Thread by @DrSimEvans

Rocking baby so took the chance to read this excellent summary of mega new @theCCCuk net-zero- consistent climate advice for UK, by my @CarbonBrief colleagues.

Some v striking aspects beyond headline target recommendation of 78% cut by 2035.

My highlights in next tweets.

1/5

https://twitter.com/CarbonBrief/status/1336460813062860806

➡️proposed new 78% goal by 2035 is 2x as fast as old 80% by 2050
➡️bye-bye "net carbon account" (🙏🙏) you won't be missed (v impt but if it means nothing to you, count yourself lucky)
➡️advice offers several paths to net-zero, w/ UK hitting NZ as early as ~2042 (see chart)

2/5

➡️pathways include more significant behaviour change eg on diet
➡️avg annual net cost to 2050 seen 3x lower than in last yr's advice (~£16b vs ~£50b/yr, see chart, tho baby brain so could be reading wrong)
➡️costs (=investment!) seen yielding net GAIN for GDP overall

3/5

➡️electricity supply to grow >>2x by 2050, with large majority wind/solar
➡️calls for 2035 phaseout of unabated gas power (currently ~40% of annual supplies)
➡️interesting + diplomatic use of tech neutral terms by CCC (see chart, "firm", "flexible low carbon")

4/5

➡️in main "balanced NZ", H2 for heat largely for backup ("hybrid heat pumps") & what looks to be <<10% of demand (see chart vs CCC's 2018 "full H2" w/ ~400TWh for heat)
➡️still big role for H2 but mainly in shipping + industry
➡️less H2 than last yr's advice, ~220TWh vs 270

5/5

PS I won't be around here much, but yes, I really am sad enough to be interested in reading this stuff while being on paternity leave.