UK Government sets out plan for net-zero energy

The UK Government has set out its plan to reach a net-zero energy system by 2050 in a new white paper.

It aims to have “overwhelmingly decarbonised power in the 2030s”.

The Scottish Government has set a target to reach net-zero by 2045, five years ahead of the UK as a whole.

The white paper includes a commitment to invest £1bn in carbon capture storage clusters by 2030 and a new £240m fund to support low carbon production.

It says the UK Government will draw on the expertise of the North Sea oil and gas sector for these projects, both supporting transition and creating new green jobs.

Scotland Minister David Duguid said: “Support for energy transition will help ensure that the expertise and engagement of the oil and gas sector will help develop low carbon energy solutions while maintaining energy security.

“At the COP26 summit in Glasgow next November we will show the world that Scotland, and the rest of the UK, are leading on the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy and clean growth, delivering our commitment to net zero by 2050.”

The white paper also states a new UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will replace the EU ETS from 1 January 2021.

The UK Government has also confirmed it will enter negotiations with EDF about investing in a new nuclear power station in the south of England.

UK Energy Secretary Alok Sharma said: “Today’s plan establishes a decisive and permanent shift away from our dependence on fossil fuels, towards cleaner energy sources that will put our country at the forefront of the global green industrial revolution.

“Through a major programme of investment and reform, we are determined to both decarbonise our economy in the most cost-effective way, while creating new sunrise industries and revitalising our industrial heartlands that will support new green jobs for generations to come.”