Partnerships for the Planet: Cooperation for COP26 - SHOWCASING COLLABORATION: Highlighting university and business partnerships that are helping ...
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Partnerships for the Planet: Cooperation for COP26 SHOWCASING COLLABORATION: Highlighting university and business partnerships that are helping to meet COP26’s ambitious goals. Autumn 2021
Introduction Partnerships for the Planet: Cooperation for COP26 is the National Centre for Universities and Business’ (NCUB) latest addition to our showcasing series where we celebrate and share the best of NCUB member collaborations. In this edition, we showcase how collaborations between our universities and businesses are helping to meet COP26’s ambitious goals. Joe Marshall Chief Executive of the National Centre for Universities and Busines We can only rise to the challenges of climate change by working together. At a time of rising global temperatures and biodiversity loss, collaboration has never been more vital. COP26 is our last chance. Around the world storms, floods and wildfires are intensifying. Air pollution is affecting the health of tens of millions of people, with the World Health Organisation estimating 4.2 million deaths a year are caused by exposure to it. What’s more, increasingly unpredictable weather is causing untold damage to homes and livelihoods. We need to see action now. And net zero is too big a problem for a single institution to tackle on its own. Just as it’s critical that governments, businesses and civil society work to deliver COP 26’s climate goals, industry and academia have a vital part to play to solve this challenge. The world is currently not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees – the challenge ahead of us is monumental. The last 18 months have made clear what can be achieved when industry and academia work together. In this booklet, NCUB has collated collaboration case studies from across the country that demonstrate the contribution collaboration is making towards the COP26 goals. #PartnershipsForThePlanet 2
Contents
COP 26 explained .................................................................4
Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century
and keep 1.5 degrees within reach........................................5
Speeding up the switch to electric vehicles......................................................6
Curtailing deforestation......................................................................................... 8
Renewable energy................................................................................................10
Determining the future of coal...........................................................................12
Harnessing existing generation assets to enable Net Zero Carbon..............13
New catalyst technology to help achieve net zero.........................................14
A new Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre....................................................15
Green light for path to UK’s first ‘electric motorway’.....................................16
Goal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats.... 17
Restoring the Yorkshire Dales: A wilder future for Yorkshire.......................18
Exploring how trees can help reach net zero emissions..............................20
Protecting natural forest conservation areas in oil palm plantations........21
Protecting the oceans..........................................................................................22
Goal 3: Mobilise finance......................................................24
New climate innovation platform......................................................................25
Green finance: Landmark research collaboration on
sustainable finance and investment.................................................................26
The Banking Environment Initiative..................................................................27
Goal 4: Work together to deliver...........................................28
Exploring the electrification of flight.................................................................29
Climate Science for Service Partnership Brazil..............................................31
Advancing energy research in China................................................................32
Developing cutting edge complexity-based modelling
solutions to facilitate a rapid low-carbon transition......................................33
Visions for a net zero future...............................................................................34
Conclusion..........................................................................35
3 #PartnershipsForThePlanet
COP 26 explained “In November 2021, the UK,
together with their partners Italy,
will host an event many believe
to be the world’s best last chance
to get runaway climate change
under control.
COP26 Goals
For nearly three decades the
Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 Degrees UN has been bringing together
within reach. almost every country on Earth
Countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions for global climate summits –
reductions targets (NDCs) that align with reaching net zero by the middle called COPs – which stands for
of the century. To deliver on these stretching targets, countries will need ‘Conference of the Parties.’ In
to accelerate the phaseout of coal, encourage investment in renewables, that time climate change has
curtail deforestation and speed up the switch to electric vehicles. gone from being a fringe issue to
a global priority.
This year will be the 26th annual
Goal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats. summit – giving it the name
The climate is already changing and it will continue to change even as we COP26. With the UK as President,
reduce emissions, with devastating effects. At COP26 we need to work COP26 takes place in Glasgow.
together to enable and encourage countries affected by climate change to
protect and restore ecosystems, build defences, put warning systems in In the run up to COP26 the UK
place and make infrastructure and agriculture more resilient to avoid loss is working with every nation
of homes, livelihoods and lives. to reach agreement on how to
tackle climate change. World
leaders will arrive in Scotland,
alongside tens of thousands
of negotiators, government
Goal 3: Mobilise finance. representatives, businesses and
To realise our first two goals, developed countries must deliver on their citizens for twelve days of talks.”
promise to raise at least $100bn in climate finance per year. International
COP26.co.uk
financial institutions must play their part and we need to work towards
unleashing the trillions in private and public sector finance.
