Net Zero in the UK: Policy and the Role of Carbon Capture

Governments around the world are ramping up efforts to tackle climate change, with reaching net-zero emissions at the heart of these plans. In the UK, a legally binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050 is shaping everything from energy policy to industrial investment. Successive governments have rolled out a wide range of initiatives and technologies to keep the country on track to meet its targets.

What Does Net Zero Actually Mean?

Put simply, net zero means balancing the amount of greenhouse gases we release with the amount we remove from the atmosphere. The goal is to stop adding, overall, additional CO₂ and other greenhouse gases that drive climate change. Getting there requires not only cutting emissions across sectors like energy, transport, and industry but also investing in ways to permanently remove carbon from the atmosphere, such as through carbon capture and storage (CCS).

The UK’s Roadmap to Net Zero

To meet its 2050 target, the UK has laid out a series of policies and projects designed to cut carbon emissions and build a greener economy. Some of the key pillars of the UK net zero strategy include:

1. Great British Energy (2025): A new publicly owned company that will drive large-scale renewable energy projects, with profits channelled back into public services.
2. Industrial Strategy (2025): Recognising the importance of CCUS and Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGRs) to decarbonising energy intensive industries.

• Carbon capture and storage (CCS) infrastructure and sets stricter standards for energy performance in buildings.

1. UK Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS): A carbon pricing system that incentivises companies to cut emissions by making it more costly to pollute.
2. Investment in green technologies: Under the Plan for Change, the UK is putting money into developing and scaling up solutions like CCS (carbon capture and storage), hydrogen, and nature-based carbon removal.

Why is Carbon Capture so Important?

While cutting emissions at the source is critical, some industries, like steel, cement, and chemicals are hard to decarbonise completely. That’s where carbon capture comes in. By trapping CO₂ before it reaches the atmosphere, these technologies help tackle emissions that are otherwise tough to eliminate.

Different types of carbon capture

1. Pre-combustion capture: Capturing CO₂ from fuel before it is burned, typically in industrial settings.
2. Post-combustion capture: Extracting CO₂ from flue gases after combustion. This is widely used in power plants. For example, Evero’s power plants, soon to be retrofitted with proven carbon capture technology, use post-combustion capture to dramatically lower emissions.
3. Direct Air Capture (DAC): Pulling CO₂ straight from the air, a newer approach for offsetting emissions.
4. Biochar: Biomass is pyrolisised to create a carbon rich char that can then be used as a fertilizer.

There are also other more novel forms of carbon capture, such as Enhanced Rock Weathering and Ocean Alkalinity Enhancement.

Carbon Capture Projects Across the UK

The UK is putting serious investment into CCS projects to clean up its biggest industrial hubs. Some standout initiatives include:

• HyNet North West: A combined hydrogen and carbon capture project aimed at slashing industrial emissions in the North West.
• East Coast Cluster: One of the UK’s largest CCUS efforts, focusing on decarbonising industry in the Humber and Teesside regions.
• Acorn Project: Based in Scotland, this project taps into existing oil and gas infrastructure to capture and store CO₂ under the North Sea.
• Viking Cluster:Located in the Humber region, the CO₂-emitting region in the UK, and offshore in the Southern North Sea.

UK Net Zero Progress: Are We on Track?

According to the Climate Change Committee's Progress in Reducing Emissions – 2025 Report to Parliament (June 2025), the UK has made measurable progress on its path to Net Zero but remains off track in several key areas.

As of 2024, UK greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 50.4% from 1990 levels, driven largely by the decarbonisation of electricity supply – including biomass plants like Evero, and the closure of the UK’s last coal-fired power station. However, only 61% of the emissions cuts needed to meet the 2030 target are backed by credible or moderately risky plans, with the remaining 39% either high risk or lacking detail. Rapid progress is now required in sectors like buildings, transport, and industry, where electrification must replace fossil fuels.

With strong government backing and constant innovation, CCS will play a pivotal role in helping the UK meet its net zero target, all while supporting economic growth and keeping the lights on.