Conversation article examining the outcome of COP26 for the UK and its progress to its 2050 targets.
UK's Progress on Climate Change Targets:
1. Transport: Phasing out petrol and diesel car sales by 2030
- Electric vehicle (EV) sales rising: 15.2% of new registrations in September 2021
- Nearly 5,000 rapid chargers available, up from 2,000 in 2018
- Challenges:
- Charging for households without driveways
- Commercial van sector transition
- Potential material and skill shortages
2. Electricity: Stop coal-fired power generation by October 1, 2024
- Coal use dropped to 1-2% of annual electricity demand (2019-2021)
- Factors enabling reduction: lower demand, increased renewables, shift to gas
- Challenges:
- Finding low-carbon alternatives for balancing supply and demand
- Addressing seasonal energy storage needs
3. Heating: All new heating systems to be low-carbon from 2035
- Government favors heat pumps over gas boilers
- Challenges:
- High installation costs (up to £18,000 per house)
- Limited scope of current grant scheme (covers only 0.4% of UK homes)
- Hydrogen as an alternative faces infrastructure hurdles
- Energy efficiency crucial: 19.1 million homes need renovation by 2050
Overall, while progress is being made, significant increases in investment and effort are needed to meet the UK's ambitious climate targets, particularly in home heating and energy efficiency.