UK homeowners are reluctant to switch to low-carbon heating – our research points to how to change their minds: Photoroyalty/Shutterstock Cold climate countries are making significant efforts to transition from fossil fuels, such as oil and gas, to sustainable heating sources, such as heat pumps or district heating to cut greenhouse gas emissions. But fossil-fuel-based …
Offshore wind: a perfect storm of inflation and policy uncertainty risks derailing the UK’s main hope for a low-carbon future: pauljrobinson/Shutterstock In what many have deemed a disaster, the UK government’s latest auction for renewable power – an annual attempt to incentivise private sector investment in a range of power sources – has failed to …
Do heat pumps work in the UK’s climate? An expert answers your low-carbon heating questions: WathanyuSowong/Shutterstock Retrofitting every house in the UK to net zero standard by 2050 will require replacing all gas boilers, mostly with heat pumps. The target rate is 600,000 a year by 2028 – but in 2022, fewer than 60,000 heat …
Green hydrogen: why low-carbon fuels are not benefiting from high fossil fuel prices: Rangsarit Chaiyakun/Shutterstock The number and scale of projects using and making hydrogen, a gas that releases energy when burned without emitting carbon dioxide, is rapidly growing. If its construction goes to plan, a €2.5 billion (£2.18 billion) undersea pipeline will convey “green …
Hydrogen: UK government sees future in low-carbon fuel – but what’s the reality?: Alexander Kirch/Shutterstock The UK’s long-awaited hydrogen strategy has set out the government’s plans for “a world-leading hydrogen economy” that it says would generate £900 million (US$ 1.2 million) and create over 9,000 jobs by 2030, “potentially rising to 100,000 jobs and £13 …
Gas boiler ban: how to make sure everyone can afford low-carbon heating: Africa Studio/Shutterstock Most of us only think about central heating when it stops working or when the fuel bills arrive. So reports of an impending ban on gas boilers in the UK – and news that green alternatives such as heat pumps can …
Hydrogen: where is low-carbon fuel most useful for decarbonisation?: FrankHH/Shutterstock Is hydrogen the lifeblood of a low-carbon future, or an overhyped distraction from real solutions? One thing is certain – the coal, oil and natural gas which currently power much of daily life must be phased out within coming decades. From the cars we drive …
Low-carbon computing is needed to avoid a technological collapse: wk1003mike / shutterstock Human society has come to rely on superior gadgets being produced every year. Each year, new phones or laptops are faster, sleeker and have even more capabilities. However, electronics are rarely recycled, and the carbon footprint of the internet already exceeds that of …