Goal 4: Work together to deliver.
We can only rise to the challenges of climate change by working together.
At COP26 we must finalise the Paris Rulebook (the rules needed to
implement the Paris Agreement). And, we have to turn our ambitions into
action by accelerating collaboration between governments, businesses
and civil society to deliver on our climate goals faster.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 4
GOAL 1:
Secure global net zero
by mid-century and keep
1.5 degrees within reach
SUMMARY
Countries are being asked to come forward with ambitious 2030 emissions
reductions targets that align with reaching net zero by the middle of the century.
To deliver on these stretching targets, countries will need to:
• Accelerate the phase-out of coal
• Curtail deforestation
• Speed up the switch to electric vehicles
• Encourage investment in renewables
5 #PartnershipsForThePlanet
Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Speeding up the switch
to electric vehicles
Air pollution is a global health crisis The University of Plymouth: The collaboration is aiming to allow
and the majority of this pollution on our Innovative process to recycle end-of-life lithium-ion EV batteries to
roads comes from burning fossil fuels. and reuse electric vehicle battery be recycled through the extraction and
According to Greenpeace, the main components on a commercial scale recovery of the lithium, cobalt, nickel
culprit in the UK is diesel used in cars and manganese components.
and vans. Switching to electric vehicles With a ban on the sale of petrol and
will not only provide us with cleaner air, diesel cars coming into force in 2030, Altilium is developing a pilot plant
but it will also slash carbon emissions the need for a reliable and sustainable scheduled to be operational by
that cause climate change. supply of electric vehicle batteries has mid-2022, which will be the first
never been more pressing. However, one demonstration in the UK of EV battery
Progress is being made and the transition major challenge has always been that recycling under commercial conditions
to electric cars is well underway. So far indispensable battery metals – such as which is a significant innovation in
in 2021, electric cars have accounted cobalt and nickel – are in extremely short sustainable energy.
for 7.2% of sales – up from 4% across supply and largely extracted overseas.
the same period in 2020. This comes
as the Government has announced that To mitigate this potential bottleneck,
the sale of new diesel and petrol cars is researchers from the University of
to be banned from 2030. The university Plymouth’s School of Geography,
and business partnerships formed to Earth and Environmental Sciences are
help speed up the introduction of electric collaborating with critical metals specialist
vehicles are therefore vital. Altilium Metals Ltd to jointly develop a
method through which the elements
critical for EV batteries can be reused.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 6
Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Cranfield University: Jaguar Land Cardiff University: Cardiff
Rover partner with Cranfield University’s Electric Vehicle Centre
University on the electric evolution of Excellence (EVCE)
Cranfield University were part of a The EVCE at Cardiff University is a
consortium which designed and multi-disciplinary centre that looks at
developed hybrid electric and battery the transformative issues for electric
electric research vehicles based on vehicles integration in electricity and
Jaguar Land Rover’s acclaimed Range transport networks. The Centre looks at
Rover in a bid to reduce CO2 emissions issues such as wireless charging of EVs
and improve the vehicle’s performance. including dynamic charging on the road,
vehicle autonomous control, user and
The £16.3 million Evoque_e project saw traveller behaviours, consumer barriers
research and development of hybrid and incentives, new business models,
electric and battery electric sport utility regulatory options and the integrated
vehicles. The partnership saw the modelling of transport and electricity
development of brake and torque vectoring systems, energy demand scenarios for
control systems to optimise energy EVs, virtual power plants and smart grids.
recuperation during braking and enhance
the handling performance of the vehicle. Connectivity, autonomous control, big data,
and the Internet of Things are enabling the
Jaguar Land Rover has been running realisation of novel automobility services.
a multi-billion pound programme since 2008 to reduce its CO2 footprint while The EVCE offers a multi-disciplinary
ensuring its cars retained their luxury, collective approach to understanding
performance, refinement and comfort. the impact of electrification on the future
Cranfield provided expertise in vehicle of mobility, impact on the grid and the
dynamics and electrified powertrain future of the automotive industry. The
modelling, control and estimation EVCE addresses this complex challenge
algorithm development for active by conducting fundamental research,
chassis systems. working with industry partners such as
National Grid, Thales, DSV and various
other stakeholders such as Department for
Transport, Welsh Government, Transport
for Wales, Cardiff City Council and Welsh
Automotive Forum.
