Net Zero The UK’s contribution to stopping global
warming
Committee on Climate Change
3 June 2019
1) Science and international context
Climate science and international circumstances
The world is warming due to human influence and has already reach 1°C above preindustrial levels
Source: HadCRUT4, NOAA, NASA and Cowtan & Way datasets; IPCC (2018) Chapter 1 - Framing and Context 6
Observed and human-induced warming
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1
1.2
1.4
1850
1860
1870
1880
1890
1900
1910
1920
1930
1940
1950
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
Warm
ing
(°
C -
rela
tive t
o 1
850
-19
00
)
Observations
Human-inducedwarming
The Paris Agreement refers to a range of temperature outcomes. It needs to be interpreted for
setting national long-term targets
7
Paris Agreement long-term temperature goal:
… holding the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above
pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C
above pre-industrial levels, recognizing that this would significantly reduce the risks
and impacts of climate change.
Source: HadCRUT4, NOAA, NASA and Cowtan & Way datasets; IPCC (2018) Chapter 1 - Framing and Context 8
Observed and human-induced warming
0
0.5
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
2055
2060
2065
2070
2075
2080
2085
2090
2095
2100
Wa
rmin
g (°C
-re
lati
ve
to
18
50
-1900)
Indicative >50% 1.5°Cpathway
Indicative >66% 2°Cpathway
The Paris Agreement refers to a range of temperature outcomes. It needs to be interpreted for
setting national long-term targets
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100CO
2 e
mis
sio
ns
(GtC
O2
/yr)
Global emissions pathways consistent with Paris show declining CO2 emissions rapidly to net-zero
9
Global emissions pathways consistent with ParisCO2 (left) Aggregated GHGs (right)
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100
Gre
en
ho
use
gas
em
issi
on
s (G
tCO
2e/y
r)
>66% 2°C -
Range
>50% 1.5°C -
Range
>50% 1.5°C -
Median
>66% 2°C -
Median
Historical
Source: Huppmann, D. et al. (2018) A new scenario resource for
integrated 1.5°C research.
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100CO
2 e
mis
sio
ns
(GtC
O2
/yr)
Global emissions pathways consistent with ParisCO2 (left) Aggregated GHGs (right)
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100
Gre
en
ho
use
gas
em
issi
on
s (G
tCO
2e/y
r)
>66% 2°C -
Range
>50% 1.5°C -
Range
>50% 1.5°C -
Median
>66% 2°C -
Median
Historical
Source: Huppmann, D. et al. (2018) A new scenario resource for
integrated 1.5°C research.
13
Global emissions pathways consistent with Paris show declining CO2 emissions rapidly to net-zero
Source: Huppmann, D. et al. (2018) A new scenario
resource for integrated 1.5°C research.
13
Timing of peak warming is much more closely connected to the timing of net-zero CO2 than for all GHGs
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100
2110
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100
2110
Date
of
peak w
arm
ing
Date of net-zero emissions
GHG
CO₂
1:1 line
Reaching net-zero GHG will end the UK’s impact on global warming
12
UK impact on global temperature under hypothetical future emissions pathways
Source: CCC Analysis
0.000
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006
2020
2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
2055
2060
2065
2070
UK
co
ntr
ibu
tio
n t
o w
arm
ing
(°
C -
rela
tive t
o 2
020)
Net-zero 2045
Net-zero 2050
Net-zero 2060 (90%reduction in 2050)
Net-zero 2070 (80%reduction in 2050)
80% reduction in 2050(maintained)
1) Science and international context
An appropriate UK contribution to the global effort
A revised UK long-term emissions target should reflect the structure of the Paris Agreement
14
Key features of the Paris Agreement:
• Largely ‘bottom-up’ structure. Emissions allowances are not and will not be
allocated centrally to countries
• Reductions to be set according to ‘highest possible ambition’
• Equity and fairness remain core principles, developed countries are expected to
take the lead.
Historical rates of per person emissions reduction in the UK have been similar to what is required from world as a whole
Source: Huppmann, D. et al. (2018) A new scenario resource for integrated 1.5°C research 16
Evolution of global per capita emissions over time
-5
-3
-1
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100G
HG
em
issi
on
s p
er
cap
ita
(tC
O2e/p
ers
on
/yr)
>66% 2°C - Range
>50 %1.5°C - Range
>50% 1.5°C - Median
>66% 2°C - Median
Historical - World
Source: Huppmann, D. et al. (2018) A new scenario resource for integrated 1.5°C research 17
Evolution of global per capita emissions over time
-5
-3
-1
1
3
5
7
9
11
13
15
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100G
HG
em
issi
on
s p
er
cap
ita
(tC
O2
e/p
ers
on
/yr)
>66% 2°C - Range
>50 %1.5°C - Range
>50% 1.5°C - Median
>66% 2°C - Median
Historical - World
Historical - UK
Historical rates of per person emissions reduction in the UK have been similar to what is required from world as a whole
1) Science and international context
Supporting increased global ambition
A UK net-zero target would support raising international ambition ahead of the UN climate summit in September
22
2019: conclude Article 6 market
mechanisms negotiations
By 2020: updated NDCs by all parties;
submit low-emissions
development pathways
2021
2022
2023: 1st stocktake on mitigation,
adaptation, finance & technology
transfer
2024
By 2025: next-round
NDCs submission
by all parties
Near-term diplomatic timetable
June 2019:
indication of COP26
hosting (Bonn); G20
(Japan)
Sep 2019: NDC’s 1st
possible uplift (UN
S.G. Summit, NY)
Dec 2019: COP26
hosting decision
(COP25, Chile)
Early 2020: EU
updated long-
term target
submission
Nov 2020:
COP26 (in
UK?)
