Net Zero: How We Stop Causing Climate Change Paperback – 2 Sept. 2021

Dieter Helm's concept that we all need to be responsible for the CO2 we generate is a very important message. How many times have we heard UK politicians tell us we have a great record on reducing CO2 when we have stopped making things and exported the CO2 generation to China and India. He point out we have wasted 30 years and have only 30 years left to get on top of this issue. Sadly I remain pessimistic about our chance of success, we don't want to give up our current standard of living, politicians don't understand the complexity of the issues and solutions. Neither, can they accept the impact on their voters. Political voting cycles are way too short for the time it takes to massively change our energy sources. There is no understanding of the number of skilled people making and installing things that are required to change our energy sources over the next 30 years. After the war a lot of infrastructure we now depend on was built using the large manufacturing base we had built. This no longer exists and we show no sign or re establishing it. Dieter Helm is one of the few people who does have a good knowledge based grasp of the problem. We need to listen to the small number of knowledgeable people as they are the only way for us to avoid the catastrophe which is rapidly catching us up.

This book is essential reading for all those with any concerns for the environment and our subsequent response to climate change. In this book, Dr Helm continues with his theme of polluter pays and outlines the way forward if we are to do anything meaningful towards combating climate change, biodiversity degradation, reducing pollution and improving our health and well-being. He proposes that we need to account not only for our CO2 emissions but also our consumption which is key if we are to actually achieve net zero by 2050. He outlines how the EU has actually contributed towards increases global emissions of CO2 by simply moving manufacturing from Europe to China. All this is excellent and makes perfect sense and it's a pity that UK public servants can't or won't take this on-board. He is of course 100% correct on agriculture and its impact on the environment and does present a solution. The minuses, well he doesn't even mention construction and only one paragraph on retrofitting buildings which account for huge amounts of CO2 emissions from both a/c and heating requirements. He seems to think that improving energy efficiency of buildings will lead to poor internal air quality. Well yes, if it's done incorrectly! Presumably he's never been in an energy efficient house (passivhaus) and has limited his discussions on this important topic with Dept of BEIS officials who want everyone connected to the big 6 energy companies using as much nuclear (electricity) energy as possible? Also on nuclear if he took his own strategy of polluter pays, then surely nuclear would be a non-starter from the outset. Not as good as his previous books but really worth the read as written by someone who's definitely roughly correct!

If we who are destroying the planet do not wake up to the reality of what we have done in the last 30 wasted years then the future is bleak.The author lays out a cogent plan for reducing and capturing carbon emissions in a belated attempt to save the planet.Read it and weep for our selfishness and hope that his suggestions are adopted by the worst offenders in what may be a final throw of the ecological dice by the most dangerous species in recorded history.

One of the few intelligent analysis of the problem.

A very good review by a brilliant & knowledgeable expert in the field. However I did feel there was a lot of repetition and references to previous books. I was able to understand and retain 80% of the information during a one day read.

He transfers the responsibility of emissions to where it ultimately belongs . The consumer.However he doesn’t touch upon how he would democratise the process and where ambitions collide with the politicsOf climate change.