The IPCC sixth assessment report – the physical science basis

ow Carbon‘s commitment to climate action

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s ground-breaking report,[1] compiled by a group of 234 scientists from 66 countries, showed that temperatures will exceed 1.5C above industrial levels within the next two decades unless fossil fuels are phased out. This report was the first part of the sixth assessment report and details the core underlying science regarding climate change – two further instalments on the impact of the climate crisis and ways of reducing those impacts will follow next year. So far, the report has shown that the emission of carbon dioxide, or CO2, caused by the burning of carbon-based fuels, is significantly contributing to global warming. This is expected to cause temperatures to exceed 1.5C above industrial decades. Described as a “code red for humanity”[2] the report is a powerful warning to us all and reinforces Low Carbon’s belief that climate change is the greatest emergency facing humanity.

Yet, despite the sobering facts, it is also clear from the research that the world has the scientific understanding, the technological capacity, and the financial means to tackle the problem. What’s more, through ambitious climate action, the world can reap substantial socio-economic advantages. The IPCC report has highlighted that CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions must be drastically cut in order to halt the impending temperature rise. In order to do this, the world must invest more in renewables, improve energy efficiency, cut emissions from transport, and protect natural systems that store carbon such as forests.

At Low Carbon, we are committed to confronting climate change by driving investment in renewable energy at scale and encouraging the production of clean, carbon-neutral electricity. Equally crucial is the forging of new partnerships which enable us to increase the scale of investment. To pursue our ambition of a global low-carbon future, where carbon emissions are substantially reduced, the climate crisis is tackled, and social awareness is transformed, we invest in the development of renewable energy infrastructure. By leveraging the most up-to-date technologies, supporting the development of energy projects, whilst managing operational renewable energy assets, we are helping to reduce excess carbon being emitted into the atmosphere. We embrace the diverse range of proven renewable energy technologies, including solar PV, onshore wind, energy storage, waste to energy and energy efficiency.

In our tenth anniversary year, we have the opportunity to briefly look back at our achievements over the decade, and how our work in renewables has helped lower carbon emissions in the atmosphere. Low Carbon’s investments are generating sufficient clean energy to power more than 427,000 homes*, saving in excess of 750,000 tonnes of CO2* each year.[3]

However, there is more work to be done, as the IPCC report has reinforced. We plan on using the next ten years as a decade of action, to continue funding renewable energy projects at scale and increase momentum in the UK’s journey towards net-zero emissions. The immediate and rapid reduction of greenhouse gases is crucial, and so we are more driven than ever to promote and support large-scale renewable energy projects.

[1] AR6 Climate Change 2021: The Physical Science Basis <https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/#SPM>

[2] António Guterres, the UN secretary general, warned: “[This report] is a code red for humanity. The alarm bells are deafening, and the evidence is irrefutable: greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel burning and deforestation are choking our planet and putting billions of people at immediate risk.” <https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/aug/09/humans-have-caused-unprecedented-and-irreversible-change-to-climate-scientists-warn>

[3] Low Carbon website – https://www.lowcarbon.com/