The UK risks falling behind the US and EU in transitioning to a net zero economy unless the government increases green investment by creating a national investment fund and taking a stake in future companies, according to the left-leaning Institute for Public Policy Research. The thinktank proposes a Dragons' Den approach to supporting enterprises and highlights the need for a strategic industrial policy to drive the net zero transition.
The car industry's expectation of a surge in demand for electric vehicles has been proven wrong as supply outstrips demand and prices tumble rapidly, revealing the misjudgment of the scale of demand; this highlights the flaw in the top-down approach of forcing manufacturers to produce millions of electric vehicles without a guaranteed market, and calls for the arbitrary 2030 ban on petrol and diesel cars to be scrapped. The Government's wind energy policy is similarly divorced from reality as rising costs lead to the abandonment of major projects, jeopardizing Britain's ambitions in offshore wind capacity. Additionally, the campaign to promote heat pumps for homes has been unsuccessful due to high costs and technology flaws, resulting in minimal uptake despite government subsidies. The article questions the viability and fantasy-like nature of net zero economics, while also raising concerns about the lack of protection for productive hi-tech industries in the UK.
Britain's progress towards achieving net zero emissions by 2050 is faltering, as evidenced by the slowdown in offshore wind projects and the lack of leadership on environmental issues from Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, leading to concerns about the country's ability to meet its climate goals.
The global renewable energy funding gap is primarily concentrated in emerging markets due to higher risk and lower investor appetite, falling short of the investment needed to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions goals outlined in the Paris Agreement, according to S&P Global Ratings. Current clean energy efforts are insufficient, and greater collaboration between governments and stronger investment in renewable generating assets are necessary to accelerate the energy transition.
