Sky's the limit for our zero carbon ambition

ESO Director, Fintan Slye, on a timely new series from Sky News featuring real-time electricity generation data from the ESO

A new series on climate change from Sky News is featuring real-time electricity generation data from the ESO.

On 7 April, Sky News launched its Daily Climate Show, a programme dedicated to the single biggest global issue of our generation.

The show, which goes out Monday to Friday at 6.30pm and 9.30pm, investigates how global warming is changing our landscape and will feature real time electricity generation data from the ESO.

It’s an important and timely launch by Sky News, coming at a time when we’re making good progress towards our net zero ambition. Over Easter, we reported that Great Britain's electricity system was the greenest it had ever been. At lunchtime on Easter Bank Holiday Monday, renewable energy sources made up almost 80% of Britain's power, with carbon intensity of electricity dropping to 39 gCO2, the lowest figure on record.

It’s also great to see more and more people engaging with electricity data, either through programmes like Sky’s or via our free carbon intensity app. Understanding where electricity comes from and thinking about how and when we use it will be crucial as we move towards a zero-carbon grid and our shared net zero targets.

We’re also excited to be part of National Grid’s sponsorship of this year’s COP26, the UN climate change conference –billed as the most significant climate event since the 2015 Paris Agreement. It’s through events like these, and by taking an industry-wide effort to tackle the big issues, we’ll best address the challenges ahead.