The Climate Change Committee have put together their Sixth Carbon Budget that builds on the committees report last year which focused on getting the country to net zero which it will use to advise Government.
The CCC recommends a 78% reduction in carbon emissions when comparing 1990 to 2035 – speeding up the UK’s net zero plans by 15 years.
The report is supposed to act as a blueprint for how the UK can effectively achieve net zero, making sure that the suggestions are at the upper end of what is feasible for the nation.
The Sixth Carbon Budget can be met through four key steps:
Take up of low-carbon solutions - People and businesses will choose to adopt low-carbon solutions, as high carbon options are progressively phased out. By the early 2030s all new cars and vans and all boiler replacements in homes and other buildings are low-carbon – largely electric. By 2040 all new trucks are low-carbon.
Expansion of low-carbon energy supplies – By expanding the UK’s already extensive low-carbon energy supplies, the UK can produce more of its energy in a sustainable way.
Reducing demand for carbon-intensive activities - The UK can ensure that it doesn’t waste energy by reducing its dependence on carbon-intensive tasks such as driving, food consumption and building more energy efficient homes.
Land and greenhouse gas removals. There is a transformation in agriculture and the use of farmland while maintaining the same levels of food per head produced today. By 2035, 460,000 hectares of new mixed woodland are planted to remove CO2 and deliver wider environmental benefits. 260,000 hectares of farmland shifts to producing energy crops. Woodland rises from 13% of UK land today to 15% by 2035 and 18% by 2050. Peatlands are widely restored and managed sustainably.
