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Reflections on Net Zero – in a heatwave

Posted on: July 29th, 2026

Reflections on Net Zero – in a heatwave

It genuinely terrifies me that there are seemingly intelligent people who disagree with ‘net zero’ – the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to manageable levels.

Living in Hertfordshire, just north of London, we have had almost no rain for approaching two months. It feels like much longer. It is uncomfortably hot, again. I have never been a fan of hot weather. It is not quite as bad as it was when I was struggling to run talks during the London Climate Action Week heatwave – but not far off.  This time we have a hosepipe ban – so we can’t water our struggling plants, or fill our small pond that local blue tits and our other guests rely on. And local rivers have run dry.

Many people are in far worse situations. We are lucky to have a garden, but the old apple tree next to my garden office took a turn for the worse yesterday. It is now leaning precariously because the ground is so dry. We are trying to stop it from falling further by wedging a plank under it, but are not overly hopeful. We will probably get a saw out on the weekend, to reduce its weight – and will certainly lose most of this year’s crop – but if this saves an old friend that’s fine by me.

My heart goes out to those in Spain and France who are affected by the horrific wildfires.

We had a pretty major house fire some years ago. It was awful.

I can’t imagine what local there people are going through, let alone the wildlife.  Parts of North America are similar.

Why do people disagree with net zero?

Disagreeing with net zero, as I understand it, seems to be about about people wanting to carry on ‘as normal’.  Opposing change.

But as we can see more clearly than ever ‘normal’ is no more.  Burning fossil fuels, outdated farming methods and depleting nature have caused the climate to change and the longer such practices continue the worse it will get. As far as we know there is no upper limit to the potential destruction – or ‘change’.

Climate change is not an on/off switch.  It is not simply a matter of getting used to hotter climes – like moving to a warmer country might have meant a decade or two ago.  If greenhouse emissions continue to rise, rather than being capped at the level the planet can absorb (‘net zero’), global temperature levels – and the cocktail of extreme weather events this brings – will get progressively worse.

Except, of course, for when they get suddenly much worse – known as ‘tipping points’ for example, when global air flows shift, or ice caps melt.

Signals from the North Pole

This thought led me to look at the weather forecast in the North Pole just now (although weather and climate are not ‘interchangeable’).

The North Pole is forecast to reach 27 C degrees on Saturday. This is not just melting the ice that helps reflect the sun’s rays away – and helps keep us cool –  but also the Tundra – frozen ground that that has locked away methane – a potent, fast acting greenhouse gas, for millennia.

Brown and unpleasant

If the country we love is normally, shall we say, a ‘green and pleasant’ land not a ‘brown and baron’ one, and if we like it that way –  is it not time to help put the brakes on greenhouse gas emissions, and habitat destruction?

There is not a huge amount we can do as individuals, it takes a joint effort – and change won’t happen overnight – which is why we now talk about a ‘transition’.  But we can all help change the narrative, and call out nonsense when we see it.

We should also share the happier message that much has improved over recent years. Most notably the efficacy and cost efficiency of renewable energy, and electrification – which some might say is what sits behind today’s opposition to ‘net zero’.

These are what is making positive change – a return to ‘near normal’ –  entirely possible.

Welcome alternatives

There are now plenty of energy options that are cheaper, faster to build, less dangerous and less likely to be traded for profit on world markets than fossil fuels.   For sure, there are vested interests that will continue to pull largely invisible strings, and there will be training needs, and some jobs will effectively transition from one industry to another.  These will cause uncertainty – but how bad can that be compared to wildfires,  disruption to livelihoods, food and water supplies, loss of life and associated, likely increased unrest, mass migration and more? Do we have a choice?  Seriously?

My area is sustainable and ethical investing. We really don’t have all the answers, or even hold the strongest hand of cards right now.  Opinions and strategies vary, as client needs and preferences vary – but almost all such (decent) options are part of the puzzle – seeking out, supporting and encouraging tomorrow’s more desirable growth.   But this is not a blog about my chosen area of work.  There are more important things than investments.

Anyone with an interest in natural sciences will know the planet will go on without us, and indeed the species we are destroying.  Turning our backs on ‘net zero’ means allowing emissions to rise, with no end in sight and no ceiling – and in so doing, putting ourselves at risk.

Whether someone likes the term ‘net zero’ or not,  I suspect most people want to help drive down today’s dangerous levels of greenhouse gas emission levels.  So perhaps it would be best if we call emissions what they are? Pollution.

And as with any major form of pollution we all have a part to play in controlling it.

China’s emissions are coming down, other countries are not. And the road will remain bumpy, so those who can lead by example –  should.   I put the UK in this camp.

This is not me being alarmist, it is a response to science, and what is plainly visible.

It may be too late for our apple tree, but our collective future is not yet sealed.