Britain’s had its first coal-free week for a century

However, we’re still pretty far off a radical shift from coal to renewables, as we continue to substitute the burning of coal with natural gas, essentially swapping out one fossil fuel for another.

Burning gas emits about half as much carbon as coal per kWh (kilowatt) of electricity it generates which is certainly an improvement, but the UK must continue to champion new means of energy.

Prominent young activist Greta Thunberg publicly criticised Britain’s attitude towards combatting climate change last month in a rousing speech directed at the capital’s parliament. But, like us, we imagine she’ll take encouragement from last weekend’s milestone, with the hope it will motivate the nation and the rest of the world to strive for a cleaner planet.

The Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark, hailed the ‘achievement’ claiming, ‘The UK is on a path to becoming the first major economy to legislate for net-zero emissions’.

Let’s hope this wasn’t just a blip, it could be a catalyst for serious change and could inspire other nations to adopt cleaner means of energy production in the future… Finally, a climate change story that’s not doom and gloom!