7 #PartnershipsForThePlanet
Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Forests still cover about 30% of the Deforestation’s impacts are far
Earth’s land area, but they are vanishing reaching and have a devastating impact
at a catastrophic rate. Between 1990 on wildlife, ecosystems, weather
and 2016, 502,000 square miles of patterns, and even the climate. The
forest disappeared, according to the University of Cambridge’s Banking
World Bank. That is an area bigger than Environment Initiative created in 2010
the whole of South Africa. What’s just by the Chief Executives of some of the
as shocking is that 17% of the Amazon world’s largest banks has created an
rainforest has been destroyed over the action plan to help the industry reverse
past 50 years. deforestation.
Curtailing
deforestation
Action plan for banks to halt and
reverse deforestation
If we do not reverse deforestation,
we will not limit global warming to
1.5C. Soft commodities such as palm
oil, soy, beef and timber products
are responsible for the majority of
deforestation caused by commercial
agriculture. Banks provide finance and
financial services to enterprises along
these soft commodity supply chains,
indirectly contributing to deforestation.
In 2021, the University of Cambridge
Institute for Sustainability Leadership
(CISL) published Banking Beyond
Deforestation, a five step action plan for
how banks can accelerate the reversal
of deforestation. CISL convenes the
Banking Environment Initiative, created
in 2010 by the Chief Executives of some
of the world’s largest banks.
action plan provides the banking
Banking Beyond Deforestation industry with concrete steps it can
suggests the very positioning of banks collectively take moving forward to
along supply chains means they are halt and reverse deforestation. What
extremely well-placed to identify and is more, the plan explains why these
support those businesses working steps are in the interest of the banking
toward the reversal of deforestation. community to take.
From data solutions, to financial
incentives and the empowerment of The plan is now in the public domain for
bank employees to reach ambitious the consideration of the global banking
anti-deforestation targets, the CISL community.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 8
Between 1990 and 2016,
502,000 square miles of forest
disappeared, according to the
World Bank. That is an area
bigger than the whole of South
Africa. What’s just as shocking
is that 17% of the Amazon
rainforest has been destroyed
over the past 50 years.
9 #PartnershipsForThePlanet
Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Renewable energy
Renewable energy, or as it’s often MWh of electricity per year - that’s the
referred to, clean energy, is energy equivalent of powering over 18 million
that comes from natural sources homes. What’s more in the first quarter
or processes that are continuously of 2020, renewable energy sources,
replenished. For example, harnessing like wind and solar generated 47% of
power from sunlight or wind. the UK’s electricity.
Renewable energy is booming. It’s therefore unsurprising and
Wind energy is the largest source of vital that the UK’s universities
renewable power in the UK. There and businesses are committed to
are almost 11,000 turbines on and delivering new renewable energy
offshore, generating nearly 66 million projects.
Northumbria University, Keele University: Renewable
Newcastle University and energy generation park on Keele
Durham University: The University’s campus
North East Centre for Energy
Materials Keele University has partnered with
industry giant ENGIE to create a low
Northumbria University, Newcastle carbon renewable energy generation
University and Durham University park on its campus.
have partnered with a host
of industry bodies including The park, which will feature 12,500
Siemens to create the North East solar panels alongside two wind
Centre for Energy Materials. The turbines, will generate up to 50% of
Centre brings together a wealth the University’s campus electricity
of world-leading international and support Keele’s pledge to
research to address the global become carbon neutral by 2030.
challenges of energy and the
problems associated with finding Once fully-operational, the park will
sustainable methods to meet our save around 1,500 tonnes in carbon
increasing energy demands. emissions annually, and will be
an integral part of the University’s
The Centre focuses on making world-class Smart Energy Network
existing technology more Demonstrator – a European first ‘at
robust, efficient and cheaper scale living laboratory’ that enables
or discovering new methods the creation and development of
to convert, store and transmit new and evolving low carbon energy
renewable energy. technologies.
