Miranda Barker
Michael Dugdale KEEPING THE FAITH
Businesses have been urged to stay the course whatever government or politics brings and to “keep the faith” in Net Zero.
Delegates at the conference, looking at examining the issues and debunking the myths around the subject, were told that it makes “business sense” by members of an expert panel.
Professor Miranda Barker is chief executive of East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce and RedCAT Group, which provides consultancy, financial, and R&D support to commercialise low carbon technologies
And she added that there was a need “to push through the political noise”. She said: “We need to make sure business is certain about the direction of travel and that low carbon technology is something they can get on board with.”
And she told business leaders looking towards their Net Zero journey: “The trick is going step by step, looking at the things you can change easily or first. Looking at the savings you can make piece by piece. It’s just about starting.”
Jamie McKittrick, group sustainability manager at environmental consultancy JBA, said a cultural divide was emerging when it came to
Don’t be swayed by that myth that you’ve
got to go and spend hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds on starting your Net Zero journey
She warned against the risks of Net Zero becoming entangled in short-term political manoeuvring and she added: “I think the language is really frustrating and it’s not just UK, it’s internationally.”
She said that instead of saying ‘reject’ Net Zero because it costs too much it should be recognised as an inevitability, adding: “This is the journey, we have to go on.”
Net Zero but added it wasn’t reflective of the wider public or business sentiment.
He said: “Look at the fact 70 per cent of people polled in the country are on board with Net Zero, with the two major political parties at least at the time being, both united around the fact that we need Net Zero ambitions in the country.
“You have a kind of vocal minority that is against Net Zero. But even within Reform UK,
there’s some division, because 40 per cent of their supporters also support Net Zero.”
Steve Wood is chief executive of Fylde Coast Energy, whose intention is to develop a sustainable community-based energy utility, with plans for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) at the Hillhouse Enterprise Zone.
He urged businesses to remain strong to their pursuit of Net Zero goals and added that “government won’t directly help or break your business”.
He said: “You just have to navigate that landscape. What government needs to be able to do is have that integrated long term plan.”
Steve added the economic case for Net Zero must remain central to business goals.
And he warned: “What we should not underestimate is the lobby against Net Zero.
“I’ve spent a lot of time in oil and gas regions, and the oil and gas lobby is extremely powerful.”
Michael Dugdale, managing director of Blackpool based energy and Net Zero consultancy Trident Utilities, said businesses should not be daunted by perceived costs.
He said: “Anchor your costs and your carbon emissions appropriately.
“Don’t be swayed by that myth that you’ve got to go and spend hundreds of thousands or millions of pounds on starting your Net Zero journey.”
And he added that it made economic sense. He said: “Sustainability is not about just about doing the right thing for the environment, it is business savviness.”
He added: “There are lots of studies out there that would suggest every pound that is invested in sustainable practice will pay back four pounds of benefit.
Steve Wood Jamie McKittrick
“Stay the course whatever government and politics brings. Quiet resilience beats noisy rhetoric.”
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