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New Energy World
New Energy World embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low carbon technologies.
A national LAEP forward – hastening ‘place-based’ decarbonisation efforts
31/5/2023
8 min read
Think globally: act locally – the most effective way to decarbonise a town or community is to design a locally-appropriate strategy. This can be particularly the case for domestic heating. Here, Andrew Clark, Business Leader – Place at UK Energy Systems Catapult, explains how ‘place-based’ local area energy planning is already happening.
Reducing UK greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions at the scale and pace required to achieve net zero by 2050 means taking a holistic approach to decarbonisation. All areas of our lives – from where we live and work, to where we play – must be factored into the delivery of a low carbon future. On a local level, we will need to adopt localised sources of decarbonised heat, renewable power, and low carbon transportation, and operate them as a whole system.
There is no quick fix. A myriad of hurdles – from financial barriers to consumer understanding – stands between us and net zero. We do not have time to dither and delay.
Across the UK, individuals, communities, businesses, and public sector bodies are taking the right – sometimes incremental – steps forward, including rolling out EV charge points, installing ground and rooftop solar arrays, and fitting low carbon heating solutions such as heat pumps.