Zero Carbon Britain

WWF lead with a Global Scenario for 100% Renewable Energy

Last month WWF published The Energy Report, a scenario for a 100% global renewable energy mix by 2050. Unlike zerocarbonbritain2030 the report covers only energy, rather than looking at all greenhouse gases.

WWF’s report takes a similar "power up / power down" approach. However the 50% powering down is not from 50% of current energy, rather it's a 50% reduction on a vastly increased amount of energy we'll be generating we 2050. So the 'power down’ actually results in us using roughly the same amount of energy we do at the moment. The scenario then outlines how we can get all of this energy from renewables.

WWF rely on roughly the same technologies as zerocarbonbritain2030. However there are some additional ones because of the global nature of WWF's energy mix - for example concentrating desert solar, big hydro and geothermal. It's difficult to make a direct comparison between the energy mix proposed by WWF and zerocarbonbritain2030 because WWF are looking at global energy. There are some notable similarities: they have excluded nuclear from the mix for roughly the same reasons we have (waste, fuel supply, risk). The WWF energy mix has a lot of concentrating solar in the Sahara. Their headline "If just 0.3% of the Sahara was a concentrated solar plant, it would power all of Europe". There is also a heavy reliance on wind - on and off shore. A key difference between scenarios is the amount of bio energy: the biggest part of the WWF energy mix is from bio energy from waste.

Just like in zerocarbonbritain2030, WWF anticipate a massive process of electrification in order to deliver the energy. This will mean upgrading the electricity grids of most developed countries and installing suitable grids in less developed countries. Like zerocarbonbritain2030 they also anticipate international electricity grids: while zerocarbonbritain2030 proposes a Europe-wide grid WWF propose a map for a global grid.

To read The Energy Report in full visit WWF.

CAT and the RSA Fellowship explore how the arts could enlighten a Zero Carbon Britain: 15 February 2011

Last week Fellows from the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of the Arts Manufactures and Commerce) envisioned what life might be like living in a zero carbon world, and how the arts may play a vital role in engaging the public in this deliverable aspiration.

The RSA Fellowship event on February 10th, ‘Living in a Zero Carbon Britain: Rising to the challenges of the 21^st Century’, began with CAT’s Peter Harper outlining some of the strategic thinking behind the zerocarbonbritain2030 report; how to ‘reach beyond the low hanging fruit’ or quick fixes in emissions cuts, and build on physical and technological realities.

Paul Allen then presented the key findings from the report, followed by an overview of similar scenarios from around the globe by Godfrey Boyle - the Open Universities’ also one of the reports contributors. (See Zero Carbon World)

RSA’s Matthew Taylor later reiterated this need for a dramatic shift in societies perspectives of how we view the world and ourselves, through introducing his paper ‘21st century enlightenment’. This essay questions the relevance of modern values, norms and lifestyles to face new challenges such as climate change and gives new meanings to the terms ‘autonomy’, ‘empathy’, and ‘progress’ that may enable a more enlightened and capable society.

Creating a Sustainable, Resilient Wales

CAT attended the third Emergence event last week, a series of seminars hosted by Sustain Wales to stimulate climate change communication within the arts. The day long seminar entitled Resilience, held at Caernarfon Gallery on 21^st March, explored the role that creativity and the arts could play in delivering a sustainable, resilient Wales.

‘Resilience is the capacity to absorb, react to and derive benefit from change. It is a quality found in natural ecosystems and human communities. Human resilience draws on our ability to anticipate and plan for the future.’ Sustain Wales

Guest speakers included; Jean Boulton - Visiting Fellow Complex Systems Cranfield School of Management; Menna Elfyn - Award-winning poet and playwright; Ben Todd - Arcola Theatre, London; Bedwyr Williams - winner of a major Creative Wales award 2011; and Eluned Haf – Director of Wales Arts International. Videos of the presentations can be viewed free from the Culture Colony site, once signed in as a ‘visitor’.

Participants of the seminar ranged from practicing artists and national arts organisations, to climate science and psychology experts, who debated how to influence behavioural change, challenge pre-existing narratives and stimulate visual experiences of potential solutions.

Emergence is developed and presented in partnership with Volcano with the support of The Arts Council of Wales, British Council and Galeri. The final seminar in the Emergence series will take place here at The Centre for Alternative Technology this autumn. Visit the Sustain Wales website for more details.

Calling all artists!

CAT are calling for artists, animators, illustrators and filmmakers who are interested in creating a vision of 'Zero Carbon Britain by 2030' to get in touch. We are hoping to collect artworks from a range of artists that explore some of the themes in the report.

These artworks would aid to spread the word about zerocarbonbritain2030, educate people of its content and encourage people and politicians to take it forward.

Below are starting points or email us to discuss your idea:

Demonstrate one section or idea from the report
Create a positive vision of what life might be like in a Zero Carbon Britain or a zero carbon World

For more information email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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zerocarbonbritain2030 will advise Wales Chief Scientist: 5 November 2010

Prof. John Harries visited CAT to invite zerocarbonbritain2030 project director, Paul Allen to represent CAT on the Science Advisory Council for Wales. The Council will meet quarterly to provide scientific advice to the First Minister and the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and ‘to promote science, technology, engineering and mathematics and the role of science within the wider knowledge economy’. CAT has a strengthening relationship with WAG, and is privileged to accept this influential position.

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