Climate modelling supports CAT’s zerocarbonbritain report

To avoid catastrophic climate change, we need to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions to zero, according to research from the University of Victoria in Canada.

This data supports CAT’s groundbreaking energy strategy, zerocarbonbritain, which also advocates a 100% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as soon as possible – an energy scenario explored within the report demonstrates it is possible to make these changes within 20 years.

CAT Development Director Paul Allen said: “The results from the University of Victoria back up our reading of the climate science, and highlight the immense challenge we now face.”

The team from the University of Victoria used a computer model to determine how much emissions must be limited to avoid exceeding a 2°C increase. They looked at reducing emissions by between 20% and 100% of 2006 levels by 2050. Only when emissions were entirely eliminated did the temperature increase remain below 2°C.

Mr Allen said: “If global temperatures rise more than 2°C, climate change will rapidly spiral out of control. The EU has pledged to reduce emissions to keep warming below this level, but their target of a 50% reduction in emissions by 2050 is too little, too late.

“Solving climate change is urgent, we need the right policies to eliminate all emissions from fossil fuels right now.”

zerocarbonbritain recommends technologies and policies to meet this challenge. It advocates a series of electronic carbon allowances known as Tradable Energy Quotas (TEQs) which would create a market driver for renewable energy, as products and services which use less fossil fuels would be cheaper.

This all happens within a global framework, allowing every nation’s per capita emissions to equalise, then reduce to zero. The scenario outlined in the report shows how the UK could reduce its overall energy use by 50%, then meet the remaining demand with 100% non-nuclear renewable energy.

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