The Environmental Constrains of Net-Zero

Environment

Tags: emissions, Energy, environmental, hydrogen, Net Zero, technologies

Latest ERP report highlights the environmental challenges facing Carbon Capture, Utilisation & Storage (CCUS) and Hydrogen.

Why are environmental constraints on CCUS processes – production, transportation, storage and use of carbon dioxide – and the production, storage, transportation and use of hydrogen important? Can we deploy these technologies at scale in the UK and protect our communities and wildlife? Could our air, land and water be affected? Can we move and store carbon dioxide and hydrogen safely and for the long term? This report looks to raise important environmental considerations associated with these questions:

• What are the main environmental challenges associated with CCUS and Hydrogen?
• Do environmental constraints represent a fundamental barrier to deployment of CCUS and Hydrogen at scale?
• How can we ensure environmental considerations are key to strategic decisions about the potential role of CCUS and Hydrogen?
• How do we listen to and respond to public concern about CCUS and Hydrogen?

The report recommends:

1. Consider whether water resource and quality issues will limit the deployment of CCUS at scale.
2. Put safety of the public and the environment first.
3. Be open and transparent about risks, including solvents.
4. Calculate total efficiency of the complete CCUS process.
5. Calculate the total expenditure (Totex) cost of CCUS.
6. Demonstrate carbon dioxide storage is safe and permanent.
7. Proactive and visible public engagement.

Conclusions:

As with many emerging technologies, Hydrogen and CCUS provides exciting opportunities and pose new challenges too. The UK Government and the Climate Change Committee both see a significant role for hydrogen and CCUS in the journey to Net Zero by 2050. To ensure this opportunity is grasped, then collectively the industry, government, and regulators must explore both the benefits and risks the technology brings at the earliest opportunity. We are facing a climate emergency and an ecological emergency – it is essential that new technologies are deployed to both deliver decarbonisation and protect people and wildlife too. Investors, regulators, and the public are hungry for assurance that new technologies:

• will be fit for the future when deployed at scale.
• they can operate within the environmental constraints a future climate brings.
• and most importantly, human health is prioritised.

By resolving these questions in a prompt, open and transparent way then developers can build investor confidence and public acceptance of the technology which will be needed to improve the prospects of a smooth energy transition towards Net-Zero.

How behaviour change will unlock Net Zero

Tags: Behaviour, community energy, Net Zero, public engagement, social acceptance

The UK’s Net Zero target is at risk without substantial change in corporate and public behaviour

All new climate change initiatives need “behaviour change enabling plans” to ensure success, with deployment of products and services needing to consider “ease of installation, operability and affordability”, according to a new report by the Energy Research Partnership.

The report How behaviour change will unlock Net Zero says the current social environment is not conducive to the behaviour change needed for Net-Zero

Key findings include:

1. BARRIER: The report found that a key barrier to cutting carbon emissions are the significant changes in behaviour required, with both the public and by businesses needing solutions to enable capability, motivation and opportunity to reduce carbon emissions.
2. ENABLERS: When considering substantial changes which will affect people’s daily lives – policy makers, service providers and manufacturers must consider public acceptance and realistic timeframes for people to change behaviour and accept the ‘new normal.’
3. INTERVENTION: UK businesses must service these changes in market demand due to behaviour change within the UK population. This will ensure there is not a relapse to carbon-emitting lifestyles due to lack of availability.
4. POLICY: Policy-driven behaviour change must be preceded with “behaviour change enabling plans” for business and the general public to move towards a low-carbon lifestyle.

Conclusions:

• ‘Social contagion’ – is evidenced in a range of energy-related behaviours – including SUV sales, excessive calorie intake, solar-PV adoption, and electricity conservation.
• More supportive social environments with ‘visible positive behaviours’ can trigger people to make low-carbon choices and counteract these ‘behavioural externalities’ that influence others to act in ways that prevent carbon reduction.
• Data and digital tools – have great potential to reduce barriers and accelerate system change. Including the adoption of smart tariffs and other smart technologies through smarter digital comparison tools; leveraging data on savings and satisfaction from early adopters of low-carbon heating solutions; and supporting shifts to more sustainable and healthy diets through better collection of food-carbon data and personalised feedback on shopping habits.