Green Business Journal 02

ISSUE 2

WHY 1.5 DEGREES MATTERS

Why go electric?

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FOREWORD THE RELENTLESS MARCH TO A MORE SUSTAINABLE WORLD

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elcome to the latest issue of GREEN Business Journal, the digital showcase for enterprises and entrepreneurs around the world looking to create a cleaner, sustainable future for us all.

GREEN focuses on amazing breakthroughs in the fields of: Green technology – Swedish-based ClimateView uses modelling to turn city climate planning into action and help city leaders make the economic case for transition; plus Or Lenchner, of Bright Data, argues why alt data should be at the forefront of the world’s response to climate change.

Recycling – Converting harmful CO2 into valuable raw materials, is the aim of the world’s first interdisciplinary research centre in Denmark. The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Centre starts work early next year on multi-scientific solutions to tackle greenhouses gases and produce sustainable products.

NetZero – COP26 host, the City of Glasgow, looks set to become an investment powerhouse as it races to cross the finishing line to carbon neutrality, with a £30 billion Greenprint for Investment programme, which is both decarbonising and transformative.

Many of GREEN’s contributors will be attending COP26 in November. So, could this summit be the ‘last-chance saloon’ in the global fight against runaway climate change? Despite many hopeful signs and signals, fossil fuel production – backed by government policy in many major producer countries – is still set to soar over the next decade.

And, at the time of writing, some of the G20 big hitters, such as China, India and Russia, have yet to put any emission-cutting plans to paper. Will COP26 see the tide turn greener? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Energy – Globally recognised as an eco-champion, Delta Electronics’ energy-saving solutions have reduced electrical consumption across the world by over 33.5billion kilowatt hours in the past decade. Small wonder, then, that founder Bruce Cheng is known as the godfather of energy conservation in Taiwan. We talk to EMEA president and general manager Dalip Sharma about the ESG strategy that lies at the heart of Delta’s business model.

Environment – the UK’s National Parks have teamed up with a global impact firm in an innovative investment scheme to restore a number of natural habitats, with the long-term aim of generating revenue through ecosystem services.

Karen Southern Editor, Green Business Journal

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issue 02

CO NTE NTS

CON T E N TS

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Green Technology 8|9 Software to help towns and cities use streetplanting to reduce citizens’ exposure to air pollution has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.

Green Technology 14|15 A Swedish technology firm is using modelling to help cities find a path to net zero, with Newcastle City Council among their forward-looking customers.

Big Interview 24|27 As Delta Electronics celebrates its golden anniversary, its innovative energy-saving solutions and unwavering commitment to conservation continue to be the cornerstones of the company’s environmental, social & governance (ESG) strategy.

COP26 28|30 The world is at a critical juncture. Climate change and the energy crisis are creating a perfect storm that won’t blow over. Action – not platitudes – must be COP26’s legacy.

Recycling 44 The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded €84.7 million for a new research centre to help reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and create CO2 recycling technologies.

Recycling 46|49 A UK-based aquaculture business aims to remove billions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year by growing and harvesting floating seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean.

CO N TENTS

Editor Karen Southern karen.southern@distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Design Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 580 5990 distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Advertising Distinctive Publishing, 3rd Floor, Tru Knit House, 9-11 Carliol Square, Newcastle, NE1 6UF Tel: 0191 5805990 distinctivepublishing.co.uk

Social

Energy 54 The world’s longest under-sea electricity cable was switched on in early October, allowing Norway and UK to share renewable energy.

Energy 55 A new Welsh energy-positive technology centre is on schedule for completion by December.

Green Business Journal @GreenBusinessJournal

Environment 60|61

With COP26 just around the corner, the UK’s National Parks and global impact firm Palladium have announced a number of pioneering deals for nature restoration projects in the UK, under the name Revere.

greenbusinessjournal.co.uk

Green CO₂ from a Dorset farm marks the launch of a pioneering model for the UK’s CO₂ industry, and aims to ensure there is no repeat of the industry-wide shortages experienced in 2018.

Net Zero 68|71 Environment 58|59

Green Business Journal

COP26 host, the City of Glasgow, has launched a £30bn investment strategy to help reach its Net Zero target by 2030. In the summer, the city announced it had already reduced carbon emissions by 41 per cent since 2006, surpassing the 30 per cent target set for 2020.

Distinctive Publishing or Green Business Journal cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies that may occur, individual products or services advertised or late entries.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or scanned without prior written permission of the publishers and Green Business Journal

Net Zero 72|75 With an estimated 40% of all carbon emissions linked to the built environment, some of the UK’s biggest voices in building and construction weigh in on what needs to change for the country to meet its Net Zero target.

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SUPPLY CHAIN BODY SAYS BUSINESSES MUST END ‘GREENWASHING’ UK businesses must end a culture of sustainability half-truths and engage with their suppliers to fully understand and communicate their environmental impact, says the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS).

“Modern supply chains are long, complex and travel through many countries around the world, so most businesses’ environmental impacts are not immediately visible.

“The CMA’s new Green Claims Code is a step forward in ensuring that more businesses involve procurement teams in their sustainability strategy.

Measuring carbon footprint is not the only key indicator when reporting sustainability impact, and supply chain managers are the professionals capable of tracking a product’s environmental impact through the product life cycle.”

T CHARTERED INSTITUTE OF PROCUREMENT & SUPPLY (CIPS) cips.org

he CIPS has welcomed a plan by the Competition and Markets Authority for a full review next year into misleading green claims. It also calls on business to ensure procurement teams are involved in creating and signing off the sustainability claims made by businesses.

CIPS spokesman Malcolm Harrison said: “There is a culture of ‘simplify to sell’ when it comes to sustainability claims which has to end. This move from the CMA should go some way to ensuring businesses understand and address the messy reality of their environmental impact throughout their supply chain.

Much of the UK’s environmental impact is generated abroad, several tiers down the supply chain in the extraction of raw materials, manufacturing of products and transportation.

Despite this, however, CIPS research has found that 1 in 5 (19%) of UK supply chain managers said they were not involved at all in their organisation’s sustainability strategy, while 43% said they were only lightly involved.

Consequently, almost half (48%) of supply chain managers in the survey did not believe their organisation is transparent enough with consumers, clients and regulators about sustainability. The survey, of 318 UK supply chain managers, found that 19% do not even know how sustainable their products are themselves*.

However, only 5% felt their business actively misleads clients or customers about sustainability. * 14% of respondents who selected ‘don’t know’ were removed from this question.

Modern supply chains are long, complex and travel through many countries around the world, so most businesses’ environmental impacts are not immediately visible.

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NEWS

COP26 SHOWCASE FOR HYDROGEN TRAIN The hydrogen-powered HydroFLEX train will be showcased at COP26 by Network Rail.

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ydroFLEX was developed by the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) in partnership with rolling stock owner and asset manager, Porterbrook.

Since its first successful mainline test run in September 2020, work has been underway to get HydroFLEX ready to operate as a commercial passenger train.

Alex Burrows, Director of BCRRE, said: “The HydroFLEX project has been a fantastic example of collaboration between industry and academia to accelerate the development of this innovative technology from research to market introduction.

The use of green hydrogen as an energy source to replace diesel on the railway is a great opportunity to accelerate the decarbonisation of our transport networks.”

This included the architecture of the power control system which operates the fuel cell and energy storage system in an optimum manner. More recently, the team has modified the design of the hydrogen powerpack, enabling it to be fully integrated into the train system.

Dr Stuart Hillmansen, Reader in Railway Traction Systems at the University of Birmingham, says: “The HydroFLEX project is based on groundbreaking research into hydrogen-powered trains at the University of Birmingham. Tested last year on the GB mainline, HydroFLEX is now accelerating towards an in-service train which could be deployed rapidly into passenger service.

We envisage hydrogen becoming a vital fuel that will be used alongside ongoing efforts to electrify the railway system, provide autonomous traction in a decarbonised railway.

HydroFLEX also draws on expertise from a wide number of industrial partners. This collaborative success story is now well on course to make a significant contribution to the Government’s rail decarbonisation aims.

“We are excited that this fundamental research has been quickly taken up by Porterbrook and the fully functional first in class is now in the detailed delivery phase, ready to be demonstrated to the industry and world at COP 26.”

Investment from Innovate UK allowed the research team to develop the detailed design of the fully functional power and energy fuel cell system on board the train.

RAILWAY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION (BCRRE) birmingham.ac.uk/research/ railway porterbrook.co.uk

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GR E E N T E C H N O LO GY U n i ve rs i t y o f B i r m i n g h am

AIR POLLUTION SOFTWARE FOCUSES ON DESIGNING ‘HEALTHY’ STREETS Software to help towns and cities use street-planting to reduce citizens’ exposure to air pollution has been developed by researchers at the University of Birmingham.

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treet planting, or ‘green infrastructure’, is an essential part of the urban realm, but there is a misconception that plants remove or ‘soak up’ a lot of pollution. Instead, planting at this scale primarily serves to redistribute pollution by changing air currents within streets and beside open roads.

Because of this, not only the position and amount of planting within a street, but also the layout and orientation of that street, are critical to its impacts on local air quality.

The software – the Green Infrastructure for Roadside Air Quality or ‘GI4RAQ’ Platform – has been designed by experts in the University of Birmingham’s Institute of Forest Research (BIFoR)

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and School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

It has been developed in partnership with practitioner organisations including Transport for London, Greater London Authority and Birmingham City Council, and is the result of three years’ collaboration, funded principally through three Innovation grants from the Natural Environment Research Council.

Free to use and open-source, the software enables practitioners to estimate the changes in pollutant concentrations throughout the cross-section of a street, resulting from different planting schemes.

It focuses on key pollutants from road transport – NO2 (nitrogen dioxide) and PM2.5 (fine particulate

G REEN TEC HN OLOGY Universi t y o f B ir m i n g h a m

matter). Calculations draw on wind data from monitoring stations across the UK, and determine how background wind conditions interact with the local urban form and planting specified by the user.

The software’s performance and underlying science are documented in a paper published in openaccess journal, Forests.

Lead researcher, Dr James Levine says: “In reducing our exposure to pollution from nearby vehicles, strategic planting can complement essential emission reductions in reducing health impacts.

But it’s not as simple as thinking that any planting will do good – if indiscriminate, it’s just as likely to have a negative impact. There are many good reasons to invest in green infrastructure but, if planting in the name of improving air quality, we must ensure it delivers genuine benefits. By estimating the benefits at planning, we can ensure good schemes are robust to cost-cutting and fully realised.”

'healthy and resilient streets' scheme with the Greater London Authority. Dr Levine is also in discussion with The Mersey Forest and Liverpool City Council regarding a scheme in central Liverpool.

Paul Nolan OBE, Director of the Mersey Forest, commented: “The GI4RAQ Platform bridges the gap between academic researchers and organisations like The Mersey Forest, cutting through the often-mixed messages regarding the impacts of vegetation on urban air quality, in support of projects delivering genuine, lasting benefits.”

In reducing our exposure to pollution from nearby vehicles, strategic planting can complement essential emission reductions in reducing health impacts.

Informed by their work with Dr Levine, Transport for London is currently exploring a potential

UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM birmingham.ac.uk

The GI4RAQ team is led by Dr Levine and includes doctoral student Ms Helen Pearce, who wrote the opensource air quality code; Prof Rob MacKenzie (Director of BIFoR) and Dr Xiaoming Cai; Tommy Morrison, Chris Thompson and Matt Sadler of Wild Ilk Design Studio, who developed the web interface; all with grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council.

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GR E E N T E C H N O LO GY B r i g ht Dat a

HOW DATA EXHAUST CAN HELP TACKLE CLIMATE CHANGE Or Lenchner is CEO of Bright Data, one of the world’s leading web data companies. He oversees the Bright Initiative, a global programme that uses public web data to drive positive change.

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G REEN TEC HN OLOGY B r i g ht Dat a

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ur world is increasingly digital, with masses of unstructured data being created everywhere, every day. It’s estimated that as a global community we create around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data each day - that’s 2.5 followed by a staggering 18 zeros.

Much of the data we create can be classed as alternative data, also known as external data or simply ‘alt-data’. It’s termed alternative because it differs from the traditional types of internal data that organisations have relied upon.

The term alt-data relates to data created outside an organisation - for example open access flight trackers, weather stations and satellite information, generated by machines. It also includes public online data generated by humans, such as product reviews and social media posts.

All our daily digital activities leave a lot of unstructured, messy public data in their wake often referred to as the data exhaust, due to it being waste output from other digital activities.

But while this sounds depressingly like more polluting activity that’s reflective of a throwaway society, we now have a great opportunity to use alt-data to accelerate our response to climate change.

A coalition of industry, academia and third sector, led by National Grid ESO, has developed a Carbon Intensity API - a public data feed - that uses machine learning and power modelling to forecast the carbon-impact of electricity to people’s homes, four days ahead of time. This allows consumers to make decisions on their own levels of electricity use, based on the predicted energy mix and associated carbon footprint.

This is an impressive and powerful example of how available internal data can be used to tackle the climate crisis - and one that could be enhanced further by bringing it together with large amounts of relevant, structured and publicly available altdata to improve accuracy of the forecasts.

The amount of valuable public information chugging out from the global data exhaust will continue to grow and we should take the opportunity to harness this ‘waste’ to tackle climate change and hit key targets.

But we must do this while being compliant and responsible.

While it may not be very high on the agenda at COP26 in Glasgow in November, better use of data can play a big role in meeting a huge global challenge. The UK Government’s National Data Strategy recognises this, highlighting that “better use of data has the potential to help solve wider climate change problems and help the UK meet its net zero 2050 target”. But just how can we do that?

Recently-launched climate change ‘accelerator’ Subak is one example. It was established with the aim of using data to ‘supercharge’ efforts to tackle global warming and climate change. Experts there have already helped turn satellite data into cloud cover forecasts, to predict solar power output and reduce emissions from other power sources.

There is also the chance, for example, to explore pulling together external data on meat prices from disparate sources, giving better insight on changing demands and consumer habits, helping reduce waste and overproduction.

