Zero Carbon Britain – Raising Ambition Report

What is Zero
Carbon Britain all about?

The UN Paris Agreement states that humanity must reach net-zero
greenhouse gas emissions by the middle of this century. This is a
big shift, but we have no option other than to succeed if we are to
avoid really dangerous climate change. Previous Zero
Carbon Britain (ZCB) research has shown that we can
meet this challenge using technology available today.

Since its inception in 2007, the Centre for Alternative
Technology‘s Zero Carbon
Britain project has set out to offer the hard data and
confidence required for visualising a future where we have risen to
the demands of climate science; to remove fear and
misunderstandings and open new positive, solution-focused
conversations.

What does the new report tell us?

This new report –
Raising Ambition: Zero Carbon Scenarios from Across the
Globe – draws on scenarios designed to meet the
climate targets of the Paris Climate Agreement, developed at the
global, regional, national and sub-national scales.

Over 130 scenarios were assessed and mapped – the largest number
yet in any comparable exercise, including 18 in-depth case studies.
They draw on cutting-edge modelling work for net zero, deep
decarbonisation, and up to 100% renewable energies. The
geographical range is the broadest yet too, covering from Tanzania
to Los Angeles, and South Asia to the Baltic.

Paul Allen of ZCB had this to say about the report:
“This summer the climate crisis became horrifically real for
people experiencing record weather extremes from the United States
to Japan and Bangladesh. We have produced the largest survey yet of
scenarios for switching to climate friendly energy, and the good
news is that they show it is within our power to make the changes
needed to meet carbon reduction targets and halt the worst of
global climatic upheaval.”

What could Zero Carbon mean for Wales?

In contrast to the usual doom and gloom scenarios around climate
change, the Zero Carbon Wales events, held in Bangor and
Cardiff in July 2017, were designed to inspire attendees and to
open up new ways to collaborate. To find out about our events in
more detail read our blog ‘Achieving
a Zero Carbon Wales Together’; which summarises the
different activities and includes personal reflections from Chloe
Jenkins of Invest in Nature Cymru on the Zero Carbon Wales
message.

How can you get
involved in the route to decarbonisation in
Wales?


The Welsh Government is currently holding a consultation on
‘A Low
Carbon Pathway for Wales’ which presents initial
thoughts on how we might reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45%
between now and 2030. Proposals include:

• Accelerating sustainable energy production and foster local
  ownership
• Improving opportunities for active travel and develop a
  comprehensive charging network for electric vehicles
• Setting higher energy efficiency standards for new building
  projects.

For more information about the consultation view our recent
webinar here.

Want to know
more about Climate Change and the implications for your
organisation and stakeholders?

The third sector has huge potential to tackle both the causes and
consequences of climate change. It is uniquely placed to reach and
support people, especially the most disadvantaged and vulnerable.
Our ‘Tackling
Climate Change’ webpages and resource ‘A
Third Sector Guide to Climate Change’ will help you
understand what climate change is about, where to find support to
help you manage your climate risks, and how to make better
decisions for a changing future.