Human activity IS changing the climate to an unprecedented level, and some of the change is already irreversible. That is the conclusion from the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (“IPCC”) report. Solutions are needed across all sectors in order to rapidly reduce emissions. Both Governments and individuals need to make positive decisions that will reduce carbon emissions right away.
What Does The IPCC Report Say?
The IPCC report makes the following key points:
Global surface temperature was 1.09C higher in the decade between 2011-2020 than between 1850-1900
The past five years have been the hottest on record since 1850
The recent rate of sea level rise has nearly trebled compared with 1901-1971
Human influence is very likely the main driver behind the global retreat of glaciers since the 1990s
It is virtually certain that hot extremes like heatwaves have become more frequent and more intense since the 1950s, whilst cold events have become less frequent and less severe
The assessment of what the future holds makes for some grim reading. Before 2040 the average temperature will breach the 1.5C, which is widely regarded as a key threshold that needs to be avoided in order to stop a number of climate feedback cycles spiralling out of control.
What Do We Need To Do?
Whilst governments across the world need to take decisive action right now to reduce carbon emissions and promote sustainable solutions, there is an onus on individuals to take responsibility for their own carbon footprint. The food we eat, the journeys we make, and the way we heat our homes are the choices that we make on a daily basis that have the biggest impact on our personal carbon emissions.
How Do Heat Pumps Fit In?
Heating accounts for 37% of UK carbon emissions, and the average UK home produces 2.7 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions as a result of heating. that figure will obviously be significantly higher for dirtier fuels, such as oil and LPG.
Heat pumps use electricity from the grid. Electricity is becoming increasingly decarbonised as a result of huge investment in zero carbon electricity technologies such as solar and wind, as well as investment in battery storage which enables us to utilise as much of this zero carbon electricity as possible.
Not only this, but heat pumps utilise renewable energy themselves. Air source heat pumps use stored solar energy in the air; ground source heat pumps use stored solar energy in the ground. This means that for every unit of electricity consumed by a heat pump, 3 - 4 units of heat are delivered to the home.
Heated with a heat pump, the average UK home would produce just 1 tonne of carbon dioxide based on the electricity fuel mix today. That’s already a reduction of 63%.
However, over the next decade, as more nuclear, wind and solar capacity comes on stream, electricity will become zero carbon. This means that the small amount of electricity that the heat pump consumes will come from a decreasingly low-carbon source, before eventually heat pumps will deliver efficient, zero carbon heating.
Install a heat pump today
Installing a heat pump today would be one of the biggest changes you could make to reduce your personal carbon emissions. Get in touch today to find out whether your property would be suitable for a heat pump.