Cardiff University: Generation of electricity from ammonia
Working with Siemens, Cardiff University electricity. A recent report from the Royal burned, can be created using energy
are making strides towards the large- Society, in which Cardiff University is from renewable sources and can
scale generation of electricity from one of the main contributors, stated that easily be stored as a bulk liquid.
ammonia. ammonia “could form the basis of a new, Cardiff University now has the largest
integrated worldwide renewable energy ammonia combustion programme in
Ammonia, a compound commonly used storage and distribution solution.” Europe covering gas turbines, internal
as a fertilizer, has recently shown much combustion engines and furnaces
promise as a fuel as it can be burnt in an This is because ammonia does not for power, transport and aerospace
engine or used in a fuel cell to produce produce carbon dioxide when it is applications.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 10Teesside University: A smarter approach for the energy sector Ulster University and Queen’s University Belfast:
Integrating more renewable energy into the
Research at Teesside and economic growth, with power grid
University is helping develop applications in commercial
Industry 4.0 smart tools to settings across Europe. Ulster University is renewable energy to the
assist the integration and Companies such as Porvoon leading the SPIRE 2 power grid. SPIRE 2 is
operation of renewable energy Energia, Quorum Development (Storage Platform for the hoping to introduce energy
supply and to manage energy and Siemens have taken the Integration of Renewable storage technologies in
demand. approaches developed forward. Energy) project. Ulster homes, to take this energy
has partnered with the when it is available and
The novel approach integrates The team successfully University of Strathclyde to then use it later when
renewable energy assets – such worked alongside Quorum in Glasgow and Queen’s required.
as offshore wind platforms and Development to integrate University Belfast and
HVAC loads – into an Internet remote wind turbines into industry partners include The project aims to
of Things (IoT) style energy one of its existing software Scottish thermal energy evaluate, develop and
management system, providing platforms. This allowed storage specialist Sunamp facilitate the wide-scale
more accurate analytics and Quorum to demonstrate the and Northern Ireland deployment of consumer-
improved control of energy feasibility of controlling a wind based battery producer owned energy storage
resources. farm automatically without Arbarr Electronics Ltd. technologies and to
needing manual intervention, operate profitably in the
The project has helped leading to the acquisition of The project will help to changing energy markets
stimulate commercial product new contracts to manage meet the UK’s Net Zero in the UK, Northern Ireland
development and innovation, twelve wind farms in UK costal 2050 target by enabling and the Republic of
leading to energy savings waters. the connection of more Ireland.
11 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
The Government confirmed in summer
2021 that the UK is set to end the
use of coal to generate electricity in
Determining the
future of coal
October 2024 in a bid to cut carbon
emissions. This is an important step
forward to help end our reliance on
fossil fuels. Already we are making
progress on this goal - in 2012, 40%
of our electricity came from coal - that
figure is now less than 2%.
Coal is the most abundant and least A collaboration between Imperial College London, Queen
expensive of the fossil fuels. It therefore
follows that it is also the most popular, Mary University of London and Deloitte has revealed that
accounting for almost 40% of the total
worldwide power generation. Burning
countries including Australia and Indonesia could lose
coal fuels global warming and it releases billions of dollars if they continue to invest in new coal mines
air born toxins which cause air pollution.
and exports as the world moves away from fossil fuels.
