According to the UK power transmission system operator National Grid, the country’s objective to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is achievable. To do so, the United Kingdom will have to connect at least 40 GW of new capacity within the next decade and to build 3 GW of wind and 1.4 GW of solar power every year until 2050. It will also have to halve the levels of gas burnt unabated by 2038 and to deploy hydrogen and carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies, with industrial-scale demonstration projects operational by 2030, to reach negative net emissions from the power sector by 2033. In addition, 80% of households would need to switch to electric vehicles with smart charge and the energy required to heat an average house should drop by 75%.
In June 2019, the United Kingdom adopted a law requiring to bring all GHG emissions to net-zero by 2050. This means that the UK will continue to cut its GHG emissions and that residual emissions will have to be balanced by schemes to offset an equivalent amount of GHG, such as planting trees or using technology like CCS.