Assessing the role of Great Britain’s Gas Networks in 2030s decarbonisation

The UK's Climate Change Committee’s latest progress report for 2024 found that current climate policies, and rate of low-carbon investment, will leave a significant gap to meeting targets that have been set for the 2030s.

Future Energy Networks, the membership organisation representing the GB gas networks, has now published a report by Frontier Economics that sets out how gas networks can support additional carbon savings on the journey to net zero. 

Accelerating Progress Towards 2030s Carbon Budgets sets out how gas networks can support additional carbon savings on the journey to net zero. The report identifies measures that could reduce emissions in buildings and industry by 11 MtCO2e/year in 2035 (equivalent to taking 7 million cars off the road), closing the projected "gap" in these sectors by a quarter. The report also estimates a further 2 MtCO2e/year savings in 2035 in the power sector.

The measures considered include:

  • transporting more low-carbon energy: biomethane, hydrogen blending, and low carbon hydrogen
  • reducing gas network emissions (for example through advanced leak detection)
  • reducing emissions in buildings: hybrid heat pumps and district heating.   

For each measure, Frontier Economics assessed costs, emissions savings and wider impacts. We also identify key steps policymakers and regulators could take to realise the potential for emissions savings and areas for for further research.

The Climate Change Committee is tasked with advising the Government on legally binding carbon targets and on monitoring progress against them.

Read our full report Accelerating Progress Towards 2030s Carbon Budgets