Effective use of alt-data from public social media and Web posts could also provide the electric car industry and public authorities with a richer picture on take-up rates for new green vehicles - and the unmet needs holding back greater adoption.

OR LENCHNER CEO, Bright Data lp.brightdata.com

The amount of valuable public information chugging out from the global data exhaust will continue to grow - and we should take the opportunity to harness this ‘waste’ to tackle climate change and hit key targets.

But we must do this while being compliant and responsible.

Research from the Open Data Institute suggests that people may be happy with their data being used to benefit society, but may not want that data being used to assist the investment decisions of hedge funds, for example.

Transparency and openness are key if we are to build a level of public understanding and trust that allows the future-shaping potential of alt data to be used to help safeguard the future of our planet.

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GR E E N T E C H N O LO GY S ch ne ide r E le c t r ic

£300,000 INVESTMENT IN SMART FACTORY PAID BACK IN LESS THAN A YEAR Schneider Electric have completed the digital upgrade of their factory in Wales, making it the company’s first smart factory operation in the UK.

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chneider Electric, specialists in digital transformation of energy management and automation, collaborated with industrial software experts Aveva on the £300,000 project, which began in 2018.

downtime. The hardware solutions deployed were complemented by the the full EcoStruxureTM software suite including Facility Expert, Resource Advisor, Machine Advisor, Augmented Operator Advisor, and AVEVA insight.

The SMART transformation project primarily involved retrofitting the existing factory, in Flint, to maximise efficiency and minimise

The combination of digital tools, unified by EcoStruxure™, enable the facility managers to control and optimise every aspect of the factory.

G REEN TEC HN OLOGY S chne ider E le c tr ic

Facility Expert helps managers to keep a digital logbook of equipment and rapidly identifies and responds to any problems on the production site.

Machine Advisor provides machine analytics to help operators optimise machine operations and improve reliability, while the AVEVA platform acts as a visualisation platform for continuous operational improvement and real-time decisionmaking support.

Schneider Electric’s investment was paid back within just one year, thanks to productivity and a range of efficiency-based savings. Maintenance costs saw a 15 per cent reduction (£91,000) due to the installation of a Lean Digitisation System (LDS) system with Andon alerts and an additional £14,000 in savings, thanks to the installation of Intelligent Lighting Systems onsite.

In return, efficiency at the Flint factory was greatly enhanced. Despite a 20 per cent decrease in demand in 2020 due to COVID-19, Flint’s operational efficiency improved by five per cent compared to 2019 level,s and productivity increased by four pent – the latter represents £240,000 in savings alone. In 2021, operational efficiency is set to increase a further seven per cent.

The transformation also had a range of sustainability benefits.

Water consumption was halved – down from 4228m³ in 2019, the highest of any site in the UK, to 2138m³ in 2020, with projections of just 960m³ in 2021.

Likewise, improvements to efficiency associated with the installation of variable speed drives, smart panels, and other technological solutions led to a 15 per cent decrease in electricity (KW/h) usage compared to 2019 levels.

of a few years, we have become the first smart factory in the UK with complete operational visibility and clarity.

“We have control over real-time processes and can achieve a higher level of sustainability and safety. Given the project achieved a ROI within a year, it’s been an undeniable success for all involved.”

The fact that the site saw a return on the investment in smart technology within just a year and dramatic decreases in water and electricity use is testament to the potential for manufacturers to transform the way they operate quickly, costeffectively, and sustainably.

Beyond the hardware and software introduced to the site, staff were empowered to become more aware of areas of inefficiency and take ownership of issues.

They now have instant access to dashboards, as well as the ability to create alerts to notify them of any changes within the plant.

Mark Yeeles, Vice President of Industrial Automation at Schneider Electric, said: “From a production and maintenance perspective, the factory used to be digitally blind. Over the course

Enrique Herrera, Industry Principal for Manufacturing at AVEVA, added: “Flint is a fantastic success story in all aspects safety, productivity, and sustainably, at a reasonable cost.

“The fact that the site saw a return on the investment in smart technology within just a year and dramatic decreases in water and electricity use is testament to the potential for manufacturers to transform the way they operate quickly, cost-effectively, and sustainably.

“It also demonstrates the continued success of AVEVA and Schneider Electricity’s strategic partnership, which has gone from strength to strength.”

SCHNEIDER ELECTRIC se.com

Site transformed into UK’s first Schneider Electric Smart Factory £300,000 investment returned in less than a year Operational efficiency up by 5 per cent and productivity up by 4 per cent - the latter represents a £240,000 saving alone, as well as a 15 per cent reduction in maintenance spend, saving £91,000 Onsite water consumption halved from 2019 to 2020, and projected to halve again in 2021

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GR E E N T E C H N O LO GY C li m ate V ie w

From left, ClimateView founders Jeff Goens, Tomer Shalit and Einar Bodström.

THE TECHNOLOGY COMPANY TURNING CITY CLIMATE PLANNING INTO ACTION A Swedish technology firm is using modelling to help cities find a path to net zero, with Newcastle City Council among their forward-looking customers.

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limateView has created an innovative platform called ClimateOS, which creates a digital twin city to reflect the complexity of each city’s economy.

Already used in Sweden, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, Spain and Canada., the platform helps cities manage climate action plans and speed up action to decarbonise their economy.

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It works by creating a digital twin city to mirror the complexity of a city’s economy, populated with the best available data. By identifying the best transition path to meet local needs, it models the impact of low-carbon initiatives, so that different ways of meeting carbon targets can be explored.

Enhanced functionality will be rolled out in early 2022 to identify the costs and co-benefits of each

G REEN TEC HN OLOGY C l im ate V ie w

initiative, making it easier for cities to make the economic case for their climate plans, minimise financial risk, and win support for investment.

The living climate action plan can then be dynamically updated as new data comes in, allowing cities to monitor the impact of their activities, share progress and refine strategy in a cycle of continuous improvement.

A new round of investment worth €10 million funding will help ClimateView collaborate with a growing number of cities on their net zero commitments.

The funding was led

by CommerzVentures and NordicNinja.

Cities are central to meeting global climate targets, consuming more than two-thirds of the world’s energy, and responsible for over 70% of global carbon emissions. They are also at high risk from the impacts of climate change, with more frequent and extreme weather events causing devastation worldwide.

More than 700 cities have already committed to reaching net zero by 2050. As

ClimateOS. “The climate challenge is overwhelming but it is also extremely urgent. I could not understand how we had not yet found the right formula to tackle it. There are so many frameworks, methodologies, technologies available so I decided to use what I knew as an agile coach to create a prototype that would break down and organise the transition in a logical and actionable manner, to make it less daunting. Then I gate-crashed a political event and went straight to the Swedish Minister for the Environment and Secretary of State and rolled out the poster, which would later become ClimateOS.

Emissions are solidly linked to the way we live, our economic models, to dollars and euros. We will have a chance at solving the climate challenge when we stop looking at GHG emissions in a vacuum. Going forward, our aim will remain to help cities reduce their emissions. But we will help them make the economic case for their transition and empower them to go after the funding they need to make it happen.

Tim Rippon, senior climate change advisor with Newcastle City Council, said: “The wholesale decarbonisation of a city is something that’s never been done before and the challenge is absolutely enormous.

“ClimateView gives us the platform we need to develop and roll out an ambitious climate action plan. By breaking the net zero challenge down into bite-size chunks you can understand how each will contribute to cutting carbon, start setting year by year transition targets, and then build a robust set of actions on this framework.”

Tomer Shalit, ClimateView’s founder and chief product officer, explained the thinking behind

“In reality, it is all and more than I was hoping for. It started quite low-tech, as a 4-metre long poster.

Now we have an agent-based model which makes the platform incredibly versatile and capable of tackling complexity like never before, as well as a user interface that gets better and more beautiful by the day.”

CLIMATE VIEW climateview.global

Co-founder and chief growth officer Einar Bodström added: ‘Emissions are solidly linked to the way we live, our economic models, to dollars and euros. We will have a chance at solving the climate challenge when we stop looking at GHG emissions in a vacuum. Going forward, our aim will remain to help cities reduce their emissions. But we will help them make the economic case for their transition and empower them to go after the funding they need to make it happen.”

Climate View is part of the Swedish Pavilion at COP26, alongside Volvo and Alfa Laval, and will be hosting a series of events.

More details at climateview.global

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GR E E N T E C H N O LO GY sm a r te r te ch nolo g ie s

A SMART BALANCE: HOW CONNECTED TECH IS TRANSFORMING UK’S ENERGY REUSE REMIT Businesses across the UK are under pressure to achieve Net Zero by 2050. But cutting down on emissions is not enough. Matthew Margetts, from Smarter Technologies, investigates current energy reuse options, and how the impending demand on the electricity grid can be balanced effectively with IoT technology to build an effective smart net zero future.

Technologies for energy reuse are beginning to receive a lot of attention from governments and other stakeholders.

SMARTER TECHNOLOGIES smartertechnologies.com

Over the last decade, the UK has been developing technological options for the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and energy recycling have an important role to play in UK climate action. Carbon dioxide removal includes nature-based approaches, such as reforestation, as well as technology-based approaches. These include capturing carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industries for underground storage or re-use.

Combined heat and power (CHP) In the UK, the government is backing the combined heat and power (CHP) model, also known as ‘cogeneration’. CHP is a highly efficient process that captures and utilises the heat that is a by-product of the electricity generation process.

The heat generated is supplied to an appropriately matched heat demand (one that would otherwise be met by a conventional boiler and require

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additional fuel to be burnt). By making use of heat that would otherwise be wasted when generating electrical or mechanical power, CHP systems offer an efficient means of working towards reducing emissions.

In fact, CHP systems avoid network losses and reduce emissions by up to 30% compared to conventional generation via a boiler and power station. Thus, for many organisations, CHP offers the most significant single opportunity to both reduce energy costs and improve environmental performance.

The CHP process is especially welcome for sectors that use significant amounts of energy, such as food production.

An example of CHP is The Shard in London, the tallest building in the EU with 72 storeys. This landmark building is powered by a natural gas fuelled CHP plant to operate at the highest level of energy efficiency. The plant provides energy for electricity and water heating to the surrounding area, reducing carbon emissions and contributing to the low-carbon footprint of the building.

G REEN TEC HN OLOGY sm ar ter te chnolo g ie s

To support the roll-out of heat pumps, we will need to use electricity when it is available and when the network has the spare capacity. Smart meters and automated meter readers provide accurate, real-time consumption data to help utility providers, building managers and occupants make more informed decisions around optimising electricity usage.

Air source energy generation In its attempt to significantly reduce household use of greenhouse gases to net zero by 2050, the UK government is aiming for the installation of 600,000 heat pumps per year by 2028. Heat pumps take heat from the air outside or the ground and circulate it around a central heating and hot water system. Heat pumps are cleaner and more energy efficient than gas.

At the moment, over 80% of British domestic heating is supplied by gas boilers, which is why the government is driving a switch to heat pumps.

However, heat pumps require electricity, which means that upgrades to the grid will be necessary.

The electrification of water heating will also only result in decarbonisation if the electricity is renewable-sourced.

Another challenge with the switch to heat pumps is balancing the electricity load. Adding in lots of synchronised heating demand with heat pumps could result in network bottlenecks. Compounding this challenge is combining increased electricity demand with inflexible energy generation. Because

heat usage fluctuates with the time of day and year, heat pumps will make electricity demand rise and fall more dramatically.

Smart solutions for load balancing

Matthew Margetts, Director of Sales and Marketing, Smarter Technologies Group

To support the roll-out of heat pumps, we will need to use electricity when it is available and when the network has the spare capacity. Smart meters and automated meter readers provide accurate, realtime consumption data to help utility providers, building managers and occupants make more informed decisions around optimising electricity usage.

Heat pumps themselves could be optimised using smart thermostats to save both money and energy. These smart thermostats can use artificial intelligence to automate temperature settings based on specific daily routines and heating needs.

Reaching a net zero 2050 will require a smarter and more flexible energy system based on data and digitalisation. Fortunately, today’s connected technology is helping us move in the right direction.

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GR E E N T E C H N O LO GY

CALL FOR ‘TELL SID’ CAMPAIGN TO MAKE HOMES FIT FOR NET ZERO A think tank report says a ‘Tell Sid’-style campaign is needed to explain the technology behind home insulation and low-carbon heating, and advertise a new programme of cash to retrofit homes.

Tell Sid is a reference to a highly effective ad campaign from the 1980s. A similar campaign today would help the public access public grants and zero-interest loans to lower carbon emissions from UK homes, says the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR)

pumps to keep pace with its net zero targets. It says the UK is trailing far behind France, Germany and Italy in its installation of heat pumps. Last year, the UK only installed 6 per cent of the new heat pumps and less than 2 per cent of new solid wall insulation needed each year by 2028.

The report – Pump up the Volume: A comprehensive plan to decarbonise the UK’s homes – adds that the public are hungry for information, but know little about new heating technologies or how to fund them.

As the government unveils its long-delayed plans for decarbonising the UK’s homes, these findings and recommendations form part of a comprehensive retrofit action plan set out in the new IPPR report. The research sets out core pillars for the plan with key recommendations that include:

According to YouGov polling commissioned for the report, a total of 58 per cent of the British public have either never heard of a heat pump (22 per cent) – the electrified low-carbon heating technology that will be needed by most UK homes in a net zero world – or know almost nothing about them (36 per cent).

Correspondingly, two thirds of the public (65 per cent) support a new national information campaign to raise awareness of the technologies.

A large majority support public grants of £7,500 (62 per cent) and zero-interest loans (61 per cent) with government helping to pay up to half of the loan, provided any additional costs of installing insulation and heat pumps are similar to, or less than, the cost of a gas boiler.

A further 66 per cent back full grants for lowincome households struggling to keep their homes warm.

The report also notes how rapidly the UK needs to scale up its deployment of insulation and heat

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Standards: Phase out the sale of new oil boilers by 2028 and gas boilers by 2033, and introduce minimum energy performance standards (EPC rating C) by 2028 for private rented homes, and by 2030 for homeowners.

