Next decade 'crucial' if UK is to hit carbon targets

In a new report, the ETI outlines how the UK needs to prepare for a transition to a low carbon energy system and suggests that action must be taken over the next 10 years, or two Parliaments, if 2050 targets are to be met.
 
The Insights Report, written by Jo Coleman, the ETI’s Director of Strategy Development and Chief Engineer Andrew Haslett, looks at the targets, technologies, infrastructure and investments needed to ensure a smooth and affordable low carbon transition over the next 35 years.
 
The organisation warns that not including Bioenergy or Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) could double the cost of any transition and make it difficult to meet emissions reduction targets if neither are developed.
 
According to the ETI’s analysis, if either of these technologies do not feature it would increase the cost of delivering climate change targets from around 1% of GDP to 2%.
 
This puts the value of CCS or bioenergy to the energy system at £200bn each.
 
The ETI does acknowledge, however, that there is not one single technology answer and there is a need to develop and prove capability across a complementary basket of key technologies.
 
Immediate large-scale development focus, the report suggests, should be on replacing the UK’s nuclear power stations, energy efficiency measures and generating energy from waste.