Consciousness of Sheep
Related Articles
A new survey of its membership by the Energy Institute has cast doubt on the likelihood of governments meeting climate targets in the Paris Agreement that was signed earlier this year.
The Energy Institute (EI) is the leading chartered professional membership body for the energy industry, supporting over 23,000 individuals working in or studying energy and 200 energy companies worldwide. According to a spokesperson:
“Most respondents to the survey (70%) do not think the COP21 agreement will be sufficient to hold global temperatures below 2°C, and are concerned that the policies in place are not having the desired effect.”
The situation in the UK has been made worse by the current government’s decision to dramatically alter established energy policy:
“Policy uncertainty relating to carbon capture and storage (CCS) is viewed as having a particularly negative impact on industry, as are policies relating to renewable electricity deployment, reducing fuel poverty, and simplifying energy taxation. Furthermore, a majority of respondents think the UK will fall significantly short of its goal of reducing emissions by 80% below 1990 levels by 2050.”
Keeping global temperatures below the 2 degrees centigrade limit (beyond which a runaway greenhouse effect is expected to kick in) was always going to be difficult. This latest survey, following on the heels of recent comments by energy CEOs, suggests that the Paris Agreement is already in tatters.
