Institution of Mechanical Engineers comments on Committee on Climate Change's Net Zero Report

Dr Jenifer Baxter, Head of Engineering at the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, comments on the Committee on Climate Change’s report on Net Zero:

“The Institution welcomes these targets set out by the CCC. The Institution has long campaigned for more sustainable engineering across our industries to reduce all pollutant emissions including greenhouse gases.

We know that many technologies exist that can speed up the reduction in GHG emissions, but technologies that are clean are not always pollution-free themselves.  

Decisions on which technologies to support should be based on the outputs the technology brings and the full life cycle analysis - they should not be based on ideology or popularity. In order to deliver long term change, it is important that we ensure that our new low-carbon lives are a true improvement on the current infrastructure. 

Our relationship with new technologies and services will continue to change over the next 30 years and we look forward to supporting the U.K. and Regional Governments in meeting these targets while continuing to improve the world through engineering. 

Achieving UK net zero emissions will require every tool at our disposal, including technologies that enable negative emissions. In particular, the report highlights how crucial CCUS (carbon capture, usage and storage) will be to achieving this goal. Whether for hydrogen production or to decarbonise heavy industry, the CCC are correct in saying that ‘CCS is a necessity not an option’”