10: Talking Net Zero Episode 10 - Duncan Burt
Why COP26 is fascinating and Britain is leading the way Duncan Burt is the Director for COP26 at National Grid, leading the gas and electricity distributor's engagement with the worldwide summit in Glasgow this November. Electricity is one of the most exciting places to work right now, he says. “There are people right across the sector creating things for the very first time, it’s real innovation, not copying something else.” He answers the oft-asked question - will there be enough power, and enough time to sort it all out? We discover that he doesn’t has much time for armchair engineers, and what the general public really know about the grid, net-zero or COP26. He talks about why National Green has launched its Green Light Signal, that tells you when the electricity in your home is coming from clean and green energy sources. Sara chats with Duncan about the ‘Greta Thunberg’ effect and Extinction Rebellion, and how the UK is fastest de-carbonising economy in the G20. After discussing the big switch that’s China’s made, he answers the big questions: What do we need to do get de-carbonisation momentum and what the biggest single carbon reduction measure you can take? He also explains what the changes to our lifestyle will mean, why they won’t make us miserable and why it’s not all about flygskam.