Who has the battle plan?

A new study from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) says that achieving the UK’s target of an 80% reduction in emissions by 2050 is unlikely and other approaches will be needed to mitigate climate change.

Applauding the Government’s emission reduction targets, it says that to achieve them would require decarbonising at a rate never seen before. (And that is pretty much the story for any nation!)

Between 2001 and 2006, the UK reduced carbon output per unit of GDP by 1.3% annually. But the rate necessary to achieve the Government’s emission reduction targets would have to top 5% annually until 2050.

To get the UK on track, says the report, would require the construction and operation of around 30 new nuclear power stations in the next five years and the retiring of a similar amount of coal-fired power generation. The country would have to increase its number if wind turbines more than ten-fold from 2600 to 27,000 by 2030 and a further 13,000 by 2050.

The report calls on the Government to adopt a ‘battle plan’ that would also include geo-engineering projects. Schemes suggested in the report include building 100,000 artificial trees to absorb CO2.

Surprisingly, energy conservation does not seem to be on anyone’s list of recommendations!