Oxford Net Zero
Welcome to this February edition of the Oxford Net Zero newsletter! In this edition, we have a blog post on 5 ways to make net zero happen, two exciting vacancies in the team, a new course for public servants and a number of events.
Oxford Net Zero and the IPCC report on mitigating climate change
The landmark 6th Assessment Report on what we can do to stem climate change (Working Group III) was released earlier this month by the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Oxford Net Zero experts were involved as authors: Dr Radhika Khosla was contributing author to chapter 9 on buildings; Professor Lavanya Rajamani was the coordinating lead author for chapter 14 on international cooperation; and Dr Steve Smith was a contributing author to chapter 12 on emerging carbon dioxide removal approaches for the UK.
An Oxford blog co-authored by Oxford Net Zero academics draws out the headline insights from the IPCC report: Five new(s) and five olds in the sixth IPCC report on mitigating climate change. It notes five new emphases in the scientific evidence on climate change mitigation, on: managing energy demand; high emitting individuals and status consumption; innovation success stories; climate policy effectiveness; and carbon dioxide removal.
ONZ expert analysis was also quoted widely in the media. iNews and Forbes quote Dr Steve Smith's point that this is the first IPCC report to "state clearly that carbon dioxide removal is needed to achieve our climate targets". Professor Lavanya Rajamani told the Economic Times that shortfalls in the availability of support will make it increasingly challenging for developing countries to implement current commitments and take on more ambitious national contributions over time. And Professor Myles Allen is quoted in the Independent and Daily Express calling for the fossil fuel industry to safely and permanently dispose of all CO2 generated by their activities and products by 2050. He also wrote a piece for The Conversation about what the invasion of Ukraine means for the IPCC report.
The Smith School and CO2RE, the Greenhouse Gas Removal Hub, convened a panel in the wake of the report, to discuss the report’s key messages on carbon dioxide removal from the authors themselves, chaired by Dr Steve Smith. You can watch the event back on YouTube.
Oxford experts urge UK government to commit to clean energy transition
An analysis led by Professor Cameron Hepburn of the Smith School and Oxford Net Zero found that the UK could effectively eliminate the need for Russian gas imports in 2023 and oil imports by 2024 if it takes the net zero measures recommended by the Climate Change Committee's 6th carbon budget. The findings were covered in Business Green, Forbes and Sky News.
Relatedly, ONZ’s Professor Sam Fankhauser and Dr Steve Smith contributed to an Oxford piece urging the UK government to not delay its clean energy transition or dig for more fossil fuels in light of the invasion of Ukraine. They write that delaying the clean energy transition would be a ‘lose-lose’ for UK energy security, households and the climate, with irreversible consequences.