Across the world, we need to end our
reliance on coal. New research from
Imperial College London, Queen Mary To meet the goals of the Paris Following the sustainable pathway
University of London and Deloitte has Agreement, we need to move away from results in one third of today’s coal
revealed the financial implications of coal and towards clean power about five mines becoming stranded assets by
continuing to invest in coal – the hope times faster than at present. 2040. This means these assets become
is that this will encourage a move economically unviable before their
towards cleaner energy Imperial College London, Queen operating lifetime ends, and have to
Mary University of London and the be scrapped. This will cause coal-
Deloitte team combined data on coal producing nations such as Australia and
resources and demand in an economic Indonesia to lose vital export revenues
model of trade and prices. They and jobs as international trade shrinks.
modelled the risk of ‘stranded assets’ For example, Australia could lose $25
for coal investment under different billion per year in this scenario, and
decarbonisation scenarios: business as globally 2.2 million jobs could be at risk.
usual, where investment in coal mining
and consumptions continues as it does However, these losses are avoidable if
today, and a sustainable pathway where financial institutions and governments
coal consumption is reduced in line with prepare for the change. This could include
keeping global heating to well below 2°C. divesting early from coal to prevent
locking in future development, and by
funding the retraining of coal workers.
For many world regions there are great
economic benefits to phasing out
coal. China, Europe and India would
save money under the sustainable
pathway, as they face reduced costs
from importing less coal. Europe, for
example, could gain $20 billion per year
as coal is phased out.
Overall, the researchers estimate the
sustainable pathway gives a global net
saving of $10 billion per year by 2040 from
reduced coal transportation costs, on top
of the economic savings from reduced air
pollution and health consequences.
The mining and consumption of coal
is being rapidly phased out in many
Western nations, but global coal
consumption is rising, especially in Asia,
which is home to three-quarters of all
new coal power plant capacity.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 12Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Harnessing existing generation
assets to enable net zero
Energy and mobility, urban technology investments and create
development, and agriculture sectors viable decarbonisation strategies. David Horsfall, Director of
must all interact to meet the UK’s Tyseley Energy Park
target of net zero carbon emissions Together with Tyseley Energy "To inform the right strategy
by 2050. Regions, municipalities and Park (TEP) and the University decisions, we needed deep
state bodies will have to work with of Birmingham, Siemens has insights into our existing and
energy suppliers, grid operators, real successfully demonstrated a solution future energy generation and
estate operators and the community to help meet the UK’s target of net- usage to demonstrate the
across sectors and disciplines zero carbon emissions by 2050 in the untapped benefit of a more
to make the right decisions on Birmingham City region. coordinated approach to energy".
"The Siemens model allowed
us to identify the areas with the
biggest potential and define
a clear way forward. We were
Tyseley Energy Park (TEP), the University of Birmingham impressed with the efficiency of
stakeholder engagement, data
and Siemens worked together to model the potential capture and timeliness Siemens
beneficial impact of utilising existing generation assets has delivered."
more effectively to deliver a carbon reduction strategy for Professor Martin Freer,
University of Birmingham,
Birmingham’s Eastern Corridor. added, "As the University of
Birmingham continues to
invest in the development
Siemens has demonstrated how of the Tyseley Energy Park,
disparate current and future generation this work led by Siemens
sources could be harnessed to transform is a crucial contribution to
energy innovation in the region, drive understanding how the energy
clean growth and help Birmingham assets of the Park can be
meet its commitments to reduce its deployed for the benefit of the
CO2 emissions to zero by 2030. It City of Birmingham and the
could also help the region tackle energy communities around the Park.
poverty, poor air quality, electricity grid We are keen to develop the
constraints and unemployment. opportunities that this report
highlights."
Energy experts from Siemens worked
closely with a wide range of local
stakeholders using bespoke digital
modelling tools based on real-time data.
Their modelling demonstrates how, by
optimising both heat and power usage, fuelling up to 50 buses and six trains
the energy system could help save 90kt of with locally produced hydrogen instead
CO2 emissions, reliably supplying residents of diesel - saving 19kt of CO2.
with 500 GWh of sustainably generated
heat and 100 GWh of electricity, covering The insights gained in this project will
all electrical demand and up to 75% of the help Tyseley Energy Park, the University
heating demand from already existing and of Birmingham, and partners to support
planned energy sources. Birmingham City Council’s ambitious
decarbonisation targets and will drive
Other options would be to supply innovation across the West Midlands.
significant energy users such as the They also demonstrate that energy
local airport with renewable electricity, transition is feasible and achievable
green heat and cooling, saving up to with existing technology in a reliable,
10kt of CO2 emissions per year or sustainable and cost-effective manner.
