The issues of transforming the UK energy infrastructure and meeting the 2050 target to reduce emissions by 80% are explored in-depth in this book, which is the outcome of a major national energy-research project by the UK Energy Research Centre. The titles of the 12 chapters – which include “UK energy in an era of globalisation”, “Pathways to a low-carbon economy”, “Not just climate change” and “UK energy in an uncertain world” – focus on three main themes: environmental degradation, security of supply, and resource depletion. The editors, who also contribute to a number of the chapters, acknowledge that climate change is so pervasive that there is no single technical or regulatory fix, but say that decarbonising UK energy is more straightforward than securing its resilience. The book presents several scenarios to illustrate the policy options available to decision makers. It also provides expert assessments of the challenges and opportunities that radically altering the UK energy system will bring, and which will either help or hinder achieving the 2050 climate target. |