Britain now has the lowest emissions since Queen Victoria
Britain’s CO2 emissions are now as low as they were in the reign of Queen Victoria. How is that possible? Find out here.
By Al Cook, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy & Business Development, and UK Country Manager, Equinor
June 10, 2020
The effects of the coronavirus pandemic have been devastating to the world. As well as the impact on health, the global economy has been torn apart. Across our industry, we are adjusting to the “new normal” of producing and supplying energy to our customers while ensuring the health and safety of our employees.
At such a difficult time for so many, it is important to note positive developments. One of these is a landmark in the UK’s energy transition: the record-breaking run for coal-free power. Just eight years ago coal made up 43% of the British electricity mix. So far this year it has made up less than 3%. And at midnight on 10 June we passed two months without coal, for the first time. This in a country where coal plants have been part of the electricity system since 1882.
The trajectory has been astonishing. This new record is partly due to the impact of the pandemic, which has depressed electricity demand by around 15%. But there has been an increasing share of lower carbon generation in the electricity mix for some time now. In fact, renewable power generation has grown five-fold, from 7% in 2012 to 38% during 2020. We in Equinor are glad to have contributed to this with our three offshore wind farms, Sheringham Shoal, Dudgeon and Hywind Scotland. And to these we will add Dogger Bank, the world’s largest offshore wind farm, which will start generating in 2023.
”What is sometimes overlooked is the key role that natural gas has played. Natural gas emits less than half the carbon dioxide of coal, and provides reliable and flexible power to back up renewables”
Al Cook, Executive Vice President, Global Strategy & Business Development
But what is sometimes overlooked is the key role that natural gas has played. Natural gas emits less than half the carbon dioxide of coal, and provides reliable and flexible power to back up renewables. Gas has increased from being one quarter of the power mix in 2012 to more than one third today. And 43% of the UK’s gas comes from Norway, with one of the lowest carbon footprints in the world.
While natural gas is lower carbon than coal, it is still a hydrocarbon. For the UK to reach net zero emissions by 2050, we need to do more than just eliminating coal. This is a challenge: it is tough to replace natural gas as a source of heat for industry and people’s homes. One way to do this is by pumping the carbon dioxide produced from gas into reservoirs deep under the ground. That is why we are progressing new projects in the Humber and Teesside regions that can use carbon capture and storage to reduce emissions and provide clean hydrogen fuel. We in Equinor have a unique track record here – we’ve been safely storing carbon dioxide from our Sleipner and Snøvhit fields deep under the Norwegian seabed for more than 20 years.
While the impact of the coronavirus on emissions has been a silver lining, it is only a fleeting one. The challenge of climate change has not disappeared. Coal’s exit from the UK shows how this can be done. We need concerted action from government, industry and society, so we can deliver net zero together.