13 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
bp and Johnson Matthey are partnering To reach net zero, it will be vital that
with Cardiff University and The we begin to develop new sustainable
Professor Martin Schröder,
University of Manchester in a £9m catalysts and processes. This will
Vice-President and Dean of
project that aims to convert CO2, waste therefore be the main objective for the
the Faculty of Science and
and sustainable biomass into clean and new industry-academia partnership to
Engineering at The University
sustainable fuels and products. explore.
of Manchester, commented:
“Net zero is too big a problem
for a single institution to tackle
on its own and it is critical that
industry and academia work
New catalyst
together to solve this challenge.
Our University is committed to
addressing this issue as part of
technology to help
the social responsibility agenda
together with our partners.”
achieve net zero Dr. Kirsty Salmon, bp vice-
president for advanced bio
and physical sciences for low
carbon energy, said: “We are
excited to be working with our
longstanding partners Johnson
Matthey, Cardiff Catalysis
A partnership featuring two leading British universities, Institute and The University of
Cardiff University and The University of Manchester, Manchester in this Prosperity
Partnership. It is a great team,
together with bp and Johnson Matthey, has been launched which builds on our successful
to explore transforming carbon dioxide, waste products and bp International Centre of
Advanced Materials (bp-ICAM)
sustainable biomass into fuels and products that can be partnership, and I am looking
forward to seeing them work
used across the energy and transportation sectors. across scientific disciplines
to innovate new low carbon
technologies to help the world
As an internationally-leading centre for new catalyst technology to help the
get to net zero.”
catalysis research, Cardiff University world get to net zero.
is leading the project but is working
alongside The University of Manchester Catalysts are involved in helping to
which will provide expertise in materials manufacture an estimated 80% of
science, characterisation methods and materials required in modern life, so are
Professor Duncan Wass,
catalysis. They are joined by bp, which integral in manufacturing processes.
Director of the Cardiff Catalysis
is transitioning from an international As a result, up to 35% of the world’s
Institute, said: “The catalysts
oil company to an integrated energy GDP relies on catalysis. To reach net
we use today have been honed
company, and Johnson Matthey, zero, it will be critical to develop new
over decades to work with
a global leader in sustainable sustainable catalysts and processes,
specific, fossil fuel resources. As
technologies. The partnership will which will be the main objective for the
we move to a low carbon, more
devote the next five years to exploring partnership to explore.
sustainable, net zero future, we
need catalysts that will convert
biomass, waste and carbon
dioxide into valuable products
such as fuels and lubricants.
Working in this partnership, we
will bring together a wide range
of catalysis expertise to uncover
new science and contribute
towards achieving net zero
- perhaps the most pressing
objective for us all.”
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 14Goal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
A new net zero Industry
Innovation Centre
The first of COP26’s goals is to secure global net zero by mid-century and to keep
the temperature of the planet under control – limiting its increase to 1.5 degrees.
Worryingly, at the moment we are not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.
We know that the world needs to halve emissions over the next decade and reach net
zero carbon emissions by 2050 if we are to limit global temperature rises.
Teesside University’s innovative new facility called the Net Zero Industry Innovation
Centre is therefore as timely as it is vital. The Centre will position the Tees Valley firmly
at the heart of the UK’s green industrial revolution.
The £13m Net Zero Industry Innovation Centre (NZIIC) is a
key component of Tees Valley Combined Authority’s regional
innovation strategy and will support the ongoing drive for
clean energy and sustainability.
Set to open in August 2022, the NZIIC is technology organisations the Materials
the latest development at the expanding Processing Institute and TWI, and will
Net Zero Innovation Hub, spearheaded focus on developing new approaches to
by Teesside University and based on tackle the impact of waste and pollution
the Tees Advanced Manufacturing Park on the environment, utilising expertise
(TeesAMP) in Middlesbrough. around industrial decarbonisation,
sustainability and the circular economy.
The Net Zero Innovation Hub brings
together expert insight, resources The project has been awarded up to
and partnerships to grow net zero £7million from the England European
capabilities and opportunities, placing Regional Development Fund as part of
the region at the forefront of the clean the European Structural and Investment
energy agenda and helping to create Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
hundreds more clean energy jobs.
