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BBC Inside Science: How can the UK get to zero carbon?

10/06/2021

How can the UK get to zero carbon?

BBC Radio 4 - BBC Inside Science, How can the UK get to zero carbon?

With energy bills soaring, what's the best way to cut carbon use and keep the lights on?

With energy bills soaring, and a commitment to get to net zero carbon by 2050, we discuss the options for cutting our fossil fuel use at the same time as keeping the lights on.

Energy is essential: every living thing needs energy to survive, and today’s industrialised societies consume enormous quantities of it. At the moment, the vast majority of this comes from burning fossil fuels that emit carbon. But the government is committed to reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Meanwhile, oil and gas prices are rocketing, exacerbated by the ongoing war in Ukraine. And the energy price cap is being raised on April 1st, hitting millions of householders in the UK. 

While we await the government’s energy strategy, Inside Science looks at how to solve the problem, finding the best possible ways to meet our energy needs while slashing our carbon emissions. Joining us to discuss this are Alice Bell, co-director of the climate charity Possible, and Jan Rosenow, director at the Regulatory Assistance Project.  

We also hear from Chris Stark of the Climate Change Commission on how the government might meet its decarbonisation targets, visit a Cornish field that might be a rich source of homegrown lithium for batteries, and talk to Jonathan Atkinson from People Powered Retrofit about how to make our homes greener and warmer.

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