What is Net Zero?

Greenhouse gases, like methane and carbon dioxide, trap heat and increase the globe’s temperature. Furthermore, deforestation means there are less trees to take in the carbon dioxide.

Net zero is when the greenhouse emissions being released into the atmosphere are balanced with the amount being removed. Achieving net zero means that people won’t be adding to the greenhouse gases in the air.

Many countries around the world have net zero targets, and so does the UK.

What is the Net Zero target in the UK?

The UK aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Under the Paris climate agreement, 197 countries agreed to stop global temperatures rising above 2 degrees Celsius (but ideally 1.5 degrees Celsius) by 2100. The UK was also involved in this agreement. In order to achieve this, reaching net zero by 2050 is important. Achieving net zero too late means it would be very difficult to avoid passing 1.5 degrees.

Following the Paris climate agreement means damaging climate changes can be avoided. This includes sea levels rising, very hot days and loss of coral reefs. The labour Government have said in their manifesto that they want to put transition plans in place to help with the Paris climate agreement.

The new labour Government have set out plans to achieve clean power by 2030. This includes investing in carbon capture and storage. This type of technology prevents CO2 which is produced from being released into the atmosphere. They want to create a new publicly owned company called Great British Energy. This will be part of their mission to create green energy.

Other countries have set goals, like Sweden and Germany, who want to hit net zero targets for 2045. France, Spain, Hungary, and Luxemburg are some of the other countries who want to meet this goal by 2050.

Is Net Zero achievable?

The UN found through their Emissions Gap Report 2022 that countries won’t meet the goal of the Paris climate agreement by 2050. They say the policies in place at the moment mean there could be a 2.8 degrees Celsius rise by 2100 instead.

Their report does find, however, that an urgent system wide transformation could be helpful. Their in-depth report suggests how to do this through industry, buildings and transport sectors, food and financial systems and electricity supply.

Net Zero could be achieved eventually, even if not by 2050. It’s just a very long and slow process.

What are the problems with Net Zero?

Reaching net zero is important, but it isn’t straightforward. Fossil fuels are burned daily so reducing them is difficult. Take cars for example, some people drive everyday and release fossil fuels into the atmosphere as they do. But many people have to drive, so just solving this one issue alone is hard. People can be encouraged to do things like cycle and walk places, and this helps, but it doesn’t solve the issue overnight.

Another problem is heating. Many UK homes use gas central heating which contributes to greenhouse emissions. The Government are cutting down by banning installations of gas boilers in new homes from 2025. But this new rule only applies to new builds and not the ones that we already live in.
The Labour government aims to put The Warm House Plan in place. This will provide grants and loans to give people improvements like solar panels, batteries, and low carbon heating. However, with majority of homes having central gas heating, tackling this problem will take time.

The involvement of solar panels in Net Zero targets

Solar panelsgenerate electricity without producing any harmful emissions or greenhouse gases. They’re pollution free and play a big role in reducing greenhouse gases. They’re a great solution for long-term sustainability. Solar panels are usually put on already existing buildings or unusable land. This means they don’t have much impact on the environment when they’re installed.

Mypower – solar solutions

At Mypower, we provide solar power services for a wide range of industries and have done since 2010. We work across sectors including industrial solar panels, commercial solar panels and agricultural solar panels. We help businesses minimise their carbon footprint, futureproof energy costs and electricity bills.

We mainly install solar panels manufactured by Trina and QCells. Both are award-winning in their field of work. Their technology and designs are based on the most recent research. You can contact us here to find out more.