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Individuals, business and government all have to contribute
Opinion
Climate change Decarbonisation
Chris Midgley
1 April 2021
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Everyone has a role to play in achieving net zero

Contributions will be required from many sources—from people taking individual responsibility to the creation of economy-wide partnerships—if we are to achieve a sub-2°C outcome

Like it or not, consumers are reliant on fossil fuels. Some of the largest capital investments we make are on cars or boilers that have long lifespans and cannot simply be replaced overnight. Likewise, industry has invested huge sums in thermal power plants, which have 40-year lifespans, providing our electricity supply security. These assets create demand stickiness for fossil fuels, which complicates the challenge of meeting climate goals. Despite tremendous growth in renewables over the last ten years, the energy supply mix has not shifted from 80pc fossil fuels. While renewable electricity was over 70pc of the new global installed capacity, fossil fuels, mainly coal, made up over 50pc of

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