Gas Boilers should be banned from 2025 says the International Energy Agency
The end of the gas boiler has taken another step closer after the International Energy Agency called for all fossil fuel boilers to be banned from sale across the world from 2025 if global net-zero emissions targets are to be achieved.
What did the report say?
The IEA report listed 400 steps that the world will need to take to hit net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Many of the steps such as banning the sale of new petrol and diesel cars around the world by 2035 have already been adopted by the UK government but it also goes several steps further by calling for the end of all new coal, oil or gas exploration and supplies.
The energy sector comes in for particular focus as according to the IEA it is the source of 75% of all greenhouse gas emissions that they claim are pushing up global temperatures. According to the report emissions from global heating, sources need to fall by half in less than a decade and hit net zero by 2050.
Another interesting point raised by the report is that the IEA believes that the global population will increase by 2 billion by 2050 but that energy demand will decline by 8% due to the use of new clean technologies.
Also read: Ovo, Eon, EDF, British Gas and Scottish Power back the introduction of a Carbon Tax
How realistic is it?
It’s all well and good for bodies such as the IEA and environmental groups to make such suggestions but what will it mean for costs to the consumer, the disruption caused to our everyday lives and the massive impacts on society.
With other recent data stating that China is responsible for 27% of the planet’s total CO2 emissions, these suggestions count for nothing if the Communist regime in charge of China continues to build fossil fuel power stations at an ever-increasing rate.
A proposed ban on all gas boilers by 2025 will be a tough sell too, especially in the UK and other colder climate countries that rely on central heating during the winter months. Heating is currently responsible for 20% of CO2 emissions in the UK so such a ban and cutbacks will prove to be a huge and costly challenge.
Instead, homes will have low-carbon heat pumps and heat networks - which can cost £5,000 more than traditional heating systems.
Trade body the Home Builders Federation - whose members account for 80% of all new homes built in England and Wales have warned that planned energy efficiency measures will force prices even higher than what they are currently.
Building experts estimate that it could add around £5,000 to the cost of a new build.
Millions of homes utilise gas boilers and other fossil fuel sources of heat so to achieve the IEA target massive investment on retrofitting current systems to ‘cleaner’ variants could be potentially crippling to governments and the consumers where such costs will inevitably be foisted upon.
Unrealistic and harmful proposals?
One area of the report cites that the burning of Biofuels needs to increase sharply to achieve global energy demand.
“Burning forests for energy is the latest in a parade of false climate solutions. Sadly, the IEA has bought into it by proposing wholly unrealistic levels of bioenergy, which will damage forests the world over and worsen climate change. Instead of burning trees for energy, we should focus on cutting fossil fuel use, maximising energy efficiency, and increasing renewables such as solar, wind, heat pumps and geothermal,” said Hannah Mowat from Fern, a Brussels-based NGO campaigning to protect forests and people.
In the haste to hit climate targets the question needs to be raised that in our haste we could, in turn, cause even more environmental harm.
To achieve the energy demands required for nations to achieve them dozens of new wind farms need to be constructed adding to habitat loss, a new massive solar park will need to be built every day for the next nine years resulting in devastated habitats.
The IEA believes that the measures laid out in its report could lead to the world’s electricity being emissions-free by 2040 and that the massive societal changes required would create 14 million jobs and investments in clean energy would boost global GDP by $5 trillion.
Energy suppliers need to be prepared for the seismic shift that looks set to hit the energy industry in the next few months and years as new regulations and rules are sure to be introduced to ensure that companies are doing all they can to achieve the nations climate targets.
Also read:
Is ‘Green Energy’ really good for the environment?
Further Reading
40% of the public concerned over Energy Bills says latest BEIS Public Attitudes Tracker
Understanding Energy Jargon – Download your FREE A-Z of Energy Terms
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