Skills: Establish a Green Training Fund with £160 million per year until 2028, to support people to acquire the skills needed for retrofitting, and commit to high-quality job standards.

Cash: Introduce a one-stop shop, known as ‘GreenGO’, where people can access financial support for the changeover, backed by up to £18 billion in public funding over the next four years. This would offer: - Full grants for ‘fuel poor’ homes, to cover cost of fitting new insulation and low-carbon heating (at an average estimated cost of £12,000 per home).

G REEN TEC HN OLOGY

- Grants up to £7,500 for other homes, until 2025, including additional measures such as new water tanks and radiators. The average remaining cost for householders would be comparable to the price of a high-end gas boiler.

- Zero interest loans up to £7,000 from 2025, with repayment subsidies depending on the energy efficiency achieved (used successfully in Germany); and new private financing solutions such as green mortgages that would allow homeowners to add retrofit costs to their loans, in return for lower interest rates.

Communications: Launch a national advertising campaign to raise households’ awareness, understanding and enthusiasm for upgraded insulation and low-carbon heating and the financial support available through the GreenGO scheme, alongside a properly resourced energy advice service (online and by phone) in England, and increased capacity for services in Scotland and Wales.

In the light of the current gas price crisis, IPPR is calling for the government to pause its plan to shift environmental costs from electricity to gas bills.

Instead of raising gas bills further, it says the costs should be recovered through general taxation, which would lower electricity bills in a fairer way.

The UK Energy Research Centre estimates this reform could result in an overall saving for 70 per cent of homes as environmental costs would be levied more fairly through income, while the wealthiest households would face net increases of just 0.35 per cent of household income per year.

In addition, IPPR recommends introducing a new carbon tax from 2030 to encourage the shift from gas boilers, so long as upfront costs of low-carbon heating alternatives are no more expensive than a new boiler.

The IPPR paper is available for download at ippr.org/research/publications/pump-up-thevolume • Polling figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov plc. Total sample size was 1,683 adults.

Fieldwork was undertaken between September 29-30, 2021. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all GB adults (aged 18+).

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COODE N TAX CO N S U LT IN G

IT’S THAT TIME OF YEAR! “R&D TAX RELIEF STATISTICS ARE OUT!” Every Autumn, around the end of September or in early October, the Office for National Statistics and HMRC distribute their annual review of the R&D Tax Relief Scheme, you can find full details of the report at gov.uk/government/statistics/corporate-tax-research-and-developmenttax-credit/research-and-development-tax-credits-statistics-september-2021.

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his year, they are reporting on claims for the tax year ended 31 March 2020, so “prepandemic”, based on claims processed up 30 June 2021, but in what I believe to be a change to recent years, they are also forecasting estimates for returns not yet filed within the figures, which allows for a far better comparison. A company with a 31 March 2020 year end has until 31 March 2021 to submit an initial tax return which for regular claimants would normally include their claim for the year, but a company has until 31 March 2022 to submit their claim on an amended tax return, regardless of whether they are a regular or new claimant.

Estimated claims have continued to rise Based on claims received to 30th June 2021, HMRC estimate that there will be a total of 85,900

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claims filed for the year to March 2020 of which 76,225 were under the SME Scheme, so 9,675 were Research and Development Expenditure Credit claims of which more than half (5,305) were from SMEs as subcontractors or who had been the beneficiaries of grants or subsidies for their R&D activity. The scheme has delivered £7.4bn of R&D Tax Relief support to claimant companies, who between them have spent more than £47.5bn on R&D. The SME Scheme is for small and medium sized companies that employ less than 500 people (including across a group) and that doesn’t exceed both a turnover and balance sheet threshold. It offers a 130% uplift of eligible costs, which for a profit-making company delivers a tax refund to the tune of 24.7% of the eligible costs and for a loss-making company the chance to surrender

CO O D EN TAX CO N SU LTI NG

the losses for a cashflow boost of up 33.35% of the eligible spend. The RDEC scheme which is generally for larger companies, generates a taxable Expenditure Credit which can either be offset against a current year tax liability or where insufficient tax exists, a repayable element to the tune of 9.72% for these statistics or 10.53% for eligible costs incurred after 1 April 2020.

Based on these current estimated figures the number of claimants has increased by 16% and the amount claimed in total has increased by 19%. It will be interesting to compare these figures with next years for the period of the pandemic, our experience tells us that there has been significant interest in Research and Development Tax Relief as companies have come out of the other side of the pandemic and been keen to secure additional cashflow from legitimate claims.

Of the £7.4bn claimed £4.4bn has been claimed under the SME scheme making the average SME Scheme claim worth around £57,700, with the median claim a more realistic comparator for first time claimants being £21,500. 63.5% of the £4.4bn paid out for SME scheme claims was for the payable tax credits, by surrendering a current year tax loss.

Where and who are the largest claimers?

The bulk of the claims have come from Companies with their registered office in London and the SouthEast, 35% of the claims and 49% of the value of claims have come from these regions, however these may not necessarily reflect where the R&D is happening.

The three largest sectors for claims remain as Information and Communication, Manufacturing and Professional, Scientific and Technical, between them they make up more than 63% of the claims and more than 69% of the value of claims.

72% of claims were under £50k and the largest number of claims, nearly 15,000 featured in the up to £5k band of tax relief.

Why is it relevant to my business?

The statistics don’t actually cover “Green Technology”, however we would expect many Green businesses to fall within the Manufacturing and Professional, Scientific & Technical sectors and maybe within the Electricity, Gas, Steam and Air Conidtioning or Construction headings. We know from our own experience, that there are a large number of companies who are significantly involved in Research and Development activity within the “Green sector”, we’ve recently been working with Tensei who use straw to manufacture high quality papers and a business using Solar Energy to power parts of Britain’s railways.

However, we also know that many companies are continuing to miss out on claiming for projects that they either undertake in house or subcontract out to others. This is borne out by the statistics, where in the previous year to 31 March 2019, they show that there were nearly 20,000 new claimants.

The provisional number of new claimants to March 2020 Is just over 10,000, this is merely a timing difference and not the result of “peak new claimants”.

With the ongoing challenges around recovery in a post-COVID-19 world, shouldn’t you really be looking into whether you can be making a claim?

What would your company do with the cash if you were claiming, the median the tax saving of around £21.5k, or the average saving of around £58k?

How would those plans change if you found out that your claim was more than £100k, do you have some new machinery you’re looking to install or another new product in the pipeline, awaiting some funding before development can start?

If you’ve been developing a new product, process, material or device or significantly enhancing an existing one, and it has been scientifically or technologically challenging to develop it, then you have the potential to claim. You might have also applied for a grant from Innovate or another funding body to support you with funding for your project. If you were successful with that application, then at the very least you will be able to claim under RDEC for all the eligible costs that you have incurred that will be supported by the grant. If the grant only funded a proportion of the overall costs, then you may be able to claim some of the unsupported costs under the SME Scheme, but that will be dependent upon the source of the funds. If your project didn’t get funding but you carry on with it regardless, then you will be able to claim all of your eligible costs under the SME Scheme.

COODEN TAX CONSULTING coodentaxconsulting.co.uk

It’s never too late to start A significant tax saving can make a huge difference to a business. If your company has a December 2019 year end, you have until the end of this calendar year to make a claim, but realistically, you have until the week before Christmas for it to be submitted. It takes us about two weeks from initial discussion to prepare a claim for a highly motivated company.

Why not contact us to find out whether you can be a part of the statistics next year? You can book a free, no obligation #FindOutinFifteenMinutes discovery call with our Director, Simon Bulteel on www.calendly.com/Simon-Bulteel What’s the worst thing that can happen if he says no after those 15 minutes? Now compare that to receiving a refund of overpaid tax!

Book a call now!

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research & development tax relief specialists

Get your cash from HMRC Call us on: 01424 225 345 email us on: info@coodentaxconsulting.co.uk @Coodenconsults www.coodentaxconsulting.co.uk

Validate your claim No Win No Fee

Offic e 8 • C har ter House • 43 S t Leonards Road • Bexhill on S ea • East S ussex • TN40 1JA

G REEN CO M MUTE

Image: Raleigh

CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT The Climate Change crisis demands that, post-Covid and Brexit, the UK builds back with a green and resilient economic recovery.

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rganisations must implement innovative working practices to help bring a significant reduction in the environmental impact of human activities.

Wildfires, flash floods, heatwaves, and hurricanes have brought the climate change crisis into sharp focus. The catastrophic repercussions from global warming may seem insurmountable and individual actions considered inconsequential. However, small changes made by many people can have a huge cumulative result; the butterfly effect. It’s time to think and act local and focus efforts on small and easy to implement adaptations to our daily lives.

Organisations’ net-zero strategies must engage entire workforces so they collectively become invested in the journey. Sustainable business practices need to increase with organisations adopting and embracing new processes and behaviours, such as switching to green power sources, recycling waste, having a pool of ebikes for company use, or growing wild flower meadows.

Transportation is a significant source of greenhouse gases and employers need to address how to change employee commuting habits. Electric vehicles are not the answer as their production and how they are charged have high environmental costs. EVs still generate particulate pollution from the wear of brakes, tyres and roads.

Active and sustainable travel choices are key to reducing emissions. The rapid rollout of Low Traffic Neighbourhoods across the UK has meant active travel is becoming more accessible to many.

The Cycle to Work Scheme is a low risk, low-cost, sustainable employee benefit. Green Commute Initiative’s award-winning scheme has no scheme limit and participants make the maximum possible savings as there’s no scheme exit fees.

GCI has a strong ethical ethos and ensures everyone is treated fairly. Our scheme is best for employees (no fees), best for shops (lowest commissions), and best for employers (no registration, fast and easy process), which is why we believe GCI is the UK’s best C2W scheme. greencommuteinitiative.uk

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BIG I N T E RVI E W De l t a E le c t ronic s

DELTA ELECTRONICS’ BEST-IN-CLASS ESG ENDEAVOURS ECHO COP26 GOALS As Delta Electronics celebrates its golden anniversary, its innovative energy-saving solutions and unwavering commitment to conservation continue to be the cornerstones of the company’s environmental, social & governance (ESG) strategy.

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he company – a world leader in highly efficient power and thermal management solutions – is a globally recognised corporate citizen. This is no empty platitude – Delta’s pledge of care to the environment and exceptional focus on corporate responsibility is woven throughout its entire business model.

Delta certainly ‘walks the walk’, with an impressive portfolio which includes: switching power supplies with over 90% efficiency, telecom power (up to 98% efficiency), and PV inverters (up to 99.2% efficiency). The company also developed the world’s first server power supply certified as 80 Plus Titanium with over 96% efficiency.

Indeed, founder Mr. Bruce Cheng is known as the godfather of energy conservation in Taiwan, where his business was founded.

It would be impossible to list all the company’s ‘green’ achievements, so here are just a few key facts:

EMEA President & General Manager Dalip Sharma is justifiably proud of Delta’s global contribution to energy-efficient solutions and environmental activism. “Our company ethos is based on creating a better future for everyone. Our core competencies in high-efficiency power electronics and the ESG embedded business model are leveraged to address key environmental issues such as climate change, and this is one of the key values we base our work on every day.”

Delta, which was founded in 1971, specialises in power electronics, automation and infrastructure products, with their energy efficiency regarded among the best in the world.

Their mission statement ‘to provide innovative, clean and energy-efficient solutions for a better tomorrow’ sets the company above its global competitors by putting corporate social responsibility (CSR) and energy-saving solutions at the very heart of its business model.

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Delta has been included in the Dow Jones Sustainability™ World Index (DJSI World) for 10 years in a row.

Ranked ‘A’ twice at Climate Change Leadership Level by CDP, a non-profit organisation based in the UK, Japan, India, China, Germany and the United States of America, that helps companies and cities disclose their environmental impact, and aims to make environmental reporting and risk management a business norm.

Delta was also named as a supplier engagement leader for its continuous work on a sustainable value chain.

The company is a passionate advocate of the Paris Agreement, which aims to reduce global warming to under two degrees. As Mr Sharma explains, Delta is determined to go further, “Over the last decade, we have helped customers reduce their electrical consumption by about 33.5 billion

BIG IN TERVI EW Del t a E le c t ron ics

kilowatt hours, and cut CO2 emissions by 17.8 million tonnes. That is equal to reducing emissions in 1.7 million homes.”

Mr Sharma continues, “Delta is also a firm advocate of increasing global awareness around biodiversity and protection of the natural ecosystem. The Delta Electronics Foundation has worked closely with stakeholders to preserve fragile marine ecosystems.”

Extended efforts are underway on a marine conservation volunteer programme to support 28 species and over 1000 coral reefs. Mr Sharma says, “Our employees play a very strong role in the Foundation’s success, and of course the company’s ongoing production of world-class energy-efficient solutions.”

However, he points out, “That’s not to say we can rest on our laurels. We still have a lot to do, by continuously setting benchmarks for our industry colleagues to follow. There are challenges to overcome of course, as current technology has its limits, but our research programme is driving innovation continuously. Even small percentage points of improvements in energy efficiency are critical. Today, what seems like a huge challenge

could see huge a breakthrough in five years’ time.”

Influencing 50, Embracing 50 is the theme of Delta’s gold anniversary celebrations, and the emphasis is strongly on promoting global development while protecting the environment through lower carbon emissions.

An EV charging station in Yokohama, Japan, developed by Delta and its local partner

Mr Sharma adds, “Sustainability has always been one of Delta’s core values, and we are regarded as one of the pioneers in this field. Our ESG targets are based on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals: affordable and clean energy; industrial and innovative infrastructure; sustainable cities and communities; responsible consumption and production; climate action; partnerships for the goals; and quality education.

“We have taken part in the UN’s climate change conferences since 2007, enabling us to share our success in lowering the carbon footprint for over 15 years.”

And, as a member of the RE100 initiative (which brings together the world’s most influential companies committed to 100% renewable energy), Delta aims to convert all its business operations to 100% renewable energy by 2030. Delta’s own rooftop solar PV systems already provide

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BIG I N T E RVI E W De l t a E le c t ronic s

clean electricity to its factories worldwide while electricity usage in its offices and factories was already halved by 2014, and reduced by another 30% by last year.

