Non-nuclear Sustainable Energy Futures for Germany and the UK

Abstract

Despite recent claims to the contrary in the UK, the experience of Germany to date, and her ambitious plans for the coming decades, strongly suggest that its is feasible for major industrialised nations to achieve large reductions in CO2 emissions by mid-century, through the rapid deployment of renewable energy sources and major improvements in energy efficiency, without the need for a nuclear component in electricity generation.The track record of the UK in developing renewables and improving energy efficiency lags seriously behind that of Germany. But long-term energy and emissions scenarios for the UK produced by the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution and by Future Energy Solutions for the DTI suggest that it would be technically and economically feasible for Britain to follow Germany?s example.