Utility Week

UTILITY WEEK | 12TH - 18TH JULY 2019 | 11 Utility of the future: climate change "Your business strategies must encourage collaborative approaches to reducing emissions." Delivering net zero, together A chieving net zero by 2050 challenges utilities to deliver a low-carbon future while maintaining service levels for customers. They can do it, but a business-as-usual approach won't cut it. The National Infrastructure Commission supports the Committee on Climate Change's vision and the recom- mendations in our National Infrastructure Assessment would make a major contribution to delivering it. We've called for substantial reductions in high- emitting sectors, particularly energy and transport. We also want a minimum 50 per cent renewables generation by 2030; a swi‚ decision on replacing gas heating with hydrogen or heat pumps, either of which changes long- established supply models; and action to achieve 100 per cent of new vehicle sales being electric by 2030. Water companies too must play their part: reducing water consumption through cutting leakage and increas- ing metering will cut emissions from treatment and distribution. Carbon reduction will also shape their future infra- structure mix: companies will have to weigh emissions from transferring water against those from desalination. Such measures will put pressure on existing net- works. Boosting electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastruc- ture will increase demand on the electricity network; a more renewable mix of generation requires signiŽ cant new storage capacity to cope with uncertainties. In the assessment and our earlier Smart Power report, we've set out answers to cope with these new chal- lenges. In our resilience study we're particularly inter- ested in the increasing connectedness of infrastructure networks and how vulnerabilities in one system have implications for others. A system-of-systems approach should help us better understand existing and new interdependencies and the implications of climate change on them. Better data and modelling, too, will transform our understanding of these increasingly interconnected systems – but only if data is shared more widely. Utilities must therefore ensure their business strate- gies encourage collaborative approaches to reducing emissions, particularly with providers outside of their immediate sectors. Planning together is essential to deliver net zero. The scale of the challenge demands we start now. "Your business strategies reducing emissions." Phil Graham Chief executive, NIC Who took part in the survey 1,022 people took part in the survey. Of these, 46 per cent were men and 54 per cent women, from across the UK; 27 per cent were aged between 18 and 34; 33 per cent between 35 and 54 and 39 per cent over 55. ATTITUDES TOWARDS CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE: POLICY SUPPORT CLIMATE CHANGE: CAN THE UK REACH ITS TARGET CLIMATE CHANGE CONTRIBUTIONS VIA ENERGY BILLS NEW ENERGY DEVELOPMENTS source: Harris Interactive Over three quarters (78%) of respondents support the govern- ment's commitment to cutting greenhouse gas emissions in the UK to net zero by 2050. Those aged 18-34 and those interested in envi- ronmental issues were signi‰ cantly more likely to support the policy. Respondents were sceptical about the reality of the UK reaching its zero emissions target by 2050, with around one quarter (26%) believing the target was likely to be achiev- able. A similar number (27%) were undecided. Almost half felt it was unlikely to happen. Just over one quarter (28%) would be willing to pay more on top of their current energy bills in order to help the UK meet its zero emis- sions target. This was signi‰ cantly higher amongst the 18-34s (40%) and those interested in environ- mental issues (33%). Respondents were more open to the creation of onshore wind farms rather than nuclear power stations (just over one in ten were completely opposed to onshore wind farms, compared to almost three in ten opposed to nuclear power stations). Those interested in environmental issues were signi‰ cantly more likely to be happy to see more onshore wind farms. Yes No Not sure Yes No Not sure Yes No Not sure Do you think we should build new nuclear power stations in the UK in order to meet the zero emissions target? Would you be happy to see more onshore wind farms developed in the UK in order to meet the zero emissions target? 27% 28% 28% 29% 43% 78% 11% 11% 46% 78% 14% Very unlikely Unlikely Neither Likely Very likely 34% 27% 21% 5% 9% 13% Yes No Not sure

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