How Climate Change Science is Used to Inform Policy Making About the Use of Renewable Energy

Process

What is the Climate Change Act and what target does it set for reducing CO2 emission in the UK?

The Climate Change Act (2008) is how the UK is working to respond and manage climate change. The government have set a target to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. They aim to do this by using 'carbon budgets'; these are caps on the about of greenhouse gases emitted over a 5 year period, and they're given years in advance to allow individuals time to prepare to make sure the cap is met. The first five carbon budgets have been put into legislation and run up to 2032.

How has science guided Climate Change Committee's advice on emission targets?

The CCC was set up to advise the government on the appropriate level for emission targets and how to meet them, report on the progress made in reducing these emissions and further progress needed to meet future targets and publish its reasons for that advice. 

Science has helped guide the CCC's advice as scientists have monitored trends in climate, such as temperature, sea level, ocean heat, snow and ice, and can therefore make informed decisions on how to prevent these things from changing in a way that'll impact us. 

Moreover, satellite measurements of infrared spectra over the past 40 years observe less energy escaping to space and surface measurements find more infrared radiation warming the Earth's surface. This occurs because greenhouse gases let sunlight (short-wave radiation) pass through the atmosphere. The earth absorbs sunlight, then reradiates infrared which is long-wave radiation. The infrared is absorbed by greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. So, with more carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere, we see less infrared radiation escaping to space, and more infrared returning back to Earth.

Policies introduced to encourage renewable energy use:

- LEZ (low emission zones): used to encourage more 'clean' cars and reduce exhaust emissions as non-compliant vehicles entering the LEZ are normally targeted with penalty fines

- The Renewable Obligation (RO) is intended to encourage renewable electricity generation for large scale installations

- Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO): increase the proportion of renewable fuel in road fuel

- Energy Crops Scheme (ECS) aims to increase the amount of perennial energy crops grown in England in appropriate locations for use in heat and electricity generation

Disadvantages of relying on renewable energy sources for electricity supply:

- Higher upfront cost: while you can save money by using renewable energy, they are more expensive upfront than traditional energy generators

- Intermittency: many of these resources aren’t available all the time, and many are dependent on the weather which can be unpredictable 

- Storage: due to the intermittency of some renewable energy sources, there’s a need for energy storage but these are often very expensive for large-scale plants

- Geographical limitations: some places are more suitable for renewable energy than others due to their climates/landscapes

Credits