In 2019 the UK committed itself to achieving the goal of reducing its greenhouse gas emissions to "net-zero" by the year 2050. By doing so the county would theoretically stop contributing to global warming/climate change. It's an ambitious target, and so far the UK is the only major country to make such a commitment.
There’s No Place Like New Homes in 2050
A big part of achieving the ambitious goal of producing no net greenhouse gases by 2050 is creating 26 million net-zero, or close to net-zero homes, mostly through aggressive retrofitting.
Retrofitting is the only practical way forward if we're to cut domestic greenhouse gas emissions simply because turnover in the UK housing stock is slow and 80% of the homes that will exist in 2050 are already here. So we have no choice. We have to transform those homes if we're to meet the net-zero 2050 goal.
Why Is the UK Committed to the Net Zero Concept
First, because it's the right thing to do. Continuing to pump CO2 into the atmosphere is a reckless, dead-end practice that will push the environment over the edge, lead to unfettered sea level rises and undermine the future for our children and grandchildren. And second, because the UK is a signatory to the Paris Climate Accord which sets a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Is it Possible to Become a Net Zero Country by 2050?
Most experts believe it is, although they stress it will take unwavering commitments from both the public and private sectors to achieve that goal. The government is acting largely on recommendations from the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), which was created by the passage of the Climate Change Act in 2008. The CCC has laid out a path which it believes will result in a zero carbon future, and the aforementioned 26 million retrofitted new homes in 2050 is a centrepiece of their strategy.
What do the British People Think About Net Zero?
The government regularly samples public opinion to find out what people are thinking about critical issues of the day. When it comes to the nation going net-zero by 2050 what they've found is that there is both widespread awareness of the net-zero campaign (66% of people surveyed) and that an even higher percentage of UK citizens (82%) are moderately or severely concerned about global warming. These are seen as positive omens when it comes to the potential success of the net-zero program.