SE Academic Review 2023

16 ST EDWARD’S, OXFORD

Given the scale of the changes required, I believe that a combination of all four strategies is needed. Taxes will need to be raised, not only to pay for the green premiums but also to help support those who will be disrupted by this change. Regulation may cause a public backlash but rapid transition by 2050 is going to require policy changes like the government’s ban on non-electric new cars by 2030. Additionally, there must be collaboration with private markets including fossil fuel companies. As Goodall (2020, p. 50) points out, they have the knowledge and expertise to handle the type of large-scale projects in renewable energy that are going to be necessary. However, no matter the plan, the role of the government will undoubtedly increase. The cost neutrality goal, there have been many questions about the UK’s ability to achieve it. In this essay I have demonstrated that the UK can meet its domestic energy needs, primarily using solar and wind energy. Both technologies have more than doubled in yield power since 2009 and costs have reached levels competitive with fossil fuels. With the implementation of solar panels and wind turbines capable of outputting 197kwh/p/d of energy, the UK has the technological means to cover all the 79kWh/ p/d of domestic energy consumption. True carbon neutrality however can only happen when all aspects of UK energy consumption are addressed, including emissions currently unable to be avoided by the use of renewable energy. The transfer of heating and to heat pumps and transport to EVs are examples of areas of the economy that can be transferred to a carbon neutral electric grid. However, sectors such as infrastructure and agriculture do not yet have carbon neutral technological solutions. To cover this, interim solutions such as carbon offset technology can be used but a truly credible strategy will need to come with changes in consumption until technology catches up. Long-term sustainable carbon neutrality may even require permanent reductions to our current level of consumption and economic growth. Conclusion Since the introduction of the 2050 carbon

of becoming carbon neutral is going to take significant investment and the government must decide how they will fund it. It is therefore crucial that the government educates UK citizens about the necessity for these policies as it will be nearly impossible to reach the 2050 goal without this support. Currently there are many private institutions such as the WWF who are working towards rallying the population, but the UK government is so far failing in its responsibilities. We must understand that to reach a carbon neutral society the way in which we live our lives now will fundamentally change. Without political buy-in from the electorate, the transition will be almost impossible no matter how far technological solutions are available. The size and scale of investment needed in renewable technology and the changes in consumption required to use it, are going to require political leadership. In Chapter 3, I analysed several strategies which could be used to achieve UK carbon neutrality. I concluded that ultimately, a truly credible strategy will require a combination of strategies. The implementation of policies such as a carbon tax and support from the free market needs to happen. Regulatory bans on fossil fuel dependent technologies like gas boiler heaters as well as government investment in new technologies will also be necessary. To build the social consensus to have these changes implemented, I believe that educating society about the urgency of the climate crisis is essential. In conclusion, I do not believe that the UK has a credible strategy to achieve carbon neutrality unless we can implement wide-ranging and fundamental changes to our society. Through the course of my research for this essay I have built greater confidence that we can develop the technologies to get there. However, a truly credible strategy requires having the political willpower to implement the changes required. Here I am less optimistic. Even if the UK can develop a credible strategy for carbon neutrality by 2050 its efforts will be in vain if other large, polluting countries fail to deliver their own carbon neutral strategies. I hope we get there in time, because it is my generation that will end up paying the price.