The projection on the above chart was made in 2018. Very much pre-lockdown. The CCC report notes that estimates for UK 2020 emissions now range from a 2% to a 13% decline on 2019.
(2/n)
If we start from a 2 or 13% reduction in 2020 and continue the 2018 projections forward, you get the range within the dark blue dotted lines here:
(3/n)
Looks like the 5th carbon budget (the final grey bar) is within reach. And given recent trends I believe the lower end of that range more than the upper end.
(4/n)
Several caveats of course, including that a) post-Covid is not likely to be a simple continuation of the projection from a revised 2020 point - we could simply bounce back to old ways, or perhaps push emissions down further with a green recovery...
(5/n)
... and b) carbon budgets are measured against the "net carbon account", not these lines (it's complicated).
(6/n)
But will we see more of what we have seen so far, which is carbon budgets met by a combination of limited climate policies and lower-than-expected demand growth?
(7/n)
Also @theCCCuk making pretty clear that the 6th Carbon Budget will be another big step down. Carbon Budgets 1-5 were all set on the path to an 80% cut, not #NetZero.
(8/8)
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UK government today unveils some new detail on plans to support greenhouse gas removal:
A good step forward for supporting CCS-based removal methods. Still some details to iron out... (1/6)gov.uk/government/pub…
Key points:
* the plans follow the "contracts for difference" model which has worked well for scaling renewable power in the UK
* 15 yr contracts
* an approach to defining cost elements eligible for inclusion...
(2/6)
* a review published of standards and methodologies:
Will be worth a read, but still work to do on deciding how removals will actually be measured...
So, what were the developments in carbon removal at #COP27?
A thread picking out some points across equity, innovation, reporting & accounting, and the texts...🧵
Equity:
On the one hand, carbon capture & storage (CCS) was in discussions, pushed mainly by fossil fuel interests. CCS on fossil fuel isn't carbon removal, but the same infrastructure applies. Inherited skepticism is therefore a real issue for removals.
Lots of countries have been pledging to go #NetZero in the longer term. This year's report has a chapter zooming in on these #NetZero targets. Here are some key messages...
1. If we want to limit climate change to 2°C, 1.5°C, or any other level for that matter, we need global #NetZero.
Meeting the 1.5°C limit implies getting there for CO2 around 2050.
A thread on one of the new bits in the #NetZeroStrategy: greenhouse gas removals (GGR)...
There are many ways to do removal. @GOVUK splits them between biology (e.g. trees and soils, which it puts in the “Natural Resources” part of its strategy) and engineering.
Here I’ll focus on the engineered ones, but the biological ones are worth a thread, too 🌲🌳🟫
The strategy lists these specific engineered removal approaches as deployable: BECCS, DACCS, wood in construction, enhanced weathering and biochar.
Incentives are one of *the* key things missing to scale GHG removal successfully - and this is vital for achieving #NetZero (alongside cutting emissions, obvs).