How is the UK Encouraging the Use of Renewable Energy?
In recent years, rapid global warming and increasing pollution levels have led to countries around the world making a commitment to ‘go green’ and reduce carbon emissions. In particular, the UK has pledged to make the switch to 100% renewable energy (with 95% low-carbon electricity mix by 2030), despite the fact that it’s likely to increase the production of gas and crude oil. How realistic are the UK’s renewable energy goals and what is the government doing to achieve its targets?
World leaders in green energy
The UK has pledged to provide a world-leading example of the switch to renewable energy (particularly clean wind energy) by going nearly 100% green by the year 2030 and achieving net zero emissions by 2050. There has already been large-scale public investment in clean energy programs, which are expected to make the economy more efficient and remove the volatility associated with fluctuating fossil fuel costs and availability.
With the increasingly tangible effects of climate change affecting economic strategy and party policy more and more each year, it’s thought that making the move towards renewable energy will stimulate economic growth whilst reducing the harmful effects on our environment.
What actions is the UK taking?
While these targets may seem a little unrealistic, the UK government has already taken significant steps to get the renewable energy switch underway. Under the Build Back Greener initiative, the government has pledged to invest £160 million into upgrading ports and infrastructure across the UK – this will boost the UK’s offshore wind capacity, which is already renowned as the largest in the world.
As well as this substantial investment in wind capacity (which is forecasted to create up to 60,000 jobs by the year 2030), the UK government has taken a number of measures to ensure it’s at the heart of the so-called ‘green energy revolution’. These include raising the previous 30GW target to 40GW and pledging to generate enough offshore wind electricity to power every home in the UK by 2030; it’s also making use of developing floating offshore wind technology to build wind farms further out in deep ocean, boosting capacity to a potential 1GW by the same year. The government has also tried to provide more help for those who wish to make their home greener.
If you’re a UK homeowner, you may now make use of various government grants and initiatives to make your home more energy efficient, including grants for boiler changes and even solar panel installation. This means that you can now make the switch cost-effectively without having to cover all of the initial fees yourself. While the efficacy of these plans and strategies is yet to be seen, it certainly seems as though the UK government is doing its fair share to get the green energy revolution underway.
