The UK’s decision to legislate a target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050 is a progressive move. However it now needs to be implemented fast, while being mindful of considerations such as the impact on local communities and the UK workforce.
The target has made the UK the first major economy to legislate such a goal and this provides a solid framework to tackle the UK’s contribution to climate change. Alongside Extinction Rebellion, the school climate strikes and the declaration of a climate emergency in multiple cities around the country, there is a sense of real momentum which the government has responded to with a concrete net zero goal.
The net zero legislation has in fact been in the pipeline for a number of years, with the IPCC’s 2018 SR15 report on the impact of 1.5 degrees of warming followed by advice from the Committee on Climate Change on how the UK can decarbonise in line with the 1.5-degree target. The focus is now moving towards implementation – the July report from the CCC on the UK’s current emission reduction efforts suggests actions to date have fallen short of what is needed for the previous targets, and well short of those required for net-zero. A decarbonisation step change will be necessary in critical sectors such as buildings and transport where emissions have remained broadly stable.
Sam Unsworth, a Policy Analyst at the Grantham Research Institute, highlighted some of the considerations which will be necessary in order to implement the net zero target effectively:
“Two critical aspects to the transition towards net zero will need to be considered – the first being the importance of communities and the second being workers. Firstly, a focus on communities will be important to highlight the role of specific regional areas in meeting the net zero target, including how local actors such as the private sector and academic institutions in the region can align with and support this transition. Engagement between national and local governments will be central to this. Secondly, the transition will need to ensure that UK workers are resilient to the net zero transition, with reskilling programmes made available where necessary. However the transition will also provide opportunities for job creation and growth in new, low carbon products and services.”
To make change possible and meet the goal of net zero, an understanding of local areas remains an issue that is highly important. How a region is able to effectively transition and meet goals is contextual and needs to take into consideration local business, the available opportunities and infrastructure, and economic options.
Unsworth also provides an example of where industry and business may be able to effectively implement carbon capture and storage, a technology mentioned in the CCC’s advice and could be key to helping the UK meet its target. He said:
“Carbon capture and storage is likely to be a critical technology for the UK to meet the net zero goal, given the technologies currently available and the structure of the UK’s economy. The North East of England could be well positioned for large scale carbon capture and storage infrastructure, given the potential for geological storage of carbon off the coast and the density of high carbon industries in the area. However more robust policies and regulation, along with targeted investment, will be needed to make this a reality.”
A further consideration is the need to ensure a smooth transition for skilled workers in sectors expected to be impacted by the transition towards net zero. Speaking about this transition, Unsworth said:
“It will be important to ensure that regions have the capacity to effectively manage the transition. The decline of the UK coal industry clearly had an effect on communities in the North of England and lessons will need to be learned from that.”
The UK government, particularly HM Treasury and local governments, will now have a critical role to play in translating this long term target into economy-wide transformative policies and investment.
Nick Witts 