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GREEN ECONOMY
IN ASSOCIATION WITH:
CLIMATE CHANGE IS EVERYBODY’S BUSINESS
Lining up for the obligatory group photo, a host of world leaders took centre stage as the latest efforts to turn words into action in the race to tackle climate change got underway.
November’s COP27 climate summit took place in Sharm el-Sheikh, an Egyptian resort town between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea.
The gathering looks to have produced little when it comes to further reductions in carbon, but a number of initiatives did emerge, including a strong ‘loss and damage’ agreement which will provide funding for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters.
Miranda Barker, who attended the gathering, says growing calls came out of Egypt for responsible companies to step up urgently and reap the multiple benefits of net zero by closing the low-carbon gap. She believes Lancashire’s economy is well placed to help that drive.
The message that East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce chief executive Miranda and chamber director of sustainability Stephen Sykes took to Egypt was that the county has world- leading innovative low-carbon technologies and businesses making great strides to develop and export them across the globe.
The pair were busy on the ground throughout the conference making new contacts for the county and she believes there are “serious opportunities” for its businesses moving forward. To that end work is already underway to
ensure Lancashire companies attend COP28 in Dubai later this year.
Miranda, who also co-chairs the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership’s business-led energy and low carbon sector group, says: “Lancashire is well placed to meet two priorities. The first is developing globally viable technologies, and this is where RedCAT attracted a lot of interest. For advanced manufacturing, we also have the AMRC at Samlesbury.”
Lancashire can help
countries across the world when it comes to the low carbon agenda
RedCAT - the Lancashire Centre for Alternative Technologies - is working to place Lancashire at the heart of the low carbon revolution and net zero drive.
The ultimate vision is to see innovative low carbon products manufactured in Lancashire and exported across the globe to power developing communities.
RedCAT’s mission is to build ‘end-to-end commercialisation funding’ and support for those technologies, accelerating that journey through capital investment at every stage – from R&D to demonstration, first sale and onto scale-up.
Miranda says: “We had some really positive conversations at COP27 with people ranging from UK government ministers to the director general of the World Trade Organisation.
“Lancashire can help countries across the world when it comes to the low carbon agenda and that is the message that we took to Sharm el- Sheikh. Getting those technologies that we are leading on into developing countries is the key and it is about being more pro-active.”
The growing hub of low carbon technology businesses in the county and the funding and support opportunities found in Lancashire are also starting to attract more inward investment, Miranda adds, with companies looking to relocate from other parts of the country. The eco-system is growing and developing.
Turning her attention to the “second priority” she says: “We must decarbonise Lancashire quickly, particularly our transport systems, buildings, and energy systems. But we have a head start. Lancashire has the highest potential number of future regional low-carbon jobs in the UK, according to the Local Government Association.”
The prize for success in that is great. Net Zero projects and investments across the North West have the potential to create 300,000 new and safeguarded jobs within the region, according to the Net Zero North West group.
The North West Net Zero Skill Charter, unveiled in November, now aims to help businesses to step up to ensure these new opportunities can
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