If the UK is to reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050, as set out in the Government White Paper ‘Our Energy Future’, and the energy demands of the aviation industry continue to grow at current rates, then all other sectors – industry and commerce, land transport and domestic – will have to use completely carbon-free energy sources by that time.

This is the conclusion of researchers at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research (North) in Manchester. One of the project team, Dr Sarah Mander, will be discussing this topic at the first of the Macaulay Institute’s winter seminars this week.

‘Decarbonising the UK: Energy scenarios for a climate conscious future’ takes place at 2pm on Wednesday 2 November, in the Grampian Room at the Macaulay Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen.

Dr Mander will be discussing various energy scenarios in the UK 45 years from now, including one of high energy demand where the growth in energy demand by the aviation and shipping industries has continued unabated, and low energy scenarios where the growth of the latter has been constrained. For each scenario she will explain the type of measures that will need to be taken in relation to other sectors to ensure that the Government target of a 60% reduction in CO2 emissions is met by 2050.

Speaking about her seminar, Dr Mander said: “I will be discussing how the government’s 60% target excludes emissions from international aviation and shipping. We can achieve a true 60% cut, but this will mean a trade-off between huge increases in energy supply, and changes in behaviour.”

Anyone interested in attending this Wednesday’s Macaulay seminar should contact Jane Lund on tel: 01224 498200, email:j.lund@macaulay.ac.uk.

The Macaulay Institute is the premier land use research institute in the UK. Two hundred and seventy staff are based at the Macaulay Institute at Craigiebuckler in Aberdeen. The Macaulay Institute aims to be an international leader in research on the use of rural land resources for the benefit of people and the environment and is involved in research across the globe; from Scotland to Chile and China. More about the Macaulay Institute can be found at www.macaulay.ac.uk .