By Kate Monson

MacKay spoke in Bristol last night, asking such questions as; How easy is it to get off our fossil fuel habit?; How does our current energy consumption compare with our sustainable energy options?; How can we make energy plans that add up?, offering a straight-talking assessment of the numbers with the help of the DECC 2050 Pathways Calculator.


Having used several copies of his book ‘Sustainability energy – Without the hot air' as a stand for my computer – no disrespect intended – during the first six months of my time at Good Energy, and aware of how influential Mr. MacKay and his book have been here, I was intrigued to hear him speak. The subject last night was ‘2050 Pathways – How the government is planning our energy future,’ a collaboration between the Institution of Mechanical Engineers and Bristol University’s new Cabot Institute. Founded in 2010, the Cabot Institute plans to bring together world-leading expertise in the natural, physical and social sciences in order to help tackle the issues society faces in living with global uncertainty. From food and energy security and the supply of clean water, to preventing natural disasters and understanding the politics of catastrophe the Institute hopes to apply its broad and expert knowledge to bring new technologies and sustainable and resilient systems of governance to both business and society.

There’s no doubt that engagement is also a huge part of achieving a more sustainable future for the country and with such extreme, often emotionally led, views around, having “an adult, pro-arithmetic conversation,” as MacKay put it, about the options that are available is vital. And that’s why DECC’s 2050 Pathway Calculator is so valuable. Launched last year it allows anybody to create their own UK emissions reduction pathway and see the impact using real UK data. Good Energy used DECC’s calculator to develop our own 2050 Pathway in October 2010, which clearly illustrates how the rest of the energy market can join us in building a future for the UK that is powered purely by renewables.

While the Calculator is not sensitive or complex enough to inform policy decisions – “of course there are more sophisticated models but they tend to be rather impenetrable,” said MacKay in his characteristically wry way – it undoubtedly fulfils its primary function of communication and elucidation without, and this part is I think extremely important, insulting our intelligence. MacKay, and the DECC Calculator’s refreshingly rational analysis of the energy issues facing the UK – and the rest of the world – is a victory for science and one that I hope will encourage more intelligent debate.

There’s even a kid’s version/version for the less techy adult, and the software is available to download for free – as is MacKay’s book – in the hope that other countries will adopt the model and create their own pathways to a 2050 world.

For more information about the Cabot Institute, to download ‘Sustainability energy – Without the hot’ for free and to develop your own 2050 Pathways click the links.