Mr Sharma explains. “We are currently focusing our energy conservation efforts on the use of selfgenerated solar energy and self-contained energy storage. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 on a large global scale will definitely be a great achievement.”

Delta invests over 8% of its global revenues – amounting to approx. 9.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2020 – to R&D. Mr Sharma adds, “Our innovations and products in the three key categories of power electronics, automation and infrastructure are designed to nurture the development of smart manufacturing and sustainable cities.”

One of Delta’s flagship projects involved installing 21,000 streetlights in a smart city in Jakarta, Indonesia, and “with its wireless networking capability and management systems, this has improved not only energy efficiency in the cities, but provided citizens with a safer living environment.”

DELTA deltaww.com

Nearer home, Delta’s ultra-fast EV chargers have been installed in Volkswagen’s distribution hub in Kent, and for a major food distributor in Wales, with more UK partnerships are underway.

Delta is also a big investor in new technologies for electrification, with its own lithium battery manufacturing plant making large storage batteries, plus power conditioning system (PCS) and energy management (EMS) system providing smart energy management solutions for business and domestic use.

We are currently focusing our energy conservation efforts on the use of selfgenerated solar energy and self-contained energy storage. To achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 on a large global scale will definitely be a great achievement.

“We have designed over 29 green (smart) factories and offices and two clean data centres.

This has saved 18.48 million kW hours of electricity and about 11,685 tonnes of CO2. One of the examples is our EMEA headquarters based in Hoofddorp, the Netherlands. It has been retrofitted from an old office building, saving over 65% in energy consumption annually through Delta’s own solar, energy storage, building automation, LED lighting and green data solutions, and our employees are provided with EV chargers. We have also recently built a new office in Helmond, Netherlands, which will be the base for our industrial automation business. Its rigorous environmental standards are set to achieve LEED gold green building certification.”

Mr Sharma continues, “We are immensely proud of our initiatives to date, but moving forward, the focus will be on electrification and e-mobility.

Delta is a major stakeholder in the sector, both on- and off-board, from the components inside electric trains and cars, to being tier 1 supplier in

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automotive electronics for several top EV makers in Europe and North America. We also have a very big stake in vehicle chargers, having shipped over 1 million globally. In Yokohama, Japan, Delta and its local partner transformed an old gas station into an EV charging station and smart coffee shop, to provide an efficient, convenient and comfortable experience for EV drivers. This is how we see the future of e-mobility.”

Looking forward to COP26, Mr Sharma is hopeful that the Race to Zero campaign will mobilise more stakeholders to make net zero commitments, “The aim is to attract signatories from the businesses that account for 25% of carbon tax and emissions. So far 1000s of cities, businesses investors and educators have signed up. It will be a fantastic achievement if COP26 creates even more momentum around the shift to decarbonise the economy through green solutions.”

And the next 50 years? “Delta is looking forward to even greater advances to lower carbon emissions, as well as concentrating even more global attention on marine ecology.”

Delta Electronics Foundation is co-hosting an official side event in COP26 on November 8 from 11:30- 12:45. ‘The Transformative Power of Urban Living’ will highlight the benefits of green buildings for the environment as well as for people’s health and safety.

BIG IN TERVI EW Del t a E le c t ron ics

Dalip Sharma, President & General Manager, Delta Electronics EMEA Region

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COP 2 6

WHY 1.5 DEGREES MATTERS The world is at a critical juncture. Climate change and the energy crisis are creating a perfect storm that won’t blow over. Action – not platitudes – must be COP26’s legacy.

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COP 26

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n November, world leaders meet in Glasgow for COP26, the 26th annual ‘Conference of the Parties’. Widely seen as the world’s best last chance to bring runaway climate change under control, the topic has gone from a fringe issue to a global priority in only 30 short years. COP26 has a unique urgency, hence its official title – the UN Climate Change Conference 2021.

Event president is the UK, which has been working with every nation to reach agreement on how best to tackle climate change in the run-up to the 12 days of talks. Italy is co-hosting the event.

But before we look at the pressing issues before us, let’s look back at COP21 in 2015. For the first time in history, every country agreed to work together to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees.

The 1.5 degrees target is known as the Paris Agreement, under which countries would commit to reducing emissions. Every five years they planned to come back with an update, although the pandemic put paid to that for a year. Crucially the Paris commitments did not come close to the 1.5 degree limit, and the window up to 2030 is closing fast.

COP26 goals

1. Secure net zero and keep 1.5 degrees within reach Countries are being asked to draw up ambitious 2030 emissions reduction targets that align with net zero by mid-century. To do this, they need to: Speed up the phasing out of coal Cut down on deforestation Push the switch to electric vehicles Encourage investment in renewables

2. Protect communities and natural habitats The climate will continue to change even with reduced emissions, and the effects are devastating. Countries need to be helped and encouraged to: Protect and restore ecosystems Build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and lives

3. Mobilise finance To deliver the above two goals, developed countries must mobilise at least £100bn in climate finance every year by 2020.International financial institutions are seen as key to this, and help private and public sector finance release the trillions needed to secure global net zero.

4. Work together to deliver

COP26 will strive to: Finalise the Paris Rulebook (the rules that make the Paris Agreement operational) Speed up action through collaboration between government, business and public stakeholders.

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The UK’s record on climate change Between 1990 and 2019, the UK claims to have achieved record clean growth. The economy grew by 78 per cent and emissions fell by 44 per cent, the fastest decline in the G7.

For example, the UK: Decarbonised the economy faster than any other G20 country since 2000.

Has been the first major economy to put into law that net zero carbon emissions will be reached by 2050.

Is producer of the largest amount of offshore wind energy in the world.

Ending direct government support for fossil fuel energy overseas.

Has announced the end of new petrol and diesel cars in the UK by 2030.

The green road to Glasgow Glasgow was chosen as host because of its commitment to sustainability, as evidenced by its Greenprint development which we also cover in this issue.

The ‘Dear Green Place’ has set a carbon neutrality target for 2030, and aims to be one of the greenest cities in Europe through its Sustainable Glasgow campaign. It is also 4th in the world in the Global Destination Sustainability Index.

What’s on the agenda?

Up to 30,000 politicians, negotiators, businesses and citizens, representing over 200 countries, will descend on the city for two weeks. The first week is primarily technical negotiations by government officials. The second will feature high-level ministerial and Heads of State meetings. The most challenging aspect of this, of course, will be final negotiated decisions.

The Scottish Government will have a strong presence at the summit, but has no formal role in hosting or running the event.

Why isn’t the event being held online?

Developing nations and the most vulnerable ones are reluctant to hold major negotiations online because: Many have poor internet access It would be more difficult to engage in negotiating blocks which give them leverage when facing powerful nations. Less developed nations rely on face-to-face meetings to agree positioning Many real negotiations take place behind the scenes, which would omit smaller countries if meetings were exclusively online

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COP 2 6

T he Jone s Fo o d Compa ny

THE ONLY WAY IS UP FOR THE UK FARMING INDUSTRY

By James Lloyd Jones, Founder and CEO, The Jones Food Company and COP26 summit ambassador

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e are in the midst of a nationwide food supply crisis. An unhelpful blend of circumstances, such as Brexit and the pandemic, have delivered empty shelves, driver and labour shortages and, most recently, scenes of forced food wastage from fresh produce farmers across the UK.

of growing space all for basil. Next year we’ll open a second facility, JFC 2, which will hold 148,000sq ft of growing space, equal to 78 tennis courts and the biggest in the world. JFC 2 will take this far further, reducing the volume of international imports, increasing food security and shortening the supply chain.

I believe we can futureproof our farming industry; however, that traditional farming can adapt and new methods of farming can solve many of the most pressing issues we’re facing as a country and as a planet. When I began The Jones Food Company in 2017 there was relatively little known about the wider benefits of vertical farming; today we’ve come a long way but we’re still only in the foothills, and this sector still has a long way to go.

In the next 10 years, I really believe vertical farming as a whole will be producing as much as 70% of the UK's fresh produce. We’ve learned so much, our increasing scale leads to decreasing costs, our techno-know-how continues apace and the crop possibilities are truly endless. Currently we grow basil, but soon this will be herbs, fruits, cut flowers and vegetables, potentially even rice and wheat too. If the garden of England (our vertical farm) is in Kent today, I see no reason why every county in England and Scotland, and every country in the world can’t also have its own ‘garden’ in the near future.

The Jones Food Company currently runs Europe’s largest vertical farm which is 50,000 sq ft, on a site in Lincolnshire. Currently, we harvest on a daily basis, across 17 tiers, equating to 26 tennis courts

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COP 26

T he Jones Fo o d Com pa ny

The labour it will take to harvest these crops will be drastically lower, we just don’t need anything like the same number of people to harvest the same size of crop; at JFC2 for example, we’ll have just 16 people, two teams of eight, managing machinery and robots.

Traditionally we’ve been accused of being so energy-intensive that we undermine our own green credentials. Now however, things have changed; JFC2 will be powered solely by renewable energy solar panels, battery backup and wind. This means we can add total green energy use to other strong sustainable factors such as how much less water we use (95% less), how we use zero chemical pesticides and how our products can reach the end consumer after significantly fewer air and road miles.

issues like climate change force every country to reconsider its food supply and issues like Covid force every retailer to examine its supply chain – vertical farming wins against both.

Due to this vertical farming boom, and JFC’s position as a

In the next 10 years, I really believe vertical farming as a whole will be producing as much as 70% of the UK’s fresh produce. We’ve learned so much, our increasing scale leads to decreasing costs, our techno-know-how continues apace and the crop possibilities are truly endless.

It’s not just us who can see this potential, there are companies in the US, Germany, the Netherlands, the Middle East and Asia all working on ever-bigger facilities. This rapid growth is happening right now because

global leader in the sector, I have been invited to sit as one of the 26 COP26 summit ambassadors for the UK in November. The agriculture industry has a big part to play in reducing carbon emissions globally, the more we can educate on new

THE JONES FOOD COMPANY jonesfoodcompany.co.uk

methods of farming, the more they become the norm. This country has a long and proud tradition of innovating in farming, this is the latest slice of a long heritage… Britain is leading the way

and our vertical farming sector is good to grow.

My mission? To partner, share and collaborate with others who understand the need and the opportunity.

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COP 2 6

T he Ve rd a nc y Gro u p

HOW TO REACH AMBITIOUS NET ZERO TARGETS Steven Kiakowski, Director at sustainable training and consultancy company The Verdancy Group, discusses how to bring carbon emissions goals into fruition.

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That’s why COP26’s first goal - to encourage even more ambitious emissions reductions targets by 2030 - stands to be its most significant.

Previous COP events have seen governments committing to major emissions reduction targets, with countries like the UK enshrining net zero by 2050 targets into law (2045 in Scotland).

While historically governments have offered grace periods and leniency to businesses during times of reform, we’re not seeing a similar tolerance for missed net zero targets. Businesses who aren’t improving their green practices are already losing out on grants and bids. With the potential of even more stringent targets on the horizon, slashing business emissions is becoming all but essential.

he UN’s Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) will soon take place in Glasgow. The aim of this annual event - to encourage action on climate change - grows all the more imminent each year.

Businesses must take action to meet UK and global targets. But faced with immediate challenges like lockdowns and worker shortages, it’s easy to bury sustainable actions deep down in the to do list.

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What, then, can businesses do to take swift action and improve their green credentials?

COP 26

T he Verd anc y Gro u p

Define sustainable goals

Lead by example

Many businesses have standard green policies in place (transitioning to 100% renewable energy, converting transport fleets to electric, directing zero waste to landfill, and so on). While actions like these form the foundation of sustainable business practices, they’re not enough to make headway at the necessary rate. That's because, although wellmeaning, most businesses are not strategic in their approach to sustainability.

Organisations are composed of individuals, all of whom have a responsibility to act sustainably.

You might imagine that some companies are held back by a lack of engagement from their teams with green policies, but in our experience, there is plenty of goodwill from employees. Given the chance, people are usually keen to make a difference.

Sustainable policies must form part of a wider sustainability strategy, with an end goal in mind.

Before creating a plan, clear and achievable targets need to be identified.

While the goal of cutting emissions is common to all businesses, the way that works in practice will differ for everyone. Start by calculating your carbon footprint - get really clear on this, using accurate metrics rather than rough estimates. From there, you can set an emissions reduction target with a precise time frame.

Identify what's hindering progress While simple changes like installing motion sensor lighting can drastically reduce business emissions, it's the remaining emissions that can't be curbed by minor adjustments that we need to focus on.

That said, if management introduces new policies without themselves following suit, you can expect an emphatic decline in enthusiasm.

Consider what changes you are asking your team to make. Are you encouraging taking public transport while driving a petrol-fuelled car to work? Are you asking procurement teams to work with green suppliers while taking internal flights for business meetings?

Sustainable policies must form part of a wider sustainability strategy, with an end goal in mind.

Before creating a plan, clear and achievable targets need to be identified.

To inspire change, leadership must also embrace a green lifestyle.

Empower your team Are your new goals viable, or are they simply burdening your team without providing support?

While strategic sustainability policies can transform business carbon footprints, they will only come into fruition with your team's input.

Widespread changes, particularly in larger organisations, come with a plethora of logistical difficulties. By identifying these difficulties and dissecting what about them is limiting progress, you can begin to alleviate them.

Employee training has the capacity to totally transform your business for the better, helping you to achieve your strategic goals, whether that's identifying unsustainable practices or working with suppliers to lower emissions.

Recently, for example, we met with the CEO of a large construction company whose customers were looking for partners who could deliver projects without single-use plastics. When we probed about what checks the company had in place to eliminate single-use plastic from their procurement process, we found that there were none.

Introducing new green ways of living is an opportunity to empower your team both at work and in their personal lives.

While this might raise readers' eyebrows, this is not at all uncommon. Many companies have a sustainability goal in place, but haven't created a clear path to get there. When you identify your roadblocks, you can then create people-friendly measures to circumvent them.

STEVEN KIAKOWSKI Company Director The Verdancy Group theverdancygroup.com

Next steps Working with an environmental consultant can help you implement a sustainable strategy to slash your carbon emissions at pace.

