The Big Picture
We have both a Climate Crisis and an Energy Crisis. MPs signing the Pledge proposed by Warm This Winter commit themselves to encourage the UK Government to go further and faster to tackle both, from emergency support to householders who cannot afford energy, to speeding up the transition to renewables from fossil fuels, and the necessary upgrading of our homes so they are efficient, comfortable, affordable and do not waste energy.
Global
Globally the world is not on track to keep climate change within a temperature rise of 1.5C, the lower ‘safe limit’ internationally agreed by governments, above which cliamte impacts such as droughts, floods and extreme weather are expected to rise rapidly and chaotically. This in turn will cause ecosystem breakdowns on land and sea, leading to greater risk of extinctions, material costs and disruption to food supplies and famines. Even optimistic scenarios (in which all government commitments are fully met) suggest we are on track for a 2.C rise by the end of the century.
Source: Climate Action Tracker.
Our Country
UK Governments have done relatively well in reducing emissions causing climate change from electricity generation (especially replacing coal power stations with renewables). Action in other areas such as road and air travel, emissions from agriculture, and upgrading our old housing stock, has been much weaker. It’s own statutory adviser, the Committee on Climate Change, has issued many warnings that action has slowed and stumbled.
As Norfolk MP Chloe Smith (Norwich North) pointed out on Earth Day 2023, the UK has ambitious ‘NetZero’ targets:
“The UK was the first major economy to set a legally binding net zero target to achieve net zero by 2050, and since then the Government has set interim targets of a 68 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030 and a 78 per cent reduction in emissions by 2035, both compared to 1990 levels”.
Net Zero means that we reduce the pollution causing climate change to the point where natural processes and any emission-removing technologies available can start to reduce the overall warming effect.
Climate Analytics explains that to hold climate change to 1.5.C global emissions need to be halved by 2030 and ‘Further warming will likely stop soon after net zero CO2 emissions are achieved globally’.
So it’s a soluble problem, if we act fast and strongly enough to make the necessary changes, for which we already have the knowledge and technologies. But so far, not the political will. The UK cannot do it alone but it must play its part.
Our County
Being a rural County doesn’t mean Norfolk has particularly low emissions. High vehicle use and very poor public transport in many areas, is one factor keeping emissions high. Consultancy Net Zero East notes in its ‘Kickstarter Project’ report to the Norfolk Climate Change Partnership that although climate pollution emissions from Norfolk industry and the built environment fell between 2005 and 2019, those of transport such as cars and trucks did not fall or even increased. Norfolk ‘is the third highest emitter of the 10 Upper Tier Authorities in the East of England’ after Essex and Cambridgeshire.
Only Kings Lynn and West Norfolk have high industry and LULUCF emissions (LULUCF is net emissions from Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry). Norwich produces much less emissions than the more rural District Councils.
Overview of territorial emissions in Norfolk and districts, 2019 (kt CO2):
Source: NetZero East.
NetZero East reports that Norfolk had per capita carbon emissions of 6.3 tonnes in 2019. This compares to a UK average of 5.2 tonnes.