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Posted on: 15/07/2021
This year marks SmartestEnergy’s 20th anniversary and our commitment to the transition to net-zero has only grown stronger. As proud business sponsors of ‘Net Zero Week’, we’ve joined forces with industry partners and government officials for the UK’s first net-zero awareness week (17-23 July). As a next generation energy company, we are playing an active role in educating businesses, consumers and the wider public to achieve ambitious net-zero targets by 2050. To kick-off our activities for ‘Net Zero Week’, we would like to share 20 insightful net-zero facts:
1) Prime Minister Boris Johnson has committed to legislate a new target to cut national emissions by 78% by 2035. This is a significant increase from the UK’s original goal of 80% reduction in emissions by 2050. Read more
2) 55% of UK businesses have made a public commitment to net-zero by setting carbon reduction targets. Read more
3) From 1 October 2024 Great Britain will no longer use coal to generate electricity, a year earlier than planned. Read more
4) 37.4 million Electric Vehicles are expected to be on UK roads by 2050. Read more
5) 43% of energy generated in the UK last year came from renewable sources, producing 134,298GWh - that is enough to power nearly 35 million houses. Read more
6) Between 34 GW and 77 GW of new wind and solar generation could be required to meet demand in 2030. Read more
7) 2TWh of hydrogen storage is needed to meet net-zero to provide whole energy system resilience. Read more
8) More than 310 RE100 businesses have created a demand for 334TWh of renewable electricity - more than the UK's total power usage. Read more
9) UK Government has planned to ban new petrol and diesel truck sales by 2040. Read more
10) UK ranked sixth in the world for solar and wind generation. Read more
11) Coal only accounted for 1.8% of the UK’s electricity mix in 2020, compared with 40% almost decade ago. Read more
12) According to a new study, Motorists could earn up to £725 a year by using their electric vehicles to supply electricity to the grid. Read more
13) A new report as part of the 4 Day Week campaign has estimated that switching to this new working format without loss of pay would see UK emissions cut by 127mn tonnes per year by 2025, a reduction of 21.3%. Read more
14) 43% of UK business respondents said that operating a sustainable business model remains a top priority. Read more
15) Between 31 GW and 47 GW of offshore wind must be connected by 2030 to reach targets. Read more
16) 24% of consumers are planning to buy and EV or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in the next five years. Read more
17) Smart appliances can help reduce total annual demand by 7% of 2020 levels by 2050. Read more
18) It is estimated that at least 78% of generation output by 2050 will come from wind and solar generation. Read more
19) The UK government has committed to the whole central government fleet of 40,000 cars and vans to be fully zero emission by 2027, 3 years earlier than previously planned. Read more
20) National Grid ESO's Future Energy Scenarios Report sets out four pathways to net-zero by 2050, with a coordinated approach the 'Leading the way' scenario would reach net-zero by 2047. Read more
If you would like to learn more about the UK’s 2050 net-zero targets and explore how you can take meaningful steps to start your net-zero journey from both a business and a consumer perspective, join us for ‘Net Zero Week’ Festival in Canary Wharf on Thursday 22nd July. We have lots of outdoor activities and entertainment planned from lunchtime until 9pm with special guest, Martin Offiah – former professional Rugby player and ‘Net Zero Week’ Ambassador. We also have presentations streaming online throughout the day - we have now launched the seminar agenda and invite you to join us in our virtual audience to hear expert industry speakers from Aviva PLC, Baringa, Cornwall Insight, Grid Edge and JLL. You are also welcome to attend the seminars at our office, please join our wait list via EventBrite for a seat.
> Click here to register for SmartestEnergy's 'Net Zero Week' Festival and manage your attendance preferences via EventBrite.