The Verdancy Group provides consulting and training services to companies across Scotland and the wider UK. Visit www.theverdancygroup.com.

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COP 2 6

Trave l K now How

THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY: HOW WORKPLACES NEED TO BECOME AN ACTIVE PART OF THE SOLUTION. With COP26 in Glasgow just around the corner, there has never been a more crucial time for workplaces to take action on climate change.

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cotland is committed to achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.

Currently, domestic transport is responsible for the largest share, accounting for more than 25% of all Scotland’s emissions in 2019.

As workplaces across Scotland are developing their plans for net zero, it is critical that they understand the significance of transport emissions and the role that focusing on more active and

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sustainable modes of travel can play in reducing their carbon footprint.

2020/21 has demonstrated that, as a nation, we can change our travel behaviour and in many cases our working patterns too.

Now is the time to be planning ahead and understanding how you, as an employer, can encourage and support travel behaviour change

COP 26

Travel K now How

through implementing the right policies to support employees, reducing, where possible, the need to travel and where travel is required look at walking, cycling, public and shared transport options as the preferred modes.

Travelknowhow Scotland offers workplaces across Scotland FREE, easy access to a wide variety of travel planning solutions to help with the development and implementation of measures to engage with their employees in order to start changing travel behaviour.

and to support Scottish workplaces to create the positive change needed to reach the climate change targets.

For more information about workplace travel planning and how you can make the necessary changes in your workplace, get in touch with Shona Drummond at Travelknowhow Scotland at shona@ travelknowhowscotland.co.uk

TRAVEL KNOW HOW travelknowhowscotland.co.uk

The website offers: access to travel planning information and links to local resources; specialist travel planning advice; specialist marketing advice to aid employee engagement; practical hints and tips; and adaptable downloadable templates aimed at providing cost effective internal and external communications.

Travelknowhow Scotland is also part of Way to Work, meaning we are able to work with our Way to Work partners to offer multi modal advice

Travel Guidance Make sure that as an employer, you are aware of the most up to date government guidance on how to be safe when walking, wheeling, cycling, travelling in private vehicles or on public transport travel safely during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Visit www.transport.gov.scot You can also find us at: www.facebook.com/tkhscotland/ and www.linkedin.com/company/ travel-know-howscotland/

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COP 2 6 w jm

Fraser Gillies

FRASER GILLIES, MANAGING PARTNER AT WRIGHT, JOHNSTON & MACKENZIE LLP, DISCUSSES SOME OF THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN SUSTAINABILITY. With Glasgow set to play host this year to COP26, one of the most highly anticipated global events in recent years, it’s unsurprising that sustainability has leapt to the top of the agenda for many individuals and corporations.

W WJM wjm.co.uk

ith so much happening over the coming months in relation to renewables policy, it’s never been more important for businesses to keep on top of the latest developments. For example, the eagerly awaited Scottish Government’s National Planning Framework (NPF) is due to be published in draft imminently, setting out how the planning system will support the Government’s objectives and the net-zero target.

The Bute House Agreement is also of interest to the energy sector, with its commitment to an additional 8GW of installed onshore wind by 2030. It’s an ambitious target and I believe if we

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are to come close to achieving this, some difficult decisions will need to be made.

More collaboration between developers to reduce the number of overall onshore wind projects being consented to may well be the answer if we are to come close to reaching our 2030 target.

These are just some of the key areas of discussion which will be covered at Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie LLP’s renewables seminar, taking place on Thursday 4 November at Glasgow’s Royal Concert Hall. You can book your free place by emailing events@wjm.co.uk.

To find out more about WJM, go to wjm.co.uk.

Net zero with a net saving Decarbonise your energy Optimise energy costs Ensure compliance Recover lost revenue

Call

01253 789 816

Visit

www.biu.com

Optimising energy for industrial and commerical private sector businesess, and public sector organisations, across the UK, since 1997

Email

hello@biu.com

Optimising energy costs sustainably

BIU

CONFUSED ABOUT GETTING STARTED WITH NET ZERO? HELP IS AT HAND Philip Richards, senior strategic account manager at BiU, explains how his organisation gets businesses started on their net zero journey.

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quick glance at Google’s data shows us that the number of people searching the web for “net zero” has rocketed in the past couple of years. Since the UK made its 2019 pledge to hit net zero by 2050, over a third of the UK’s biggest businesses have made headlines with their commitments to climate action. But there is less publicity for the businesses that may be struggling

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with how to start, or which standard to align to – so it’s easy to think you’re the only one.

BiU works with clients at all stages of their net zero journey, from those who already have a clear roadmap and pathway to those who haven’t engaged with the concept at all, and everything in between.

BI U

Mapping exercise You can’t start a journey without knowing where you’re starting from, so a mapping exercise is essential. We go through every asset and operation of your business for scopes 1 and 2, and start to assess the extent of upstream and downstream greenhouse gases (GHGs), to compile an inventory in line with GHG Protocol.

At this stage, it’s crucial that we understand the boundaries of the business and the impact of change. For example, is the asset owned or leased?

Is this site shared? How will capacity issues and rising energy costs impact the electrification of fleet? The extent of the mapping is truly in-depth. Only once completed can we carry out a detailed assessment of the causes of your company’s emissions and recommend pathways to net zero.

Weighing up the options

option isn’t viable we are always realistic with the client; we take it back to the board and explore our secondary recommendations.

BiU doesn’t carry out the capital work ourselves, but we can call on a longstanding network of technical trusted partners. If a client’s policy requires the work to be put out to tender, our preferred contractor will go through the tender process but the ultimate choice will be the client’s.

Reviewing and improving The measures recommended by BiU and implemented by our trusted partners have helped UK businesses save thousands of tonnes of emissions. But these changes are just the start. We carry out regular reviews to see how the business is progressing on its net zero pathway, so that we can reassess and take action if things have gone off course, for example due to unplanned acquisitions or disposals of assets.

This process of continual assessment is necessary to keep up with business changes and ensure corrective measures are remedied or reassessed as part of the pathway.

Our goal is to help the client make the most informed decisions possible, making a technical assessment of abatement options, in line with net zero. We present the business with a variety of possible routes to net zero and our recommendations, including timeframes and capital/operational costs.

Our goal is to help the client make the most informed decisions possible, making a technical assessment of abatement options, in line with net zero. We present the business with a variety of possible routes to net zero and our recommendations, including timeframes and capital/operational costs. We guide executive boards through the options and the trade-off between upfront costs, efficacy of the solution, return on investment, public image and so on, to help with decision making.

Implementation The implementation stage starts with scrutinising the feasibility of each chosen pathway. Certain options may not be possible, for example, a heat pump may not be feasible because there is no way to install a compressor, or the u-values of the asset are not suitable for the technology. If a first-choice

PHILIP RICHARDS Senior Strategic Account Manager BiU biu.com

Mitigating the greenwash Your net zero strategy needs to be scientifically rigorous and stand up to scrutiny. But it is difficult for a business to be sure that it is meeting the correct standards without in-house expertise. BiU uses internationally accepted standards such as the GHG Protocol and can advise you on whether schemes such as the Science-Based Targets initiative are right for your business. We also work with an independent and international ISO/PAS verifier so that net zero claims can be backed up. To find out how we can help you get started on your net zero journey, contact us on hello@biu.com.

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CATAX

JETPACK DESIGNED FOR RENEWABLES INDUSTRY SHOWS THE POWER OF GRANTS The grand unveiling of a jetpack designed to support the renewable wind industry has thrown a spotlight on how grant funding will continue to shape the UK’s net zero future.

Maverick Aviation (left-r)MattDenton & AntonyQuinn

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rime Minister Boris Johnson has committed the UK to getting all its electricity from renewable sources by 2035.

The announcement at the Tory party conference last week underlines how Britain will need thousands of new pieces of tech to make that ambition a reality.

One company that is ahead of the game is Maverick Aviation.

The company is a fantastic example of how grant funding can kickstart game-changing projects.

The start-up recently revealed a prototype jetpack to the world — a futuristic, Bond-style gadget whose very creation was inspired by the difficulties engineers encounter inspecting and maintaining wind turbines.

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Work on these hard-to-reach assets — both onshore and off-shore — is normally facilitated by helicopters, which are both expensive and heavily polluting.

Maverick’s jetpack, on the other hand, is small, versatile and is powered by sustainable fuel.

One of the keys to its early-stage development was grant funding. The firm received £97,000 for early stage development from Innovate UK Sustainable Innovation Funding Call, with the help of grant consultants Catax.

The jetpack was the brainchild of Hollywood animatronics expert Matt Denton and Royal Navy Commander Antony Quinn. Denton, Maverick’s CTO, is well regarded for his work on animatronics and control systems, having worked on numerous

CATAX

Star Wars movies that saw him develop the BB-8 droid from 2015’s Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

He also worked on Jurassic World and Harry Potter movies, The Prisoner of Azkaban and The Goblet of Fire.

The jetpack uses a unique Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) system and is designed to be operated hands-free. It can even be reconfigured as a heavy-lift drone capable of being operated remotely.

Antony Quinn, CEO and co-founder of Maverick Aviation, said: “I realised that the growing onshore and offshore wind industry really needed a solution like this. Their engineers climb up ladders inside these structures for hours each day and, in an emergency situation, it’s almost impossible to get down quickly. Drones can be useful for inspections, but in many circumstances you need to get an engineer up there.

“Before, people would have used a £30m helicopter to perform some simple tasks, but we can offer a more tailored solution at a fraction of the cost.”

Maverick is solving one of the more niche requirements of the renewable energy industry but grant funding is pouring into the space and targeting areas that will change all our lives.

able to explain clearly how the money invested will be used, what difference it will make to the organisation concerned and how advances will benefit the wider industry.

“There’s going to be an environmental angle to the vast majority of grants over the next two decades,” says Karen Taylor, Group Head of Grants at Catax.

“It will be impossible for governments around the world to hit their net zero targets without them.

“While seismic technological advancements and scientific discoveries grab headlines, there are often hundreds more smaller projects that make all the progress on green issues possible. Many of these companies will think size is a barrier to getting funded and making progress, but it’s simply not the case. While it is very difficult to get 100% funded for a project, there’s a significant pipeline of green/net zero/energy saving grants coming through that businesses of all sizes can benefit from.

“Over the last few months, I have seen a sharp increase in the number of applications with a focus on green energy, supporting the drive for net zero, from digital platforms for carbon capture and energy saving products to eco pods and water saving toilet flush systems. We’ve also had success with a number of clients in the hydrogen sector under the Innovate UK Smart programme and heat pump specialists responding to funding calls from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).”

“Before, people would have used a £30m helicopter to perform some simple tasks, but we can offer a more tailored solution at a fraction of the cost.”

Other areas that are hot property for grants, both from Innovate UK and Horizon Europe, the EU-run research and innovation programme which UK companies can still participate in, include: carbon capture and storage energy efficient buildings green fuels green aerospace electric vehicles and battery technology and green packaging There are hundreds of schemes run every year that deliver millions of pounds into the hands of industries specifically chosen because they have a significant contribution to make to the environment and economy through innovation and technological advances.

Grant applications are competitive and often complex. It’s important that applicants are

CATAX catax.com

It is worth remembering that a project that receives state aid grant funding cannot then claim SME R&D tax relief. However, this does not mean tax relief is not available. Legislation allows these companies to claim Research & Development Expenditure Credit (RDEC) instead. It is not as generous but does allow a project funded by a state aid grant to have some additional R&D tax relief too.

Rebates for Covid Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) are also considered state aid. If you claimed SSP for someone involved in a project who was sick during the project duration, this will exclude you from making the more generous SME claim and you would instead have to apply under RDEC.

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R E CYC LI N G

RESEARCH CENTRE SEEKS TO RECYCLE CO2 INTO SUSTAINABLE RAW MATERIALS The Novo Nordisk Foundation has awarded €84.7 million for a new research centre to help reduce the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and create CO2 recycling technologies.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Centre will be based at Aarhus University in Denmark with six satellite institutions in the United States, Norway, Germany and the Netherlands.

Curbing the rise in global temperature requires more than reducing emissions of CO2. It is also necessary to extract CO2 from the atmosphere and recycle it in products that are currently based on carbon extracted from fossil fuels such as oil and coal.

The Centre will look at innovative solutions which will enable CO2 to be captured, processed and recycled as raw materials in new products.

Its interdisciplinary platform will combine various scientific fields such as chemistry, the life sciences and systems analysis, paving the way for scalable technologies that can efficiently capture and recycle CO2. Currently, there is no comparable research centre in the world.

For example, researchers will look at producing precursors for plastic from water, CO2 and electrons created by processing the captured CO2 with bacteria and electrochemistry. This may help replace fossil feedstocks such as oil and coal in producing plastic.

A facility will also be developed that uses microorganisms to convert CO2 into fuel. In this

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case, CO2 could also replace the use of fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.

It is hoped the Centre will accelerate developments in these areas so that technological solutions that currently look like distant dreams can become reality within a few years.

Foundation CEO Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen said: “The Novo Nordisk Foundation CO2 Research Centre sets out to become a powerhouse in our struggle against the global climate crisis. We need to act quickly and develop solutions that can help not only to reduce the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere but also convert the harmful CO2 into valuable raw materials that can replace oil and coal, thereby creating negative CO2 emissions.”

Funding has been approved for the next seven years. Work starts on the Centre shortly and it is expected to become operational from January 2022.

The Novo Nordisk Foundation is an independent Danish foundation with corporate interests. Its vision is to contribute significantly to research and development that improves the lives of people and the sustainability of society.

More information at novonordiskfonden.dk/en

RECY CL I NG

CIRCULAR ECONOMY START-UP JOINS COHORT X Edinburgh-based circular economy start-up, Reath, has been awarded a coveted spot in Elemental Excelerator’s portfolio - the global non-profit accelerator for climate technologies.

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ased in the U.S., Elemental operates globally and is led by CEO Dawn Lippert. This year, just 19 companies were selected for Cohort X, including Reath, which has developed the world's first Open Data Standard (reuse.id) to help companies adopt reusable/refillable packaging systems.

