A major part of the push towards becoming a net zero world is the need to get more of our energy from clean, renewable sources. As COP26 in Glasgow proved, there are a lot of difficult decisions for countries aiming to wean themselves off coal or oil and onto more sustainable energy, such as wind and solar.
However, the impact it could have on the built environment is enormous. Traditional concrete manufacturing processes which rely on coal and coke, could make way for modern, greener concrete production. Homes that can generate their own energy through photovoltaics could not only reduce a family’s carbon footprint but save them money too.
Modus takes a deep dive into the data of energy production and consumption to ask whether we are moving to renewable sources fast enough.
This table shows the different outcomes between our planned emissions scenario (PES) and transforming emissions scenario (TES). In the PES, we make very little progress on reducing our emissions by 2050 and in some cases, such as transport, our emissions actually increase.
However, if a series of national-level climate actions are taken, we could follow the TES pathway and drastically reduce emissions in a range of areas. TES is the more ambitious plan to get us closer to 1.5oC climate change targets.
While a Glasgow Climate Pact was finally agreed upon, hours after the official end of COP26, it was widely reported that the language around phasing out coal had been “watered down”. India and China were the principal agents in changing the language from ‘phasing out’ coal, to ‘phasing down’ its use.
Despite this, German environment minister, Svenja Schulze said: "The fossil fuel era is coming to an end, the energy transition is becoming the guiding principle worldwide. I would have liked the statements on the coal phase-out to be clearer, but the path is now mapped out and will be irreversible."
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TIna Paillet FRICS 02 April 2024