2) Reaching net-zero emissions in the UK
UK scenarios
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKBuilding UK net-zero scenarios
There is a range of technologies and behaviour changes that can help reduce emissions.
We split these into ‘Core’, ‘Further Ambition’ and ‘Speculative’ options:
• Core options are low-cost, low-regret options that make sense under most strategies to meet the current 80% 2050 target
• Further Ambition options are more challenging and generally more expensive than the Core options
• Speculative options currently have very low levels of technology readiness, very high costs, or significant barriers to public acceptability
24
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKHow UK net-zero scenarios can be delivered
25
H2 H2H2H2 H2H2
Energy supply Energy use Land
CO2 storage
H2H2H2 H2H2
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKHow UK net-zero scenarios can be delivered
26
H2 H2H2H2 H2H2
Energy supply Energy use Land
CO2 storage
H2H2H2 H2H2
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKRemaining emissions in the Further Ambition scenario
27
Remaining emissions by sector (left) and type of gas (right)
-80
-60
-40
-20
0
20
40
60
80
100
2050 2050
MtC
O2
e
F-gases
Nitrous oxide
Methane
Carbon dioxide
Shipping
F-gases
Surface transport
Power
Hydrogen production
Buildings
Waste
Industry
Agriculture
Aviation
Engineered removals
LULUCF
Source: CCC analysis
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKA mix of Speculative options is likely to be needed
28
Source: CCC analysis
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Carbon-neutral
synthetic fuels
Engineered removals
Deeper roll-out of
Further Ambition
options
MtCO2e
Diet change
Afforestation
Aviation demand
Higher CCS capture rate
Peatland restoration
Bioenergy crops
Hydrogen in buildings
Hydrogen in industry
Hydrogen trains
AR5 GWPs
BECCS DACCS
In aviation, industry & buildings
Range for
net-zero
Additional abatement potential from Speculative options in 2050
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKPeople need to be engaged
29
Role of societal and behavioural changes
38%
53%
9%
Low-carbon technologies or fuels not
societal / behavioural changes
Measures with a combination of low-
carbon technologies and societal /
behavioural changes
Largely societal or behavioural changes
Source: CCC analysis
2) Reaching net-zero emissions in the UK
Costs and benefits
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKCosts are far lower than we imagined
31
The importance of innovationCosts of example low-carbon technologies compared to past projections
Offshore wind (left) Battery packs for electric vehicles (right)
0
50
100
150
200
250
2016
2020
2025
2030
Leveli
sed
cost
of
ele
ctri
city
-£
/MW
h
(£2
01
8)
DECCestimate(2012)
Contractssigned in2013
Contractssigned in2015
Contractssigned in2017
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
2010
2015
2020
2025
2030
Batt
ery
pack
co
st -
$/K
Wh
(£
20
18
)
CCCcentralestimate(2011)
Actualaveragecost
Source: Offshore wind costs, CCC analysis based on DECC (2012) Electricity generation costs and LCCC (2019) CfD register. Battery forecasts,
CCC (2015) Sectoral scenarios for the 5th Carbon Budget, outturn costs from BNEF (2018) Electric cars to reach price parity by 2022
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKThe sooner we switch to electric vehicles the better
32
A 2030 switchover to electric vehicles would save more money than a 2040 switchover
-12
-10
-8
-6
-4
-2
0
2
2020
2022
2024
2026
2028
2030
2032
2034
2036
2038
2040
2042
2044
2046
2048
2050
Net co
st o
f sw
itch
ing t
o e
lect
ric
cars
and
vans
(£b
n/y
ear) 2040 phase-out
2030 phase-out
Source: CCC analysis
Reaching net-zero emissions in the UKNo extra cost than already expected
33
2050 target (v 1990) Estimated cost
2003: -60% CO2 0.5-2.0% of GDP
2008: -80% GHG 1-2% of GDP
Now: -100% GHG 1-2% of GDP
Co-benefits Clean Growth
More effort
Same cost
3) Recommendations
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