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Green Energy Rollout Despite the UK government's commitment to net zero by 2050, the rollout of green energy initiatives has been sparse over the last decade. This is attributed to the changes in laws and the manifesto of the ruling party at the time. Since 2015 on-shore wind turbines have been nearly impossible to build due to onerous planning conditions, in which a single objection could effectively block the project ( “Wind of Change”: Labour Government Lifts de Facto Ban on Onshore Wind in the UK, 2024 ). However, with the change in government to one pledged to a more sustainable future, these conditions may change. So far the current government has increased the budget for securing new renewable energy projects by 50%, to make up for the failure to contract renewable projects last year ( Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2024 ). The latest auction contracted for 131 new green energy initiatives, which “will power the equivalent of 11 million British homes” ( Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, 2024 ). These actions are incentivising the rollout of green energy initiatives, amongst businesses and the population, which will benefit many communities across the UK. The British Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) Public Attitudes Tracker for Renewable Energy conducted in the spring of 2024, showed that overall support for renewable energy has increased from 82% in 2023 to 84% in 2024 ( 2024, p 1 ). There are a variety of different green and renewable energy sources, including solar panels, on-shore and off-shore wind turbines, ground-source and air-source heat pumps, biomass, and hydropower in the form of wave and tidal or dams, each with their benefits and drawbacks. Because of these differences, each new green infrastructure project will have different levels of support in different communities.

Extracts from Greta Thunberg's state-of-the-art 'The Climate Book', Allen Lane, 2022

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