Recognising the cutting-edge research Reath has conducted to date on the urgent need for standardisation in creating scalable reusable packaging systems, Elemental will invest $300,000 to help Reath deploy and scale its pioneering technology.

The investment comes as Reath continues to gain traction among reuse brands like Bower Collective and international retailers such as Marks & Spencers, which it is currently helping to transition its zerowaste grocery system from paper-based to fullydigital systems - saving time and increasing accuracy.

Backed by Innovate UK, Tech Nation and Founders Factory, Reath recently raised a pre-seed funding round from Techstart VC and CVC Philanthropy.Co-founder Claire Rampen said: “We are looking forward to being part of the Elemental Cohort X, and leveraging Elemental’s support to help more businesses transition from linear to circular economy systems.”

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R E CYC LI N G S e a f ie ld s

SEAWEED IS RADICAL NEW WEAPON AGAINST CO2

A UK-based aquaculture business aims to remove billions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere each year by growing and harvesting floating seaweed in the Atlantic Ocean.

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RECY CL I NG S e af ield s

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R E CYC LI N G S e a f ie ld s

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eafields is developing and testing new technologies focused on growing and capturing Sargassum, a seaweed that has escaped its normal environment in the Sargasso Sea and exploded in growth in the last two decades.

The company has set out how it intends to remove over 1Gt (one billion metric tonnes) of CO2 from the atmosphere each year by 2025.

Its approach, which will be showcased at COP26, will radically tackle the challenge of climate change.

It includes the tracking, harvesting, baling and storage of Sargassum grown in aqua-farms in the South Atlantic Ocean gyres.

Baling and storing large quantities of the seaweed in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, if done correctly, will trap its physical carbon away for thousands of years. Research is currently ongoing to define the best way to do this without damaging the ecosystem. Once the process is set up, it will tackle past as well as ongoing emissions, which Seafields plans to sell via offset credits in the voluntary carbon market to help reach a net zero society.

The company will also extract valuable products from the seaweed - before sinking it - to substitute

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currently fossil-fuel based products and avoid emissions. To support this process, Seafields has announced a strategic partnership with Puerto Rico-based C-Combinator, industry leaders in refining seaweed for use as alternatives to plastic, building materials, furniture filler, rubber and other consumer products.

Following COP26, Seafields will focus on developing a pilot project in Cape Verde to test upwelling pipes which transport ocean nutrients from the deep sea to the surface, a crucial aspect in growing Sargassum. The company, which is due to launch an investment round later this year, then plans to begin aquafarming operations by 2023.

Seafields’ founder Sebastian Stephens, who also set up SubSea Environmental Services, devised the idea after seeing the impact of thousands of tonnes of detached Sargassum washing up on the shores of the Caribbean. The company’s executive team is comprised of top global scientific and business figures, including Randall Purcell, who managed the UN Food Programme’s largest climate adaptation programme; Dr. Mar FernándezMéndez, a marine microbiology expert who has participated in several ocean research expeditions including artificial upwelling experiments; and

RECY CL I NG S e af ield s

John Auckland, an experienced entrepreneur who has helped more than 90 companies raise over £60m in investment funding.

Dr Mar Fernández, Seafields’ Chief Scientific Officer, said: “While tree-planting and other landbased initiatives are all making a contribution, the ocean represents 70 per cent of the Earth’s surface and offers us the best possible solution in addressing climate change. With carefully managed processes in place, we can cultivate Sargassum offshore by irrigating the surface with nutrient-rich deep waters. Pelagic Sargassum is a seaweed that is unique in its ability to float freely and sequester carbon efficiently due to its rapid growth rate and high carbon to nitrogen ratio.

“We will store compressed bales of Sargassum in selected places at the seafloor to ensure long-term removal of billions of tonnes of carbon from the atmosphere without creating an environmental burden on the deep

sea. Aquafarming will also promote the restoration of marine ecosystems, helping many ocean species to survive and thrive, and produce seaweed which can be utilised to create useful and sustainable consumer goods.”

John Auckland said: “Seafields is the most exciting idea I’ve seen in terms of its potential for tackling the climate emergency. By sustainably growing Sargassum, we will use the vast space available in the ocean to meet the coming demand for carbon credits over the next two decades, while also removing billions of tonnes of CO2 from our atmosphere. This is the ocean equivalent of planting trees across the entire Sahara Desert.

SEAFIELDS seafields.eco

“We look forward to showcasing our solution to delegates at the COP26 conference in Glasgow and then focusing on successfully completing our pilot project off the coast of Cape Verde.”

COLDPLAY’S SUSTAINABLE TOUR Top band Coldplay have chosen Seafields to help make their upcoming Music Of The Spheres Tour as sustainable and low-carbon as possible. The tour’s three key principles are: Reduce consumption, recycle extensively and cut its CO2 emissions by 50%; Reinvent by supporting new green technologies and developing new sustainable, super-low carbon touring methods; and Restore by making the tour as environmentally beneficial as possible by funding a portfolio of nature, and technology-based projects and drawing down significantly more CO2 than the tour produces. Coldplay has also pledged to donate 10% of total earnings from the tour into a good causes fund, which includes Seafields.

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BEE 1

BEE1 SENDS 20,000 WELSH BEES TO LONDON’S PALL MALL Bee1, a Welsh-based business which offers corporate social responsibility solutions, has sent 20,000 bees to the Institute of Directors’ headquarters at 116 Pall Mall. The bees, which travelled from Neath to London, have settled into their new home in this iconic building and will play a part in a diverse CSR campaign.

The bees will pollinate approximately 200 million local plants, as well as provide educational opportunities for local schools and beekeeping training for IoD staff members.

Jonathan Geldart, the Director General of the Institute of Directors, said: “Bees are one of the most important animals on the planet, but their numbers are plummeting rapidly. I am delighted that we are able to play a small part in protecting bees and the vital role they play in the natural ecosystem.

“Quite apart from the environmental, educational and wellbeing benefits the bees will bring, I am also excited by the prospect of IoD members being able to enjoy honey made by our own little captains of industry.”

Mark Douglas, Bee1’s Founder and Chief Beekeeper, is equally as thrilled to have formed this positive partnership.

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“I’m delighted that the IOD has chosen Bee1 as their CSR partner. Using a combination of sustainability, support for local schools, the local environment and staff wellbeing we came up with a suitable solution. Plus of course some Bees!

“Seeing organisations such as iOD showing such commitment to sustainability is what it’s all about!

The bees have settled in nicely and it’s great to see the iOD team displaying such passion and interest in beekeeping.”

NEWS

CLIMATE ACTION COURSE FOR CITY SMEs Applications have opened for a free course aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses in the City of London play their part in tackling global warming.

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he course – Climate 4 SMEs: 4 Steps to Action – is open to businesses of between nine and 249 employees which are either based in or operate in the Square Mile.

Funded by the City of London Corporation and run by responsible business charity Heart of the City, it will introduce firms to practical ways in which they can reduce their carbon footprint, learning from experts in the field.

The course will get businesses ready to be net zero in four modules, introducing them to the principles of sustainability, guiding them through jargon and giving them the chance to meet representatives from other SMEs in a similar position .Participants will be supported to devise an action plan for their business, to make a

commitment to become net zero by 2040 and to disclose their progress every year.

More information at theheartofthecity.com/ membership/climate-for-smes-4-steps-to-action

STRATEGY FOR ‘A WORLD BEYOND WASTE’ A five-year strategy from the Chartered Institution of Wastes Management (CIWM) outlines how it will help shape the future of waste, recycling and resource management.

3. Advocating with an authoritative voice

‘Leading the Way to a World beyond Waste’ will help the UK waste and recycling sector promote more sustainable consumption, minimise waste and protect the world’s environment and resources for future generations. This is in line with CIWM’s mission to support its professional community to lead, influence and deliver the science, strategies, businesses and policies for the sustainable management of resources and waste.

6. Leading through excellence

Developed in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the strategy focuses on six key themes: 1. Pioneering professional standards 2. Nurturing innovation

4. Enhancing engagement and connectivity 5. Cultivating communities of practice

CIWM president, Dr Adam Read, said: “It is clear we cannot continue to live in a world that uses 60 per cent more resources than the Earth is capable of regenerating. This strategy positions CIWM at the forefront of the movement towards a world which consumes more sustainably, minimises waste and protects its environment and resources for future generations. ‘Leading the Way to a World Beyond Waste’ seeks to support the rebalance of resources and accelerate the move to more efficient and circular economies.”

View the strategy at ciwm.co.uk/ciwm/ciwmstrategy.aspx

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E N E R GY

E de n U t i l i t ie s

SUSTAINABILITY IS THE WORD AT EDEN UTILITIES Take the stress out of managing your business utilities by handing them over to Eden Utilities, the energy market specialists who care.

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den Utilities offer a personal and personable service for all your energy needs. Their flexible end-to-end solutions include procurement, forensic invoice validation, energy cost risk management, total cost utility management and reporting.

With their special emphasis on green solutions, Eden Utilities will take care of as much or as little of your company portfolio as you want, so that you can focus on what matters most… running your business with peace of mind. For example, the team can: handle your utility procurement needs help you save money on an ongoing basis through auditing, consumption monitoring and advanced budgeting take full control of your utilities It’s entirely up to you!

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CEO Mark Chipol explains, “Value and efficiency are the most important issues for companies when it comes to finding the best energy deal, but there is so much more interest now in getting the best green deals too. Sustainability is a core value for industry today – not just for our clients, but for their customers and shareholders too.”

Mark adds, “Being ‘sustainable’ can seem difficult and expensive, but our support allows clients to make informed decisions about clean energy deals which are presented in a wholly transparent way. Transparency and trust are core values in everything we do.

“For example, our Eden Infinity product is a circular economy solution, tailored specifically for business. It involves recycling a company’s waste and using the electricity generated from that process to supply back to the company, in effect supporting the generation of your own power in a

EN ERGY

E den U t i li t ie s

whether it’s reducing costs, switching supplier, or simply going ‘greener’, we can definitely help.”

Being ‘sustainable’ can seem difficult and expensive, but our support allows clients to make informed decisions about clean energy deals which are presented in a wholly transparent way.

clean, environmentally friendly way, plus there’s no large investment in time and money and even no need to change your waste collector. Everything is managed for you from the signature of an electricity supply contract.

“Our team is very knowledgeable about the challenges and pressures faced by our clients on a day-to-day basis. They are here to chat through your requirements and help you manage costs efficiently and effectively. Whatever your goal –

Eden Utilities tracks wholesale energy markets to ensure that energy is bought at optimum timing.

“It’s a bit like buying shares. We monitor the rates to ensure that we get the best value and pricing on the market.”

Mark has over 25 years of experience in the utilities industry, and founded his independent company seven years ago. The company has grown massively in that time but their ethos has never changed. “We pride ourselves on building quality relationships with every single one of our customers, who range from SMEs to leading multi-nationals. In fact, many are personal friends now, and we have got a lot of new business largely through word-of-mouth recommendations!

“Most importantly, we pride ourselves on the transparency and honesty of our practices. We believe that all our clients, no matter how big or small, deserve the same quality service; essentially the concerns and requirements are the same, when to buy, how to buy, who to appoint and for how long; it’s just the consumption that’s different.

Eden Utilities offers a range of services, so that you get the best price and the best value. Plus, we are definitely not a sales company, so there is no missselling risk, and any commission earned is always disclosed.”

MARK CHIPOL Managing Director Eden Utilities edenutilities.com

Find out more at edenutilities.com or email info@edenutilities.com

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E N E R GY

Nat ion a l Gr id

LONGEST UNDER-SEA GREEN ELECTRICITY CABLE GOES LIVE The world’s longest under-sea electricity cable was switched on in early October, allowing Norway and UK to share renewable energy.

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he North Sea Link stretches 450 miles (725km) from Blyth in Northumberland to the village of Kvilldal, in Norway. Its current maximum capacity of 700 megawatts (MW) will gradually increase to full 1400 MW capacity of 1400 by the end of the year.

NATIONAL GRID nationalgrid.com

According to the National Grid, the Link can import enough hydro-power to supply 1.4million homes, helping to reduce the UK’s carbon emissions by 23 million tonnes by 2030,

National Grid has four other power cables running to Belgium, France and the Netherlands; it’s anticipated that 90% of energy imported in this way will be from zero carbon sources by 2030.

We had to go through mountains, fjords and across the North Sea to make this happen.

National Grid Ventures president Cordi O'Hara said the Link was a "remarkable feat of engineering". She added: "We had to go through mountains, fjords and across the North Sea to make this happen. But as we look forward to COP26, North Sea Link (NSL) is also a great

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example of two countries working together to maximise their renewable energy resources for mutual benefit."

Hydropower in Norway and wind power in the UK are subject to weather conditions and fluctuations in demand.

When wind generation is high in the UK but demand is low, extra renewable power will be exported to Norway. When demand is high in the UK but wind generation is low, hydropower will be imported from Norway.

The Link took six years to build at a cost of £1.6 billion.

EN ERGY

T he B ay Te chnolo g y Centre

ENERGY-POSITIVE CENTRE ON SCHEDULE IN PORT TALBOT A new Welsh energy-positive technology centre is on schedule for completion by December.

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he Bay Technology Centre, in Neath Port Talbot, includes sustainable features such as specialist photovoltaic panels made to look like cladding, and a ‘thermal mass’ of exposed precast floor slabs to store and transfer heat from the building.

Construction was timed to avoid disruption to local wildlife, and landscaping will include a mix of grass and wildflowers to the site.

The council-backed £7.9m three-storey office and laboratory space offers units for start-up companies, local businesses and inward investors.

Integrated Energy Systems Project (FLEXIS) and the TWI Technology Centre (Wales).

The area has strong links with academia, and a number of established innovation research centres, specialising in hydrogen, energy systems, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Construction was timed to avoid disruption to local wildlife, and landscaping will include a mix of grass and wildflowers to the site.

