Zero-carbon power is a key milestone on the route to net-zero

The document identifies an "unspoken consensus" among the UK, EU, and US that transitioning to zero-carbon power by the 2030s is essential for reaching net-zero emissions by 2050. It analyzes official pathways, noting a shared commitment to rapidly phasing out coal and reducing fossil gas, while dramatically scaling up wind and solar power. The briefing highlights a "credibility gap" in other OECD nations, such as Japan and South Korea, which have net-zero targets but lack corresponding coal phase-out commitments.

• There is a shared strategic alignment between the UK, EU, and US that clean electricity in the 2030s is a prerequisite for achieving net-zero by 2050.
• All three regions are moving toward a rapid end to coal-fired power, with the UK expecting the last plants to close by 2024 and the US likely phasing out coal before 2035.
• The UK and US pathways imply a phase-out of unabated fossil gas by 2035, whereas EU scenarios suggest a slower decline, with unabated fossil generation still providing approximately 3% of production in 2050.
• Wind and solar are projected to become the dominant electricity sources by 2030 in the UK and EU, and potentially the US, requiring a massive acceleration in deployment rates.
• To maintain system stability with high variable renewable shares, the scenarios emphasize expanded transmission grids, increased storage, and a mix of low-carbon dispatchable sources like nuclear and CCS.
• A credibility gap exists among OECD nations where mid-century net-zero pledges are not supported by near-term power sector plans; specifically, Japan and South Korea are high coal users committed to net-zero without coal phase-out commitments.

APA

Rosslowe, C. (2021). Zero-carbon power is a key milestone on the route to net-zero. Ember. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2021/04/Zero-Carbon-Power.pdf

Chicago

Rosslowe, Chris. Zero-carbon power is a key milestone on the route to net-zero. Ember, 2021. https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2021/04/Zero-Carbon-Power.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Rosslowe |first1=Chris |title=Zero-carbon power is a key milestone on the route to net-zero |publisher=Ember |date=April 2021 |url=https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2021/04/Zero-Carbon-Power.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rosslowe2021zerocarbon, author = {Rosslowe, Chris}, title = {{Zero-carbon power is a key milestone on the route to net-zero}}, institution = {Ember}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://ember-energy.org/app/uploads/2021/04/Zero-Carbon-Power.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }