NEWS | DIGEST UK trailing in race to net zero IN BRIEF Europe aiming to cut emissions by 55% The European Commission has revealed plans to achieve a 55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, as part of a new Green Deal programme designed to reach climate neutrality by 2050. Our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this, said EC President Ursula von der Leyen, who pointed out that EU countries had already reduced emissions by 25% since 1990 while growing the economy by more than 60%. She said Europe now had better technology, more expertise and the necessary financial firepower thanks to the 1.8tn EU budget and recovery fund, agreed in July for the years 2021 to 2027. Net zero could cost less than 1% of GDP A new report says the transition to net zero by 2050 will cost less than 1% of global GDP if the world scales up energy efficiency and speeds up adoption of renewable energy generation sufficiently. In Making mission possible: delivering a net zero economy, the Energy Transitions Commission (ETC) proposes that all electricity generation built from next year should be zero carbon, and calls on policymakers not to rely on offsetting or carbon removal. The ETC says investment is needed to ensure clean power generation capacity is built five to six times faster than at present. It also wants annual hydrogen use to increase to between 7,000Mt and 10,000Mt, but says its production would have to be decarbonised. Consultancy Atkins calculates that country is only achieving 43% of required build rate to reach 2050 carbon goals Low carbon technologies will have to be scaled up rapidly to achieve the governments 2050 net zero target, according to a white paper published by engineering consultancy Atkins. The Race to net-zero white paper found that 48 natural gas units, 66 biomass facilities, six nuclear power stations and 6,520 offshore wind An additional 20GW of onshore wind and 80GW of solar are needed to meet the 2050 net zero target turbines would have to be added to the UKs energy system and 20GW of onshore wind, 80GW of solar and 15-30GW of energy storage would be needed to meet the 2050 target. It predicts that, by 2050, the UK s power system will have to comprise nuclear (11%); wind and solar (58%); combined cycle gas turbines with carbon capture storage (22%); and bioenergy with carbon capture storage (6%). Currently, the UK is only achieving 43% of the required build rate to reach these goals, based on Atkins calculations. Market intervention in the UK offshore wind industry saw the cost of construction and electricity come down, resulting in the UK now being a global leader in deploying renewables, said David Cole, market director for powergeneration assets, nuclear and power at Atkins. Similar intervention is now required across nuclear, new technologies and other energy sources so that the UK energy industry can construct the above number of facilities in enough time. He said the country would have to replace almost all of its current generating capacity and build as much again. Low carbon heat challenge for taskforce A group comprising business leaders, local authorities and scientists has been set up by the Green Finance Institute to create nancial products that can attract investment in decarbonising heating systems and advise government on policy changes. The Zero Carbon Heating Taskforce will review barriers to investment in low carbon heating solutions in a bid to speed up progress on reducing the almost two-fths of UK annual energy consumption and one-fth of greenhouse gas emissions attributed to residential heating and hot water. Currently, the governments target is to convert 12% of UK homes to renewable heat by the end of 2020, but it is expected to miss this goal. The taskforce includes representatives from British Gas owner Centrica, E.ON, Engie and Octopus Energy. Ofcials from Defra, the Scottish and Welsh administrations, the Greater London Authority and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority will also take part, as will a number of nancial rms. Decarbonising the way we heat our buildings is one of the largest policy and investment gaps to meeting the UKs domestic carbon budgets, said the Institutes chief executive Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas. Beware the Icy Deep Theres something in the water The new CHILLER from Airedale, coming October 2020 C MING S N Visit Airedale.com/hydro to register for the exclusive launch 10 October 2020 www.cibsejournal.com CIBSE Oct20 pp10 News.indd 10 25/09/2020 14:22