Neath Port Talbot has a number of developments under way which support innovation and low carbon growth, including SPECIFIC, (an innovation and knowledge centre), the Hydrogen Research Centre, The Flexible

A council spokesperson said: “We are close to completing a state-ofthe-art, hybrid building the design of which ties in perfectly with the council’s Decarbonisation and Renewable Energy (DARE) Strategy for a cleaner, greener future for everyone.”

THE BAY TECHNOLOGY CENTRE npt.gov.uk

The initiative has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Welsh Government and UK Government through the £58.7m Supporting Innovation and Low Carbon Growth Programme, part of the £1.8bn Swansea Bay City Deal regional investment project.

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E N VI RON ME N T j pa wor k s pace s

MORE THAN SIMPLY FURNITURE… Is it time to look past the furniture purchased for projects and re-visit your furniture providers? How do they support your organisation’s environmental and social targets and aspirations post-covid?

At JPA Workspaces, we are passionate about the environment and community. Our core business is the planning and refurbishment of office, hospitality, educational, and healthcare environments that cut the carbon cost of furniture works whilst optimising the wellbeing and productivity of occupants.

Our designs achieve a lower environmental impact alongside higher economic and social impacts.

Carbon Neutral Installations JPA take a different, and perhaps surprising, approach to business, with a holistic approach to furniture supply – it’s so much more than simply the furniture provided. Every aspect of the business is aimed at reducing the carbon impact of products and services.

Local operation enables significantly reduced carbon miles associated with account management, planning and installation activities whilst also enabling provision of better service. Most clients are within an hour’s travelling time of our head

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office in St Albans, with key accounts based North London and Home Counties.

JPA projects, deliveries and installations are Carbon Neutral and we are also externally certified as a Carbon Reduced organisation.

Net Zero by 2030 Pledge Read more about JPA’s public pledge to carbon zero by 2030 here: camdencca.org/climate-pledgesignatory-jpa-workspaces-where-nothinggoes-to-waste/?signed=true

New For Old – one less headache When specifying furniture JPA seamlessly incorporate the removal and clearance of redundant furniture ensuring nothing goes to landfill. Redundant items are re-used, disassembled for component re-use or dismantled for materials recycling.

This immediately reduces the carbon cost of the project and improves clients’ environmental performance.

EN V IRO N MENT jpa work s pace s

Eliminating Furniture Landfill As well as reducing the carbon cost of clients’ refurbishment and re-location works, JPA have also eliminated their furniture landfill.

They make sure that every item of redundant furniture and packaging from completed works is recycled for materials recovery. NOTHING goes to landfill which is really important due to its really nasty impacts.

To date JPA have recycled over 25,104 unwanted furniture items, eliminating over 584 landfill tonnes and 788 tonnes co2e.

Sustainable Projects Our latest completed Carbon Neutral installation is at Rothamsted Research with the launch of the refurbished Russell Building. Not only has this included the planning and supply of new furniture but additionally the inclusion of second life furniture seamlessly into design –you would never know.

Project work is also sustainable in terms of total lifecycle approach, soft landings programmes and development of long-term meaningful relationships with clients. We seek to add value through ongoing site support and services long after the furniture has been installed.

Resource Maximisation – a More Circular Approach JPA identify existing furniture items that could be incorporated into new designs before specifying new. Our fully trained fitting teams can dismantle and reconfigure existing furniture, replacing damaged parts and topping up with new as needed for updated designs and layouts.

By offering a full range of repair, refresh, reupholstery and reconfiguration services we ensure that clients’ furniture is kept in optimal condition for longer, maximising original investment.

integration whilst also reducing landfill and waste – a double win.

To date, JPA have re-homed over 4490 redundant furniture items in local organisations enabling valuable funds to be spent elsewhere.

Zero Single Use Plastic Packaging JPA remove all product packaging from site installations and ensure that it is either re-used or recycled. Nothing goes to landfill. Additionally, we ensure that any packaging bags and blankets we buy are manufactured from recycled materials and then themselves re-used many times.

Furniture Industry Sustainability Programme - FISP JPA have been certified FISP members since 2012. Created in 2006 FISP is recognised as the benchmark for sustainable practices in the UK furniture industry and widely referenced by procurement teams and furniture specifiers as a key part of an organisation’s sustainable procurement policy.

FISP has rapidly become established as the furniture industry forum on all environmental and sustainability issues. These issues relate to all aspects of the industry’s business from purchasing and procurement right through to end of product life, including social, ethical and employment concerns as well as waste, energy and emissions.

Is your furniture dealer FISP certified?

FIONA EDWARDS​ HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY f.edwards@jpa-workspaces.com jpa-workspaces.com

It’s time for organisations to make more informed decisions about the carbon and waste costs of their refurbishment works.

Visit our website to read more about our sustainability practices and feel free to get in touch if your organisation would like to reduce the carbon cost of your furniture related refurbishment works – we’d love to hear from you.

Waste audits are completed to make sure that we can rehome any still-fit-for-task redundant furniture items with local community and charitable organisations. This provides a valuable community service and meaningful local

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E N VI RON ME N T Nat ion a l Pa r k s

GLOBAL FUNDING POURS INTO UK NATIONAL PARKS With COP26 just around the corner, the UK’s National Parks and global impact firm Palladium have announced a number of pioneering deals for nature restoration projects in the UK, under the name Revere.

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evere aims to restore natural habitats at scale with private capita, designing projects with National Parks teams and land managers.

The UK has 15 National Parks spread through England, Wales and Scotland. They contain almost a quarter (24%) of the UK’s peatland, offering a significant opportunity for carbon storage.

But the UK’s peatlands are mostly degraded with just one fifth remaining in a nearnatural state.

Raising private capital to fund the restoration, initial private sector funders include Santander UK, Gatwick Airport, Capita and Southern Co-op, plus additional investment from the National Lottery and DEFRA.

as creating verified carbon credits, with the support of Santander UK. The conversion of hundreds of acres of arable farmland in the South Downs National Park to woodland pasture. The restoration will be funded through the sale of carbon, biodiversity and water quality outcomes and is being supported by Gatwick and Southern Co-op.

Taking effective action on climate change is urgent. In the short term, the answer is nature, while in the long term we need innovation. In both cases, investment at scale is necessary. There isn’t time for small-scale interventions anymore.

The projects generate revenue through the sale of ecosystem services, creating new income streams for farmers and landowners seeking to improve the quality of landscapes and support biodiversity.

Revere will fund several pilots, including: The restoration of degraded peatland in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland which will generate revenues for landowners as well

Farmers in the Esk Valley in the North Yorkshire Moors National Park are working to restore habitats and deliver natural flood defence improvements.

In the New Forest National Park, arable land is being restored to woodland to generate nitrate reduction and improvements in biodiversity.

Jose Maria Ortiz, Palladium managing director, said: “Taking effective action on climate change is urgent. In the short term, the answer is nature, while in the long term we need innovation. In both cases, investment at scale is necessary. There isn’t time for small-scale interventions anymore. The time is now for bold investments in nature with potential risks, because the alternative is continuing to destroy our planet.”

NATIONAL PARKS nationalparks.uk

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E N VI RON ME N T JV E ne r ge n

THE FUTURE IS GREEN CO₂ Green CO₂ from a Dorset farm marks the launch of a pioneering model for the UK’s CO₂ industry, and aims to ensure there is no repeat of the industry-wide shortages experienced in 2018.

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V Energen’s new CO₂ capture facility, at Rainbarrow Farm, supplies the ‘green’ CO₂ to their new joint venture business BioCarbonics Ltd, from a full-scale Anaerobic Digestion (AD) and biomethane-to-grid plant. The result is a clean, sustainably sourced product for local businesses.

The high-quality food and beverage grade product is used for carbonation of bottled and canned drinks, in distribution to pubs for on-site carbonation of beers, ciders and ales, and in horticulture to stimulate photosynthesis for the better production of fruit and vegetables, as well as other various applications.

JV ENERGEN jvenergen.co.uk

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“BioCarbonics is changing that by relying on multiple, smaller sources of green CO₂, which is recovered from biomethane production, where clean, green feedstocks are being converted into green gas for use in the national gas network to heat local homes and businesses.

To safeguard against CO₂ shortages, Rainbarrow Farm is one of two facilities in BioCarbonics’ growing network. The other facility, located in Herefordshire, has been active since June 2019. Together, these two facilities produce over 40 lorries per month of green liquid CO₂.

“To safeguard against CO₂ shortages, Rainbarrow Farm is one of two facilities in BioCarbonics’ growing network. The other facility, located in Herefordshire, has been active since June 2019. Together, these two facilities produce over 40 lorries per month of green liquid CO₂.”

Championed by The Prince of Wales, Rainbarrow Farm AD plant was the UKs first commercial biomethane-to-grid plant, currently generating enough gas to reach 7,500 houses mid-winter and over 100,000 houses in summer, five times the population of Dorchester. Biogas produced at Rainbarrow Farm was first cleaned and injected as biomethane into the national gas network on 11 October 2012.

As well as the CO₂ being utilised locally, the digestate byproduct is used as an organic, peat free, nutrient soil enricher called ‘Bloomin Amazing ™’, which is bagged as a soil enricher for sale to over 350 garden centres, and helps local farmers significantly reduce reliance on artificial fertilisers.

Christopher Carson, BioCarbonics managing director, explains: “Most of the CO₂ used in the UK comes from industrial fossil fuel processes with a historically unreliable continuity of supply.

The management is actively looking to find other AD biomethane to grid producers who are interested in supplying CO₂ to BioCarbonics to help grow this network.

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The Prince of Wales opened the CO₂ capture facility at Rainbarrow Farm, Dorset, in the summer.

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POLICY NEEDED FOR CLIMATE ACTION IN UK ARABLE SECTOR The British arable sector offers many solutions to the climate challenge, but it needs the right policy environment if it is to fulfil its potential when it comes to preventing and managing the impacts of climate change, says the NFU.

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peaking at the Cereals event in the summer, NFU President Minette Batters discussed the important role growers have to play in tackling climate change, the opportunities climate mitigation can offer arable businesses and the challenges faced.

NFU nfuonline.com

Mrs Batters said: “The crops grown in the UK form the very basis of our diets, producing the raw ingredients for the nation’s pantry staples, but their significance does not end there. I truly believe that British farming businesses can be global leaders in climate-resilient food production and the arable sector is at the core of this.

One challenge we face is around building climate resilience, both on a national scale and on an individual farm business basis to give our businesses the best chance of surviving and thriving in the future.

“As we look down the road to net zero, growers have a rare ability to fuel the bioeconomy and have a positive impact on decarbonisation within both farming and other sectors. Our arable farmers are also uniquely placed to capture carbon through soil management, such as through green cover crops or reduced tillage systems, and it’s so important that government schemes such as the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) properly incentivise, support and reward this type of work.

“It’s really exciting that we will start to see E10 at petrol stations in a few months’ time and

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there will be further opportunities for farmers to direct more land and by-products into biomass production, renewable energy and carbon capture.

It’s important that the contribution farmers can make toward the UK’s national net zero target by avoiding fossil fuel emissions and driving crucial greenhouse gas removal is recognised and encouraged in the government’s upcoming biomass strategy.

“But while our national and industry net zero ambitions will provide a variety of economic opportunities for growers, we can’t underestimate the challenges that will come with it.

“One challenge we face is around building climate resilience, both on a national scale and on an individual farm business basis to give our businesses the best chance of surviving and thriving in the future.

“But perhaps the biggest challenge of all will be how we actually value carbon and the services farming as an industry can provide. This is a hugely complex area and one which needs global collaboration and uptake, which is why our trade policy must also align itself to our net zero ambitions, otherwise we risk undermining the good work here and exporting our carbon footprint abroad.”

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E N VI RON ME N T

T he Jone s Fo o d Compa ny

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T he Jones Fo o d Com pa ny

WORLD’S LARGEST VERTICAL FARM IS THE NEW ‘GARDEN OF ENGLAND’ The world’s largest vertical farm is taking root in Gloucestershire.

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T he Jone s Fo o d Compa ny

CGI of the world’s largest vertical farm, under construction in Gloucestershire.

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he Jones Food Company (JFC) – already the owner of Europe’s largest vertical farm near Scunthorpe – broke ground on the pioneering new development last month.

The new multi-million pound farm, in Lydney, will offer 148,000sq ft of growing space, comfortably making it the world’s largest vertical farm. It will be approximately the same size as almost 70 tennis courts and capable of supplying 1000 tonnes plus of fresh produce to thousands of UK supermarkets.

Our food supply chain is under significant stress, and with empty supermarket shelves and shortages of foods increasingly common place, vertical farming is undoubtedly a vital part of the UK’s and the world’s farming future.

Founder and COP26 climate ambassador James Lloyd-Jones explained: “With this new facility we further accelerate Britain’s position as a world leader when it comes to vertical farming.

We already supply thousands of British retail stores with basil grown in our first facility in Lincolnshire but this new site, which is three times bigger, will allow us to supply tens of thousands more stores and to widen our product offer with our partners.”

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The Jones Food Company was founded in 2017, opened its Lincolnshire facility in 2018 and secured backing from The Ocado Group in 2019. The new facility, dubbed JFC2, will open in early 2022 and supply supermarkets across the UK. James added: “Our food supply chain is under significant stress, and with empty supermarket shelves and shortages of foods increasingly common place, vertical farming is undoubtedly a vital part of the UK’s and the world’s farming future.

“Given what we’re already doing, the world-leading technology we have and the intensely pressing need for more sustainable forms of farming over coming decades, we plan to be able to supply 70 per cent of the UK’s fresh produce within the next ten years.

“From an environmental perspective, vertical farming allows us to grow in 17 layers, so every acre becomes seventeen times more productive. It allows us to grow entirely without pesticides and

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T he Jones Fo o d Com pa ny

using 95 per cent less water. And it means we can significantly reduce the air and road miles of the foods we grow.

“But vertical farming doesn’t just make environmental sense, it makes economic sense too. Scale is vital in order to create a cost base that allows us to deliver delicious, healthy herbs, salad leaves, cut flowers, fruit and veg at a price the average shopper also really likes. This second facility further cements our ability to do this.

