ve probably heard of the term ‘renewable energy’, however the government is now looking to reform our energy system and instead use technology such as e-mobility. Our new technologies have also allowed us to efficiently begin to monitor how much electricity we use currently, such as the use of smart meters, creating great efficiency. 

Training For New Job Roles 

With the need to transition the current way of living to a Net Zero way of living, there is no doubt that the Government will need an advanced and new skill set to be able to do this. Therefore, this will mean investing in courses to help current workers do just this and also allow more individuals to get into this sector. This will support the success for Net Zero Efficiently decarbonising different large carbon emitting aspects such as heat in all buildings.

Local Area Change 

There is no doubt that each area of the UK will differ in trying to achieve Net Zero. London’s plan for what they need to do,  will look very different to the North Yorkshire countryside. Therefore another way to achieve the success of being Net Zero, is for local areas to plan their own energy systems, to identify the most cost effective way to reduce emissions for themselves. 

Incentives 

Finally, the Government will need to look at introducing incentives to encourage people to make the change and help save our climate. For example, this can already be shown by the Government in terms of electric cars. They are currently offering a purchase grant, which covers up to 35% of the cost of the car (maximum £4.500), which is helping motivate people to make the change. 

It is apparent that there are a number of factors that will contribute to the success of Net Zero in the UK, however it is a necessary change that is achievable and extremely important for everyone to play their part and contribute to making this happen.