SE Academic Review 2023

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Chapter 3: Implementing Carbon Neutrality

more closely the political challenges to achieving a carbon neutral society. I believe that there are four main strategies which the UK can use. These strategies vary in the balance between government intervention and authority and the role of the private market and I have summarised them in the table below.

I have shown in Chapter 1 that we have sufficient energy available from renewable sources to reach our total energy needs. In Chapter 2 I looked at the challenges of converting consumption to carbon neutrality and suggested that we may have to reorganise our society’s consumption patterns to achieve this. This chapter examines

Figure 10: Political Strategies

PLAN

DESCRIPTION

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

The Free Market

Advantages • Harnesses the power of private markets and private capital • Allows more choice Disadvantages • Takes too much time • Resistance from powerful fossil fuel companies • Private market prices do not account for climate change Advantages • Faster transition to carbon neutrality • Indicates clear government support for the switch to renewable energy Disadvantages • Financial strain on government: higher taxes Advantages • A market which takes costs of pollution into account • Generates revenue to fund transition to carbon neutrality Disadvantages Advantages • Efficient as the government can enforce laws quickly Disadvantages • Public backlash from restrictions on freedoms • Leaves all major decisions to the government • Restricts consumer choice • Creates a polarised society

• The free market controls the move to renewable energy • Technology development and pressure from private institutions drives lower renewable energy prices

Government Pays

• Government directly invests in carbon neutral technology • Government subsidises gap between fossil fuels and carbon neutral technology

Taxation

• Controlling consumption through taxation (e.g. carbon tax)

Regulation

• Government regulates private investment and consumption through bans etc