Royal Society submission to the BEIS review of net zero

Whilst there are actions and technologies that can and should be implemented now, there remain several issues that need to be solved to achieve net zero by 2050. To enable decarbonisation the Government must set the scene, provide policy consistency, act to incentivise and accelerate the pace of change and mitigate market failures. A consistent, systematic, whole system-based approach is also critical to achieving the Government’s ambitions for decarbonisation and economic growth.

Energy security in the global transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy will depend both on who develops and controls the technologies (and the related raw materials and supply chains) and where the exploitable natural energy resources (solar, wind, etc) are located. Securing access to both will be critical to near term energy security.

An agreed roadmap would enable all to work towards net zero, giving academics, businesses and consumers the confidence in the direction of travel to a long term prosperous and predictable goal. The UK Government must have at its disposal the best and most up to date advice from all relevant areas of expertise. It is proposed that advice should be gathered in a Net Zero Advisory Group.