“And this isn’t the end, we fully anticipate more facilities in other parts of country and around the world in coming years.

“We believe, through the latest vertical farming technology, the ‘garden of England’ can now grow in Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Yorkshire, Argyll, Fermanagh and pretty much any other county in

With its much more sustainable methods, the farm can grow 365 days per year, use much less water, zero chemical pesticides, and products have far less distance to travel to market.

this country or any other, providing sustainable solutions for the UK’s food chain. We’ve learnt so much, had such strong backing and have such amazing technology that we now believe we can replicate and replicate and replicate.

“I accept we’re currently a small part of the UK’s agriculture industry, but this move makes us mainstream, it makes us a really significant player in this country. And you only have to look at Germany, the Netherlands, the United States, across the Middle East and Asia to see this is a global movement, revolutionising the way the world grows produce – vertical farming is the future.

“Building the world’s biggest vertical farm puts the UK at the vanguard of this global movement – we’re leading the world’s vertical farming revolution.” as much space or any chemical pesticides or herbicides.

The product mix at JFC2 includes:

Growing hydroponically means growing all year round; in other words, growing outside the traditional UK season and/or growing crops which don’t suit our climate/terrain.

Mint

Vertical farming almost completely removes the need for the resources which are designed to mitigate the external environment and the weather. By bringing growth indoors and taking away the wind, darkness, rain, and pests; growing no longer needs as much water,

Dill

Parsley Coriander

Rocket

THE JONES FOOD COMPANY jonesfoodcompany.co.uk

Spinach Mixed salad (exact varieties tbc)

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NE T Z E RO Gre e n P r i nt

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N ET ZERO Gre e n P r i nt

GLASGOW’S £30BN GREENPRINT OPEN FOR INVESTMENT COP26 host, the City of Glasgow, has launched a £30bn investment strategy to help reach its Net Zero target by 2030. In the summer, the city announced it had already reduced carbon emissions by 41 per cent since 2006, surpassing the 30 per cent target set for 2020.

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NE T Z E RO Gre e n P r i nt

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reenprint for Investment is a portfolio of projects which aims to attract international and activist investors through a mix of decarbonising and transformative development opportunities.

The 10 Greenprint projects are: Clyde Climate Forest: The aim is to plant 18 million trees in the region over the next decade.

That is over 9,000 hectares (or 17,000 football fields) of new woodlands, increasing cover by 3% and significantly increasing atmospheric carbon sequestration through tree growth.

Glasgow City Region Home Energy Retrofit Programme: A ten-year £10 billion programme to upgrade insulation in all homes in the City Region, exploring innovative renewable technologies to deliver clean energy.

Glasgow's District Heating Network: The focus is scaling up the achievements of the £154 million Glasgow Recycling and Renewable Energy Centre to kick-start a wider district

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heating network. Two key projects in Polmadie and Gorbals Districts are testbeds and a proposal to harness the River Clyde for the city’s heat demands is underway.

Climate Neutral Innovation District: The University of Strathclyde is leading an ambitious project to make the Glasgow City Innovation District 100% climate neutral and climate resilient, through 100% renewable heat, power, transport, climate adaptation and wellbeing solutions.

Charing Cross M8 Green Infrastructure Cap: Plans will revitalise and re-green the city’s public realm including a cap over a major interchange of the M8, the busiest motorway in Scotland.

Glasgow Metro is a new transport initiative to provide accessible and affordable connections to over 1.8 million people.

Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District Scotland: Scotland’s new home of

N ET ZERO Gre e n P r i nt

advanced manufacturing with ambitions to drive the wider UK’s low carbon transition.

With outline planning permission, this emerging centre of excellence and innovation is crucial to national and international carbon reduction efforts and is part of Scotland’s answer to balancing manufacturing requirements while meeting net zero commitments.

Micro Park Apparel Project: Over £365 billion of waste clothing is discarded each year, with a further £220 billion in lost revenue due to product markdowns.

Micro Park aims to create a new location for fashion production in the UK, embedding circularity across all areas of activity including resource use, textile and fibre reuse and packaging. It will use 100% renewable energy, generate no liquid waste and have no negative environmental impacts.

Council leader Susan Aitken said: “Glasgow is ready to meet the challenges of the climate emergency head on, addressing long-standing social, economic and environmental challenges around fuel poverty, poor connectivity and community blight whilst meeting our climate targets. Our Net-Zero future is about safer communities, warm and efficient homes, sustainable jobs and a prosperous economy.

Transition has to be about the social and economic well-being of Glasgow and its people.

“This will require levels of investment never seen before in local government and adaptation plans which will be vital in delivering a modern, resilient and inclusive city economy. As a core element of Glasgow’s Green Deal, our ‘Greenprint’ brings together transformational, investable and shovel-ready projects. From an entire new transport system better connecting citizens to opportunities, generating renewable energy from the River Clyde and upgrading hundreds of thousands of homes across our city region, the Greenprint projects will deliver the infrastructure necessary for a low carbon, climateresilient future.

All cities face huge change. Glasgow’s challenges are typical of those of so many of our global peers. As cities rebuild to decarbonise, we can be the demonstrator in shaping those solutions.

The success of COP26 will be measured by how cities can take the practical steps necessary to secure the future of our planet.

Our Greenprint provides a major part of our roadmap to doing just that.

Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Expansion: Plans including an ambitious energy concept to turn the SEC into one of the world’s most sustainable campuses and includes several globally competitive and cutting-edge conference and exhibition innovations. Investment will drive organisational targets to achieve net zero by 2035 with significant reductions by 2031.

Green Regeneration and Innovation District: As Scotland’s first Green Regeneration and Innovation District, Clyde Gateway is working to decarbonise travel and energy for homes and businesses while providing the local community a place to live and work in a low carbon and resilient neighbourhood.

GREENPRINT greenprint.eco

“All cities face huge change. Glasgow’s challenges are typical of those of so many of our global peers.

As cities rebuild to decarbonise, we can be the demonstrator in shaping those solutions. The success of COP26 will be measured by how cities can take the practical steps necessary to secure the future of our planet.

Our Greenprint provides a major part of our roadmap to doing just that.”

The portfolio of projects outlined within the prospectus relate to four umbrella United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): 8) Decent Work and Economic Growth; 11) Sustainable Cities and Communities; 13) Climate Action; and 17) Partnerships for the Goals. The SDGs are a blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all.

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CONSTRUCTION HEAVYWEIGHTS CALL ON COP26 TO DRIVE LASTING CHANGE IN INDUSTRY With an estimated 40% of all carbon emissions linked to the built environment, some of the UK’s biggest voices in building and construction weigh in on what needs to change for the country to meet its Net Zero target.

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he UK is the first major economy to put into law that it will reach Net Zero carbon emissions by 2050. In line with this commitment, George Clarke, Mark Farmer, Yewande Akinola, Elspeth Finch and Ann Bentley share their thoughts on how best to drive the required change, creating a better world for people and planet.

George Clarke, Chair, Ministry of Building Innovation and Education (MOBIE) – ‘ We need a green, ecological revolution’ "The housing industry needs to adopt a clear and consistent long-term strategy if the UK is to meet its Net Zero targets. Yes, we’re starting to see the industry focus more on whole-life value, which is being driven by progressive innovators working together, but still more needs to be done.

Take new housing models for example, Mills Power Architecture's IDEMA Panel House project, funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is a repeatable model for desirable, quickto-build net-zero housing; however, we desperately need to see this underpinned by practical government initiatives for moderate-income families to make ecological improvements to their existing homes.

"Six years on from the Paris Agreement, COP26 has to provide a turning point, not only for our planet, but for the industry as a whole. Whilst some progress is being made in tackling operational carbon within the built environment there is still a long way to go - particularly in reducing embodied carbon. Once such government and industry funded initiative, AIMCH, is already looking to create scalable industry-led solutions to reducing carbon emissions within homebuilding and is a great example of showcasing the UK as leading the way; however, the industry must continue to challenge itself, with improved resource efficiency and productivity central to fighting climate change.”

Six years on from the Paris Agreement, COP26 has to provide a turning point, not only for our planet, but for the industry as a whole.

Whilst some progress is being made in tackling operational carbon within the built environment there is still a long way to go particularly in reducing embodied carbon.

The UK has to take advantage of this platform to implement change and give the housing industry what it desperately needs - a green, ecological revolution. We're hosting what is arguably the biggest influential event when it comes to climate change, and it’s an event that needs to inspire the next generation of architects, planners and builders to think of tomorrow, not today. It’s crucial that we send the right message to the younger generation - we’re relying on them to help us transform the industry.”

Mark Farmer says the built environment still has a long way to go and calls on COP26 to be the turning point for the industry.

Mark Farmer, CEO of Cast Consulting and Government MMC Housebuilding Champion – ‘COP26 has to be a turning point’

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“Increasing focus is being placed on how the UK is going to play its part on the international stage in attacking climate change. This narrative has to have a built environment decarbonisation strategy at its heart with 40 per cent of all carbon emissions in some way linked to the construction sector.

Yewande Akinola MBE, Innovate UK Clean Growth and Infrastructure UK Ambassador / Technical Lead, Laing O’Rourke - ‘Cohesive approach needed’

“In the lead-up to COP26, firstly I am pleased that a day has been dedicated to the Built Environment.

We are aware of the significant emissions that the built environment generates. My hope is that the discussions and debates help the collective design and construction industry understand how a cohesive approach can be adopted and deployed. We cannot afford to continue to consider architecture, design, supply chain and construction as separate entities in the push to tackle climate change. We also cannot afford to have 'any single points of failure' and as such all aspects of the built environment must be able to offer tangible progress. I suspect that there would be great concerns around remaining profitable as organisations evolve their delivery models to become more sustainable but hope that the concerns lead to conversations around the adoption and scaling of relevant technologies.”

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Yewande Akinola

George Clarke

Mark Farmer

Elspeth Finch MBE, CEO of IAND – ‘Use procurement as a lever to unlock potential’

Transforming Construction at Innovate UK – ‘Data is key’

“I see the opportunity to unlock the innovation potential from SMEs to meet the Net Zero Challenge, as the digital transformation in the infrastructure and construction sectors is happening at pace. There are new materials and technologies that can reduce emissions, resource consumption and costs.

“Projects from UKRI’s Transforming Construction Challenge pave the way to the industry’s future.

Data is flowing through the industry and digital technology is accelerating change, demonstrating at scale the improvements in the build process and integrating renewable technologies at a building level. COP26 is the opportunity to share knowledge and skills between nations, to fast track the UK to reaching Net Zero by 2050.”

At IAND we see there is a unique opportunity for the public sector to use procurement as a lever to unlock this potential to support the growth of innovative SMEs across the UK and meet Net Zero goals. This means creating new partnerships with suppliers to build sustainable cities & business ecosystems that deliver a low carbon future for all.”

Ann Bentley, Global Board Director at Rider Levett Bucknall - ‘Focus is on now, not the future’ “We all know that that change needs to happen now, not in the future, when it comes to the sustainability agenda. In the construction sector we understand what we must do, we have clear Government Policy set out in the Construction Playbook and through the UKRI funded Value Toolkit we have a clear and consistent process for implementation. Instead of best practice and standardisation happening as the exception, now is the time to make them the norm then we will really advance towards our carbon zero goal.”

Mike Pitts, Deputy Challenge Director,

Ann Bentley

Elspeth Finch MBE

Innovate UK’s Transforming Construction Challenge is working to accelerate the adoption of manufacturing and digital processes, helping clients, contractors and the wider supply chain move together to revolutionise the industry.

The challenge has funded projects that span the next generation of net zero UK school designs, car parks that connect digital, energy and mobility systems, through to Net Zero quick-to-build housing inspired by flatpack furniture and the Rubik’s Cube.

UK Research and Innovation is working with industry to host Build Better Now at the Built Environment Virtual Pavilion for COP26 from 31st October to 12th November 2021 to enable maximum participation from around the world.

Further information at ukgbc.org/ukgbc-work/ uk-built-environment-virtual-pavilion.

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GREASE MANAGEMENT GUIDE PUBLISHED FOR HOSPITALITY New guidance on grease management for commercial kitchens has been published, with the aim of ensuring businesses in the UK meet regulations and keep cooking fat out of the sewer system.

The Grease Contractors Association, a nonprofit organisation of specifiers, installers and maintainers of grease management systems, aims to raise awareness of the relationship between sewer blockages and grease management. This includes working with the hospitality industry and water and wastewater companies to advise on the most appropriate grease management systems.

The Grease Management Equipment Guide was written to give clear advice on the specification, supply, installation and maintenance of all types of system, and the legal requirements in place to prevent fat from entering drains and sewers.

Mar Batista, secretariat of the Grease Contractors Association and head of programmes at administrator British Water said: “In the UK, water companies spend £100 million every year clearing blockages caused by items that should never have entered the sewage system.

“Cooking fat, oil and grease cause particular problems in the sewer system, solidifying to contribute to pipe-blocking fatbergs. These can have devastating impacts on the environment there is a very clear link between FOG blockages and the sewer spills that damage businesses, homes, rivers and the sea.

“Amongst some food establishments, there appears to be confusion around legislation, standards

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and the range of appropriate solutions to use for grease management. We believe that consistent messaging and accessible information, combined with industry collaboration, education and innovation is key to the fight against fatbergs.”

The guide also aims to increase awareness of legislation in the UK, helping businesses avoid penalties and prosecutions. In England and Wales, the Water Industry Act 1991 (Section 111) gives water companies the power to bring a criminal proceeding against anyone who causes injury or inhibits the free flow of the sewer network. Similar legislation applies in Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Batista said: “While, historically, court action against food service establishments has been rare, two prosecutions from Thames Water in 2021 show a trend towards tougher penalties can be expected for businesses who do not have the correct grease management in place.

“We hope that by providing some clarity to the complex area of grease management, we can help businesses operate within legislation, avoid inconvenient, costly and damaging sewer blockages and protect their local environment.”

The free guide can be downloaded at britishwater.co.uk/page/GCA

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Any business investing time and resources into research & development in the UK has the ability to access a share of millions of pounds in funding for future projects, such as the development of new materials or the advancement of technology.

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