Tuesday 15 June 2021
The UK government must enforce tougher measures if the country is to reach net zero by 2050.
That is the conclusion from E.ON’s new report, which claims the UK’s current trajectory will make its 2050 carbon goals unattainable.
It emphasises the importance of the next decade in persuading the nation to take greener measures, as well as introducing more stringent regulations and clarifying policies.
The report’s 10 policy requests are:
Chief Executive Michael Lewis stated: “The next decade will be critical if we are to meet 2050 targets. The decisions we take in the years between now and 2030 will determine whether we are able to gain sufficient momentum to achieve success.
“If you ask people whether they want a cleaner, more sustainable future, the answer will invariably be ‘yes’. In that regard we are, as a nation, together in a shared purpose. What most people do not know is at our current pace, we have not got a hope unless government catalyses faster tangible change.
“Getting to net zero carbon by 2050 was always going to be a challenge, even before COVID-19 sent the world economy into turmoil. But the decisions we take, the investments we make and the path we follow in the next 10 years will decide whether we are on the right road to meet the goal.”
A government spokesperson commented: “We all have a part to play in tackling climate change, building on our existing success which has seen us slash emissions over the last three decades faster than any other G7 nation.
“The UK was the first major economy to legislate to end our contribution to climate change by 2050 and we are powering forward with the Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan to drive a green industrial revolution.
“This will mobilise £12 billion of public investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs in the UK and attract over three times as much private sector investment.
“Through our Energy White Paper, we are transforming the Britain’s energy system from one that was historically based on fossil fuels to one that is fit for a net zero economy, setting our country on a trajectory that will see us have overwhelmingly decarbonised power in the 2030s.”