Last Thursday 18 July the CCC (Climate Change Committee) produced their annual report that recommended 'urgent action is needed to get on track for the UK's 2030 target'. That target was to attain 68% reduction of carbon emissions from the 1990 level, fitting its NDC (Nationally Determined Contribution) to the Paris Agreement. Unfortunately, the previous government has only planned to hit 33% of that figure. Therefore, the report emphasises 'action is needed across all sectors of the economy, with low carbon technologies being the norm'.
Hydrogen is mentioned significantly to include : Introduction of further measures to reduce the price of electricity to a level that incentivises industrial electrification and to “remove biases towards the use of natural gas or hydrogen where electrification is the most economical route to decarbonisation”. And simplification of the strategic decision on the role of hydrogen for heat. The CCC calls for a narrowing of the scope of the strategic decision on hydrogen prior to 2026 by: publicly affirming that electrical heat is the default option in all new buildings and existing properties off the gas grid; prohibiting connections to the gas grid for new buildings from 2025; setting out clear routes for other properties or areas where electrification or low-carbon heat networks represent low regret options; and clarifying the Government’s position on the economy-wide priority of use-cases for hydrogen – in particular its potential to help manage peak demands for both heat and electricity and its role in hybrid heating systems.