30
| JUNE 2021 | UTILITY WEEK
Customers
Interview
D
uncan Burt describes himself as a "glass half-full
kind of person" when it comes to the net zero
debate. However, he is in no doubt of the scale of
the challenge facing the UK over the next 15 years.
National Grid's director of COP26 says April's com-
mitment by the government to reduce UK emissions by
78 per cent by 2035 is "absolutely the right ambition for
a country hosting COP". He says there are still "a lot of
hard yards" to cover to further decarbonise the power
gird but says the greater obstacles will come in areas
that more directly touch consumers everyday lives –
most notably heating. To this end, he is calling for a
body to be established to lead on both the strategy and a
nationwide public engagement campaign.
The energy awareness gap
As a principal partner of the UN climate conference,
to be held in Glasgow in November, National Grid is
hoping to capitalise on the profile of the summit to draw
consumers into the climate debate.
"If you get the message
right, the public can be
a powerful advocate."
Duncan Burt,
DIRECTOR OF COP26, NATIONAL GRID
