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2050 toolkit
By: Kirsty Schneeberger

In case you didn’t already know, there is a team in DECC whose work revolves around 2050.  Or more specifically, the work revolves around determining the various pathways that will lead us to a clean, safe and energy healthy 2050.  As such, the entire team integrates long-term thinking into its daily operations; in working out the energy mix that will set the UK on target to achieve its legally binding commitment of reducing carbon emissions by 80% by 2050.  When the team isn’t number crunching it is also developing exciting ways to try and make its pathways work relevant to the wider public – after all it is the public that will play such a huge role in setting the country on the path and sticking to it. 

Enter some neat online tools. 

For the super nerd
Firstly, there is the really nerdy spreadsheet of equations that anyone can have a look at to see all the data behind the pathways.  Warning: this is not for the feint hearted.  It is a detailed mixture of rows and columns made up of super nerdy figures, but if you are a super nerd, then this is your thing.

For the slightly-less-nerdy-but –still-talks about-the energy-mix-a-bit-too-much-at-dinner-parties
The tool for you is the pathways calculator.  This allows you to have a go at developing your own pathway (for both the supply and demand side of the energy mix – I know, super exciting right?)  This calculator takes the super-nerdy (see above) data and turns it into a neat graph that can be easily processed at a glance.  It also helps the user to think carefully about the trade-offs that have to be made when making decisions about the energy mix and the energy efficiencies that can be made.

For the average member of the public interested to learn a bit more about all this
For this punter there is a very, very cool game – the My2050 online simulator – that turns all of the above into cool graphics and is very user friendly.  This was launched by the DECC 2050 team in 2010, and the DECC Youth Panel were very involved in developing the game.  Over the past year this site has received thousands upon thousands of hits and there was even a report compiled of the stats relating to the energy pathways that people were submitting.

And drumroll please…

The schools toolkit
This is an absolutely brilliant tool that school teachers will be able to use in the classrooms to generate debate about the UK energy mix – and crucially – why it is so very important for young people to understand more about putting the mix together.  I think this is one of my favourites and I am really looking forward to finding out more about how it is being used in schools all over the country.

Great work DECC 2050 team!

Filed under: Climate Change, Low carbon, Saving energy
Tags: 2050
Comments: 5 Comments on 2050 toolkit
Posted on: Dec 12 2011

5 Responses to “2050 toolkit”

1. Prabhat Misra says:

   March 17, 2012 at 1:20 pm

   Thanks Kirsty for this nice and Green article. This will make aware the readers about green way of life to adopt. Thanks.
   (Prabhat Misra, Assistant Director- Savings, Etawah, U.P., India)

   Reply
2. songnan Yang says:

   December 17, 2011 at 1:24 pm

   Hi Kirsty: i just passed here.
   Nice blog, . I personally think this is a very good idea to have a future look in the scenario of UK energy consumption in 2050, and it will provide us some information that how people should behave to save our plannet, so you are doing great job, keep moving forward and watching out this area. if you don’t mind, leave message into my email, I’d like to share something interesting to you.

   Reply
   • Kirsty says:

     January 4, 2012 at 4:09 pm

     Many thanks for the encouraging message! I am glad you like the work that the DECC team has been doing – all valuable contributions to the solutions that will go towards securing a sustainable future!

     Reply
3. Kirsty says:

   December 12, 2011 at 5:53 pm

   I would please like to clarify that I don’t work for the DECC 2050 team and am not involved in their work in any formal capacity so not speaking on their behalf. I am simply very impressed by this work and wanted to encourage others to look into the work in more detail.

   As a self-confessed ‘nerd’ I have the highest regard for others who are working in this area but in particular the public who will play a vital role in achieving our ambitions as you point out Roger.

   “any member of the public who has an interest in carbon reduction measures whatever his/her degree of interest and IT competence.” I am also a member of the public who has every interest in carbon reductions – but am conscious that often the ways in which these measures are communicated are jargon-loaded and difficult for people to follow.

   Hence the play on words and attempt to keep the debate a bit light-hearted and offer others the chance to have a go at looking into the issues in more detail related to their level of interest.

   Reply
4. roger parker says:

   December 12, 2011 at 1:30 pm

   (quote),”super-nerds”, “the slightly-less-nerdy” – Is this the regard, values and perspective of the public that is held by the 2050 Team, being detached and burried deep within DECC? I doubt that these contemptuous remarks would be regarded as funny by any member of the public who has an interest in carbon reduction measures whatever his/her degree of interest and IT competence.

   quote “it is the public that will play such a huge role in setting the country on the path and sticking to it”
   Yes, it is ONLY the public that will play THE role of setting the country on the path…If they resist or suddenly behaviour shift, then all the games, the modelling, the “working out” of the 2050 Team will count for nothing. Economist only advise, not decide.
   The energy consumers of this country. the public, will decide; and we deserve the ultimate respect in any regard and communications from you at DECC.

   Reply