Absolute zero

We can’t wait for breakthrough technologies to deliver net-zero emissions by 2050. Instead, we can plan to respond to climate change using today’s technologies with incremental change. This will reveal many opportunities for growth but requires a public discussion about future lifestyles.

Key messages for industrial sectors: Absolute Zero creates a driver for tremendous growth in industries related to electrification, from material supply, through generation and storage, to end-use. The fossil fuel, cement, shipping and aviation industries face rapid contraction, while construction and many manufacturing sectors can continue at today’s scales, with appropriate transformations.

Key messages for individuals: travel less distance, travel by train or in small (or full) electric cars, and stop flying; use heating less and electrify the boiler when next upgrading; lobby for construction with half the material for twice as long; stop eating beef and lamb. Each action we take to reduce emissions, at home or at work, creates a positive ripple effect.

Why this report matters: We are legally committed to reducing the UK’s emissions to zero by 2050, and there isn’t time to do this by deploying technologies that don’t yet operate at scale. We need a public discussion about the changes required and how to convert them into a great industrial strategy.