From Tallbloke’s Talkshop

January 13, 2023 by oldbrew 

Apart from making everything much more expensive and further jeopardising the stability of the electricity grid, what possible benefits arise from this? Misplaced ‘carbon’ obsession already has a lot to answer for.
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The Government has been urged to go “further and faster” on cutting carbon emissions with the publication of a review of the UK’s net zero plans, says Yahoo News.

The review, carried out by Tory MP Chris Skidmore and published on Friday, described net zero as “the economic opportunity of the 21st century” and said the UK was “well placed” to take advantage of the opportunities presented by decarbonisation.

But it also warned that the UK would have to move “quickly” and “decisively”, and opportunities were already being missed thanks to a lack of skills and “inconsistent policy commitment”.

Setting out plans for a “pro-growth, pro-business transition”, the review said: “We must grab this opportunity, there is no future economy but a green economy.”

Mr Skidmore was commissioned by Liz Truss’s government in September to consider how the country could deliver “maximum economic growth and investment” alongside the Government’s climate change ambitions, while also considering the need for energy security and the costs for the public.

His 340-page review follows extensive engagement across the country including more than 1,800 responses and 50 roundtable meetings with businesses, local government, organisations and other individuals.

It found that a key demand from across the country had been for greater certainty and stability, and said: “Overwhelmingly, the common message has been the need for clarity, certainty, consistency, and continuity from government.”

As well as setting out long-term goals, the review details 25 actions that the Government should take in the next two years.

These include:

– Legislating to phase out gas boilers by 2033, rather than 2035;

– Providing longer-term funding certainty for major net zero projects, including new nuclear power plants;

– Implementing plans this year to increase solar and onshore wind generation, including a target of increasing solar generation fivefold by 2035;

– Ending routine oil and gas flaring by 2025, rather than 2030.

Full article here.