Decarbonising how we heat our homes and buildings will be a key part of the drive to slash emissions.
Today’s news regarding the Sixth Carbon Budget states that the UK government is to set in law the world’s most ambitious climate change target, cutting emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels. In line with the recommendation from the independent Climate Change Committee, this sixth Carbon Budget limits the volume of greenhouse gases emitted over a 5-year period from 2033 to 2037, taking the UK more than three-quarters of the way to reaching net zero by 2050.
In response to the announcement, Mike Reynolds, Managing Director of Vattenfall Heat UK, said:
"The UK Government's decision to adopt a new target to reduce our emissions by 78% by 2035 compared to 1990 levels is a huge step forward in the global fight against climate change. We need to be bold and we need to move quickly in order to reach net zero.
"Decarbonising how we heat our homes and buildings will be a key part of the drive to slash emissions. 37% of UK carbon emissions come from heating, and 19,000 homes a week need to have low-carbon heating installed to meet the 2050 target - a twenty-fold increase on the current rate of change.
"Multiple solutions already exist, but the challenge we face is less about the technologies and more about overcoming the barriers to support their rapid deployment. The first step in this direction will be provided, we hope, via the Government’s imminent heat in buildings strategy."