The Case Against Net Zero – A Sixth Update
Unachievable Disastrous Pointless
Posted on 07 Oct 24
by Robin GuenierIn carbon capture and storage, climate change, Electric vehicles, energy, Energy bills, National Grid, Net Zero, politics, renewables
In October 2008, Parliament passed the Climate Change Act requiring the UK Government to ensure that by 2050 ‘the net UK carbon account’ was reduced to a level at least 80% lower than that of 1990; ‘carbon account’ refers to CO2 and ‘other targeted greenhouse gas emissions’. Only five MPs voted against it. Then in 2019, by secondary legislation and without serious debate, Parliament increased the 80% reduction requirement to 100% – thereby creating the Net Zero policy.i
Unfortunately, it’s a policy that’s unachievable, potentially disastrous and in any case pointless – and that’s the case whether or not human caused greenhouse gas emissions are contributing to a rise in global temperature.
1. It’s unachievable.
A modern, advanced economy depends on fossil fuels, something that’s unlikely to change for a long time.ii Examples fall into two categories: (i) vehicles and machines such as those used in agriculture, mining, mineral processing, building, heavy transportation, commercial shipping and aviation, the military and emergency services and (ii) products such as cement and concrete, primary steel, plastics, nitrogen fertilisers, insecticides, pharmaceuticals, anaesthetics, lubricants, solvents, paints, adhesives, insulation, tyres and asphalt. All the above require either the combustion of fossil fuels or are made from oil derivatives; there are no easily deployable, commercially viable alternatives.
https://cliscep.com/2024/10/07/the-case-against-net-zero-a-sixth-update/
