Stephenson & Allwood (2023): Technology to the rescue? Techno-scientific practices in the United Kingdom Net Zero Strategy and their role in locking in high energy decarbonisation pathways
Sam D. Stephenson, Julian M. Allwood IN: Energy Research & Social Science, 106, 103314, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2023.103314
This article reviews the characteristics of fifteen different UK Net Zero pathways (three government pathways and 12 additional pathways) and shows how the expectation of technology innovation and low-carbon energy abundance closes down the space potential pathways can occupy. In particular, the authors find that while conceptually different, the three government pathways display a high degree of similarity and that the majority of pathways rely on significant amounts of new clean energy and retain large residual emissions in 2050 which requires the deployment of significant new carbon dioxide removal technologies.