WIREDGOV

A new report from the InterGovernmental Panel on Climate Change highlights the need for urgent action – including on tackling the environmental impact of infrastructure.

The report highlights the potential impact of global temperatures rising by more than 1.5C, and urges action including a switch to 80 per cent renewables by 2050, reducing coal use to near-zero and greater take-up of electric vehicles.

The UK’s first ever National Infrastructure Assessment published in July highlighted how moves towards greener energy could be made – all with the aim of meeting the country’s emissions targets.

This includes aiming towards renewables making up 50 per cent of the UK’s energy mix by 2030, and creating a truly national, visible charging network for electric vehicles through subsidies where the private sector won’t deliver in the short term and councils allocating parking spaces for future chargers.

Responding to the report a spokesman for the National Infrastructure Commission yesterday said:

“Today’s report highlights the devastating impact that rising global temperatures could have on our planet and the need for urgent action to prevent the worst from happening.

“Our National Infrastructure Assessment highlights the need to act now to protect communities from extremes of weather, including floods and droughts.  It also shows how falling renewables prices and improved technologies mean sources like wind and solar could make up as much as 50 per cent of our energy mix by 2030, and the need for a truly national charging network to help drivers switch from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles.

“These recommendations have been put to Government and we look forward to hearing how they plan to put them into practice.”