The UK achieved an unprecedented drop in carbon emissions in 2016 by making full use of natural gas over coal. Changes in the way electricity is generated meant the average Briton saved 400 kg of carbon dioxide, as power generation shifted from coal to natural gas. According to new research from Imperial College London, this is equivalent to taking a third of the country’s cars off the roads.
Natural gas produces less than half the carbon dioxide of coal when burned. The UK has switched off many of its older coal plants, and government policy means it is now cheaper to burn gas than coal. Researchers said that natural gas produces less than half the carbon dioxide produced by coal when burned and added the strategy does not rely on building new gas infrastructure or increasing supply – only using existing infrastructure to its full capacity.
The study found that the UK’s success was based partly on having the capacity and supply chain available to allow the switch from coal to gas, but that the government’s carbon pricing policy was the biggest driver.
The report by the University of Sheffield shows that global carbon emissions could be cut by one gigatonne per year (3% of global emissions) in less than five years if other countries followed the same strategy.
Dr. Iain Staffell from the Centre for Environmental Policy at the university said: “Switching from coal to gas is not a long-term solution but it is an important step to start reducing emissions quickly and at minimal cost. This will give us time to build up the required renewable energy capacity to permanently cut global carbon emissions.”