export_ofoct.com

[00:00.67] We are all aware of the effect greenhouse gas emissions is having on our planet and the efforts needed to tackle climate change.

[00:09.44] Most of us are doing our bit to minimise our impact on the environment, but despite our collective effort, are we doing enough to achieve net zero by 2050?

[00:21.39] Net zero means not adding to the amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

[00:27.23] Many countries are doing their bit by changing how they generate and use power, thereby cutting carbon dioxide output.

[00:36.00] And they announced what further steps they were going to take at the recent COP26 summit in Glasgow.

[00:42.91] In the UK, the government has been setting out its plans to achieve net zero by 2050.

[00:49.81] It’s recently announced an end date for the sale of gas boilers, which are used for heating homes.

[00:56.45] The idea is to replace them with heat pumps.

[00:59.64] It’s offering homeowners grants of up to £5,000 to get them installed.

[01:05.22] Another initiative in the UK is a big push towards electric vehicles.

[01:11.33] There are to be financial incentives for car manufacturers, and more charging points are to be installed in streets.

[01:18.50] And there’s to be a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

[01:24.61] But not all emissions can be reduced to zero, so those remaining will have to be compensated for, or offset.

[01:33.38] One way to do this is to plant thousands of trees, which are good at absorbing carbon dioxide.

[01:40.54] The UK government has pledged to plant 30,000 hectares of trees a year by 2025.

[01:47.98] There are other ideas too, but what’s certain is this will cost money.

[01:53.83] The CBI’s Tom Thackray told the BBC that “those costs have to be weighed up against the cost of inaction.”

[02:02.33] Whether the UK, or anyone else, reaches net zero remains to be seen.

[02:08.17] And there’s some doubt about how this can be accurately measured anyway.

[02:13.22] But it’s generally recognised that a global effort is needed to tackle climate change.

[02:19.33] Therefore, net zero targets only make sense if every other country is moving in the same direction.