UK electrical manufacturers make net-zero pledge

Published: 23 September, 2019

Two dozen electrotechnical manufacturers with UK operations – including ABB, Eaton, GE, Mitsubishi Electric, Schneider Electric and Siemens – have pledged to reduce their emissions to net-zero by 2050. The announcement was made at the London launch of a new report from Beama, the trade body for the sector, which warns that setting targets in legislation alone will not be enough to achieve net-zero emissions.

The report, called Net Zero By Design, and an accompanying joint letter from the pledge signatories, argue that investment in the low-carbon sector has been impeded by the lack of stable and effective regulation. They add that national leadership is needed urgently to drive the rapid deployment of these technologies, which will be crucial if the UK is to meet its international climate change commitments.

The report contains a list of policy recommendations on how the Government could make the UK a world leader in new technologies for smart, flexible electrical systems – including making the future direction of regulation clearer, reforming building regulations, implementing a carbon price for heat, and reducing VAT for low-carbon technologies.

The Beama report aligns closely with recommendations from the Committee on Climate Change, which has published its own Net Zero paper, arguing that while the technology is primed and ready to make the 2050 target feasible, it will only be reached through strong leadership from the Government.