If the rest of this report spells out the big ideas and bold action we need to create a prosperous, green future, here you’ll find some of the reasons why such step changes are necessary. Fossil fuels still make up a far greater part of our energy mix than electricity, which must begin to carry much more of the load. The future path to net zero is daunting, and will require a significant shift in our current trajectory.
But it’s also important not to lose hope. As the data on this page also shows, there was good news about wind power generation in the UK buried amid the bad news of 2020. Wind is only one part of the overall picture, but it has the potential to become a storming British success story. Future growth in this sector could be positive, too, for the emerging hydrogen industry. And like other green growth sectors, wind can bring economic boons to areas that sorely need them alongside its environmental benefits.
The data on our climate future is both daunting and galvanising. What we’ve achieved so far should spur us on to the struggle yet to come.
Source: Chart 1, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy / National Statistics, 2018. Chart 2: Carbon Brief, “CCC: UK must cut emissions ‘78% by 2035’ to be on course for net-zero goal” published 20th December 2020
This article features in Prospect’s new “Green Recovery” report, published in partnership with SNC Lavalin, Atkins, Ricardo and the Aerospace Technology Institute. Read the full report PDF here.
