Government pathways
- Doesn't tackle climate change (all level 1s)
- Low cost pathway
- Analogous to MARKAL 3.26
- Carbon Plan pathway: higher renewables, more energy efficiency
- Carbon Plan pathway: higher nuclear, less energy efficiency
- Carbon Plan pathway: higher CCS, more bioenergy
Pathways contributed by users / organisations
- Friends of the Earth - expert pathway
- Campaign to Protect Rural England - expert pathway
- Atkins - expert pathway
- National Grid - expert pathway
- Mark Brinkley - expert pathway
- High Nuclear,High Efficiency Pathway - David Martin
- Two pathways combining elements of the High nuclear and High renewable pathways DECC have published - Edward Wilkinson Renewable Demand/Nuclear Supply And Nuclear Demand/Renewable Supply
- Sustainable Energy Association Pathways
- Association for Conservation of Energy Pathways
- RtANM (refutations to anti-nuclear memes: Pathway w11…111
Please add a link to your favourite pathways here:
Crowd sourced in the Great British Energy Challenge
- Liverpool: Pathway 202…111
- Hay Festival 2013: Pathway 312…111
- Nottingham: Pathway 101…341
- Sheffield: Pathway 201…141
- Leeds: Pathway 202…111
- Birmingham: Pathway p01…111
- Manchester: Pathway 201…141
- Newcastle: Pathway q02…341
- Bristol: Pathway f01…211
- Hay Festival in June 2012: Pathway 201…321
'Extreme' pathways to illustrate a point
- Almost no bio-energy: Pathway 201…413
- Fewest choices made: Pathway 401…411
- A pathway where electricity does not need to be zero carbon in 2050: Pathway 101…014
- Lowest score (where a level 1 counts as 1 and a level 4 counts as 4): http://uk-test.2050.org.uk/pathways/o0211111111111110411122001112110114101102301110110112/primary_energy_chart
- Very cheap but does not tackle climate change: Pathway 401…123
- Very cheap and does tackle climate change: Pathway D01…123
Old illustrative pathways
These were developed on old versions of the calculator, therefore they may not have the same level of emissions reduction or other consequences as when they were originaly defined.
Original 2050 Pathways Report
- Pathway Alpha illustrates a pathway with largely balanced effort across all sectors, based on physical and technical ambition. In this pathway, there would be a concerted effort to reduce overall energy demand; an equivalent level of effort from three large scale sources of low carbon electricity (renewables, nuclear, and fossil fuel power stations with carbon capture and storage); and a concerted effort to produce and import sustainable bioenergy. Pathway a…
- Pathway Beta looks at what could happen if we were not able to generate electricity using carbon capture and storage technology. Pathway b…
- Pathway Gamma looks at what could happen if no new nuclear plant were built. Pathway c…
- Pathway Delta looks at what could happen if only minimal new renewable electricity capacity were built. Pathway d…
- Pathway Epsilon looks at what could happen if supplies of bioenergy were limited. Pathway e…
- Pathway Zeta looks at what could happen if there were little behaviour change on the part of consumers and businesses. Pathway f…
- The reference case: this pathway assumes that there is little or no attempt to decarbonise, and that new technologies do not materialise. This pathway does not meet the emissions targets and would not ensure that a reliable and diverse source of energy was available to meet demand – it would leave us very vulnerable to energy security of supply shocks. Pathway r…
In the Government's response to the call for evidence
Figure 1: Map of pathways in the call for evidence response

In the the Government's response to the call for evidence a series of illustrative pathways were laid out. This diagram helps navigate which pathway was which.[More]
- Updated Alpha: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/1 or Pathway 202…012
- Demand reduction across all sectors: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/2 or Pathway 202…012
- Demand reduction from individuals: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/3 or Pathway 202…012
- Demand reduction from business: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/4 or Pathway 202…012
- Electrifying all sectors: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/5 or Pathway 202…014
- Electrifying all sectors except heating: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/6 or Pathway 202…011
- Electrifying all sectors except transport: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/7 or Pathway 202…014
- Bioenergy used for solid fuel: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/8 or Pathway 102…014
- Bioenergy used for liquid fuel: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/9 or Pathway 202…012
- Bioenergy used for gaseous fuel: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/10 or Pathway 202…012
- Strong emphasis on renewable generation: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/11 or Pathway 101…014
- Strong emphasis on offshore renewable generation: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/12 or Pathway 101…014
- Strong emphasis on nuclear generation: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/13 or Pathway 401…012
- Strong emphasis on CCS generation: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/14 or Pathway 104…012
- Strong emphasis on gas generation: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/15 or Pathway 102…014
- String emphasis on microgeneration: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/16 or Pathway 104…012
- Hedging strategy, 90% target: http://www.decc.gov.uk/2050pathways/17 or Pathway 302…024