In this week’s Chart of the week, we pick out a chart from ES Catapult which, in its report Innovating to Net Zero published earlier this month, presented two distinct pathways to a 2050 net energy system: centralised (Clockwork) and decentralised (Patchwork).
In a Patchwork pathway, central government takes less of a leading role, resulting in a patchwork of regional low carbon strategies. In a Clockwork pathway, coordination from central government drives long-term investment in strategic energy infrastructure.
Our Chart this week shows the final energy consumption for 80% and total net zero targets from 2020-50 under the Clockwork pathway. The three principal energy vectors of petroleum, gas and electricity are prominent in all years to 2050 in a “Clockwork 80%” scenario.
