On March 3, carbon brief, a British research institution, released a report that the UK's carbon emissions decreased by 29% in 2010-2019, which was more effective than the first decade of the 21st century. At the same time, in 2019, the UK's carbon emissions dropped significantly year on year, setting a new low since 1888. Among them, the UK's power sector has the most significant emission reduction efforts.

Power sector becomes the main force of emission reduction

According to data released by UK government agencies, UK carbon emissions in 2019 were 354 million tons, down 2.9% from 2018 and about 40% from 1990. Simon Evans, editor in chief of the report, pointed out that under the multiple factors of perfect carbon price system, coal power withdrawal, introduction of pollution prevention laws and regulations, and rapid development of renewable energy, in the past ten years, the UK's electricity sector has achieved remarkable emission reduction effect and become the main force of carbon emission reduction in the UK.

The report points out that in 2019, the proportion of fossil energy power generation in the UK has reached a record low. In 2019, low-carbon power became the "mainstream" of the UK's power system, and fossil energy power generation accounted for only 43% of the UK's power supply; renewable energy power generation such as photovoltaic and wind power accounted for 37%, of which wind power accounted for 20%.

At the same time, compared with the first decade of the 21st century, during 2010-2019, the total carbon emissions of the British coal industry decreased by about 80%, the carbon emissions in the natural gas field decreased by 20%, and the carbon emissions in the oil field decreased by 6%. Among them, the reduction of emissions in the coal sector accounts for about 60% of the total carbon reduction in the UK.

It is worth mentioning that in 2019, the UK has 83 days of "coal free" power supply. Last May, the number of days without coal reached 18, the longest in history.

According to the UK's existing climate policy, the era of coal-fired power generation in the UK will end in 2024. By the end of March, aberthaw coal power plant in Wales and fiddlers ferry coal power plant in Cheshire will be shut down. So far, almost all coal-fired power plants in the UK have announced plans to shut down within 12 months. By the beginning of next year, only three coal-fired power plants are expected to remain in operation for the government to deploy, the report said.

In addition, the latest data shows that the overall carbon emissions in the European power sector have declined, mainly due to the replacement of coal power by new wind power, photovoltaic and other renewable energy sources, and the proportion of natural gas power generation is also gradually increasing.

Energy efficiency improvement plays a key role

Carbon brief's report also points out that in the process of achieving carbon emission reduction in the UK, energy efficiency improvement plays an irreplaceable role in overall carbon emission reduction. Over the past decade, Britain's GDP has risen by about 18%, but its carbon emissions have declined significantly, and the electricity needed per unit of GDP has decreased significantly, which is "due to" the improvement of energy efficiency.

Data shows that in 2019, the UK's per capita carbon dioxide emissions were 5.3 tons, higher than the global per capita level of 4.8 tons, but lower than the EU average level of 7.0 tons. According to the report, in 2019, the percentage of carbon emission reduction in the UK exceeded that of other major economies in the world, making it the fastest carbon emission reduction country.

According to the report, over the years, the UK has been actively developing renewable energy and clean technology, and the use of energy efficiency improvement measures has offset the negative impact of population growth and GDP growth on the environment.

According to the report, at present, there is very limited space for emission reduction in the UK's coal sector. To achieve the goal of rapid emission reduction, the UK should start from other areas.

Data shows that in 2019, the UK's carbon emissions in the field of natural gas remained the same year on year. At present, natural gas has surpassed oil and become the largest source of carbon emissions in the UK. At the same time, the demand for natural gas power generation remains stable due to heating and industrial demand. In 2019, British oil demand and emissions decreased slightly by about 1%. Despite the substantial increase in UK electric vehicle sales in 2019, due to the relatively stable demand for gasoline vehicles, UK traffic carbon emissions will not be significantly reduced in the short term.

It is still difficult to achieve the goal of net zero

In fact, from the perspective of climate data, the UK climate is still warming. Compared with 2018, there is no significant change in the UK climate in 2019, but in the long run, the annual average temperature in the UK has increased by 0.5c over the past 20 years. The report points out that great achievements have been made in the field of carbon emission reduction in the UK in 2019, but historically, the UK's cumulative carbon emissions are still the fourth highest in the world, and the road of emission reduction is still "a long way to go".

The report points out that according to the 2030 climate target set by the UK government, UK carbon emissions in 2030 need to be further reduced by about 31% on the basis of 2019. However, it is predicted that if the UK government maintains the current emission reduction policy, the emission reduction by 2030 is expected to be only 10%, which is difficult to achieve the target.

The climate change committee, the UK government's official climate advisory body, holds a similar view. As the UK has to achieve a net zero emission by 2050, the current UK's next 10-year emission reduction plan is "likely" not enough to meet the requirements.

It is understood that up to now, the British government has announced the next step of renewable energy development plan, which will expand the installed capacity of wind power and photovoltaic on the mainland. The UK business, energy and Industry Strategy Department has discussed the plan and may reform the UK clean energy contract system to better promote the construction of wind power and energy storage projects.

Audrey gallacher, executive of energy UK, a UK trading house, said: "the latest carbon emission data shows

The report points out that according to the 2030 climate target set by the UK government, UK carbon emissions in 2030 need to be further reduced by about 31% on the basis of 2019. However, it is predicted that if the UK government maintains the current emission reduction policy, the emission reduction by 2030 is expected to be only 10%, which is difficult to achieve the target.

The climate change committee, the UK government's official climate advisory body, holds a similar view. As the UK has to achieve a net zero emission by 2050, the current UK's next 10-year emission reduction plan is "likely" not enough to meet the requirements.

It is understood that up to now, the British government has announced the next step of renewable energy development plan, which will expand the installed capacity of wind power and photovoltaic on the mainland. The UK business, energy and Industry Strategy Department has discussed the plan and may reform the UK clean energy contract system to better promote the construction of wind power and energy storage projects.

Audrey gallacher, executive of energy UK, a UK trading house, said: "the latest carbon emission data shows the rapid transformation of British industry to low carbon. However, the UK is less than 30 years away from the goal of net zero emissions, and the pace of low-carbon transformation still needs to be faster. It is not only necessary to reduce emissions in the field of electricity, but also in heating, transportation and energy efficiency. We look forward to the upcoming government budget document and energy white paper, and hope that the government can show more actions and release more innovation and investment opportunities. "

Source: China Energy News