In the world of energy and climate change, 2020 marks a significant milestone. In accordance with the Renewable Energy Directive, the UK is mandated to produce 15% of its energy from renewable sources. With a starting point of 1.3% in 2005, one of the lowest in the EU, that target might have seemed a long way off. However, as 2016 draws to an end, 2020 no longer feels like the distant future, as it once did. Between now and then, there is less time than between Olympic Games, World Cups or Presidential Elections, and we know how frequently they seem to come round!

Through government incentives and reduced costs, in 2015, the UK produced over 22% of its electricity from renewables. This keeps us on-track to meet the self-imposed target of 20% by the end of the decade.

The Climate Change Act 2008, meanwhile, requires an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 compared to 1990 levels, with an interim target of 26% by 2020. To stand a chance of meeting such high targets, it is important that emissions levels are accurately calculated.

A recent study, by researchers at the University of Edinburgh, has found that the government may have been underestimating the benefit of windfarms. The in-depth analysis considered greenhouse gas savings for six years’ worth of real data (2008-2014), whereas previous calculations had been based on estimates. The results showed that an additional 3.4 million tonnes (approx. 10%) of greenhouse gases had been ‘saved’ than first thought. That’s the equivalent of taking 220,000 cars off the road.

Although the environment is not actually any better off today than it was before the findings, the actual emissions are the same, regardless of whether they are reported correctly or not. The complex calculations used could help policymakers more accurately predict future performance. Who knows, I could be blogging in 30 years’ time about how the UK is set to smash its 80% target!