REA calls for net zero power sector by 2032

The Association for Renewable Energy and Clean Technology (REA) has unveiled a “green recovery pathway” for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, whilst creating hundreds of thousands of new jobs.

The trade body said renewables will account for 50 per cent of electricity generation by the end of 2022 and called for the power sector to reach net zero emissions a decade later.

The REA said investments in renewable energy and clean technologies could create 200,000 jobs by 2035, by which point they should account for a majority of energy demand in the heat and transport sectors.

The association stated that the early 2020s will be a “critical period” for the transition. It said meeting the 2050 target will require a “fit for purpose grid” and a wide mix of technologies, including wind, solar, hydro, marine and bioenergy, but warned that most “lack a clear route to market” due to an “inadequate” Contracts for Difference scheme and the absence of “holistic flexibility markets,” among other things.

“The UK’s energy system is in the midst of the largest transformation for generations, moving towards the legally-binding 2050 net zero target for greenhouse gas emissions reductions,” said REA chief executive Nina Skorupska.

“The change required over the next three decades is on a par to that experienced during the industrial revolution; affecting people’s homes, businesses and the very fabric of the nation

She continued: “With COP26 on the horizon, the government has an opportunity to make a bold statement. This strategy not only sets out several necessary and achievable targets, but it also provides the solutions to removing the barriers which could prevent those targets being met.

“It is now abundantly clear that the argument of an ‘either/or’ choice between tackling climate change and providing an economic boost is over. Support for the renewable energy and clean technology sector will not only help the government reach its net zero ambitions, but it could deliver hundreds of thousands of new jobs and return billions of pounds worth of investment too.

“Our strategy offers government the pathway to net zero and economic recovery. It is now up to them to deliver it.”

Meanwhile, politicians and business leaders from the North West, along with the network operators SP Energy Networks, Cadent and Electricity North West, have held a virtual meeting to launch an “energy masterplan” for lowering greenhouse gas emission in the region to net zero by 2040.

Frank Mitchell, chief executive of SP Energy Networks, said: “The North West has ambitious plans to become the first net zero region well in advance of the government deadline in 2050, and we are proud to be playing our part.

“With COP26 on the horizon, it’s great to work with politicians and business leaders who share our ambition and drive to work together to deliver the Net Zero energy system of the future. I hope that today’s event will prompt other key players in this region to ask themselves what they can do to help, and I would encourage them to come forward with their ideas.”

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Today is about showing the power and potential of a whole region pulling in the same direction to tackle the climate emergency. Together, we hope to build a movement to make the North West the country’s leading force in the zero-carbon economy.

“If we get serious now about the climate crisis, it will also help us tackle the post-pandemic jobs crisis. There are tens of thousands of good green jobs just waiting to be created across the North West – in retrofitting our buildings, modernising our energy systems, and decarbonising our transport. Now is absolutely the time to make that happen.”

Steve Rotheram, metro mayor of the Liverpool City Region said: “The existential threat of the climate crisis is the greatest challenge facing our generation and we will only succeed if we tackle it together, using our respective strengths.

“The way in which we can bounce back quickly from the coronavirus crisis is to build our economic recovery on the opportunities offered by the green industrial revolution. For all our futures, we must not fail.”