COP26: All UK electricity to come from renewable sources by 2035
All of the UK’s electricity is set to come from renewable sources by 2035, prime minister Boris Johnson is expected to announce ahead of the country’s hosting of COP26.
The push for cleaner energy will see the Conservative party increase investments in renewable and nuclear energy, according to The Times.
It comes amid an energy crisis that has gripped the UK and has spurred rising bills for Brits this winter and an increasing number of smaller suppliers, like Avro, Green and Igloo, collapsing under the pressure.
On Friday the government outlined its plan of action to bring more nuclear fusion power and technology to the country, which could help it decarbonise the energy sector.
The UK is looking to muscling in on a leadership position in the development of fusion energy globally, as the power does not have to rely on wind levels to produce vast amounts of energy in a relatively ‘clean’ way.
“Fusion could be the ultimate clean power solution, representing a low carbon, safe, abundant and continuous and effectively unlimited source of energy,” the paper, issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), said.
“It is well established that we need to decarbonise the global energy system,” the paper added, as the link between the carbon-fuelled economy and the climate crisis and increased levels of extreme weather conditions, melting ice caps and acidification of the planet’s oceans has never been clearer.
Though the government also wants to use the emerging energy as one of its post-Brexit selling points, to have a fusion industry “that can export UK-developed fusion technology around the world”.
‘Virtue signalling’
However, the chief operating officer at free market think tank the Institute of Economic Affairs, Andy Mayer, accused Johnson of virtue signalling ahead of the UN’s flagship climate conference.
Criticising the lack of a government strategy to bring the ambitious pledge into motion, Mayer explained that it will also exacerbate the gas crisis the UK is currently grappling with.
“Unless Boris Johnson has a credible plan for fossil fuel back-up on the days the wind isn’t blowing, this is deeply unwise virtue signalling ahead of COP26,” he said.
“The immediate effect will be to increase the impact of the gas crisis, by further undermining investment in the gas generation needed to back-up the wild swings in output from the UK’s wind farms.
“This increases the risk of one cold winter causing a capacity crunch, with black-outs crippling large parts of British industry, and puts the elderly at greater risk of not being able to heat their homes.”