Set to be a national centre of excellence,
the Net Zero Innovation Hub draws
on Teesside University’s expertise
in clean energy and sustainability, Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said: ‘I’m delighted to be
including its two new research centres supporting plans for Teesside University to create the Innovation
– the Circular Economy and Recycling
Innovation Centre and the Industrial Centre. Projects like these are putting Teesside at the centre of
Decarbonisation and Hydrogen developing the technology needed to achieve the Government’s
Innovation Centre, both set up in ambitious net zero targets.
partnership with TWI (The Welding
Institute). ‘The centre will be a fantastic example of what can be done when
The NZIIC will be industry-led and our brilliant local institutions work together, sharing their expertise
industry-focused in its approach, and skills to help our businesses to grow.’
working with business partners and key
organisations including research and
15 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 1: Secure global net zero by mid-century and keep 1.5 degrees within reach
Green light for path to UK’s
first ‘electric motorway’
Heavy Goods Vehicles currently emit The ERS have received funding to carry out the study
18% of all road vehicle CO2 emissions,
despite only representing 1.2% of the as part of the £20m set aside for zero emission road
total number of vehicles on the road
and 5% of the total miles driven. They
freight trials under the recently-announced Transport
remain, however, an essential tenant Decarbonisation Plan.
to the health of the UK economy,
transporting 98% of the country’s food,
consumer and agricultural products.
Credit: Image supplied courtesy of SCANIA
In the UK Government’s own Transport
Decarbonisation Plan, it identifies
the road freight industry as in need of
innovation.
In summer 2021 it was announced
that the Electric Road System
(ERS) Consortium which represents
academia, industry and public sector
bodies, will lead the UK’s first ever
study on the electrification of long-
range vehicles with dynamic charging,
using overhead wires on motorways.
The team, including researchers at the They will soon begin their nine-month
Centre for Sustainable Road Freight – an feasibility study, which is hoped will be
EPSRC-funded collaboration between the forerunner to a scheme that aims
Heriot-Watt, Cambridge and Westminster to see the UK’s major roads served by
universities, and a consortium of leading overhead lines by the 2030s.
organisations in the freight and logistics
sectors, will be using sophisticated Research by the consortium has
computer models to locate the best found that initial investments into
site to build a real-world demonstrator new vehicles by the operators could
whilst also ensuring the logistics needs be recouped within 18 months,
are reflected in future trials. They will be due to lower energy costs, and the
using the Siemens Mobility ‘ehighway’ electrification infrastructure would pay
technology which has been proposed back investors in 15 years.
by the consortium as the fastest, lowest
carbon and most cost-effective route to A fully-operational electric road system
decarbonising the road freight industry across the UK would be expected to
and delivering cleaner air. create tens of thousands of jobs across
a range of green industries, with around
eHighways allow specially-adapted 200,000 new electric trucks needing
trucks to attach to the overhead wires to be built over a 10-15 year period.
and run using the electricity, similar to This will also provide an opportunity
rail and trolley-bus systems. The trucks to completely revamp the UK truck
come equipped with a battery that manufacturing industry and its supply
charges while they are in motion so they chains, future-proofing it by accelerating
can detach to both overtake vehicles fleet digitalisation; a key lesson learned
and reach their final destination with across the industry as it recovers from
zero emissions from start to finish. the 2020 pandemic’s disruption.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 16GOAL 2:
Adapt to protect
communities and
natural habitats
SUMMARY
The climate is already changing and it will continue to change even as we reduce
emissions, with devastating effects.
At COP26 we need to work together to enable and encourage countries affected by
climate change to:
• Protect and restore ecosystems
• Build defences, warning systems and resilient infrastructure and agriculture to
avoid loss of homes, livelihoods and even lives
• Encourage investment in renewables
17 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
Restoring the Yorkshire Dales:
A wilder future for Yorkshire
One of COP26’s key aims is to ensure that all our
remaining natural ecosystems stay intact. There has
never been a more urgent need to revive damaged
ecosystems than now. Healthy and fully restored
ecosystems, with richer biodiversity can deliver greater
benefits such as more fertile soils and carbon storage.
A recent partnership between the University of Leeds,
Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, WWF, Natural England, the
United Bank of Carbon and Woodland Trust will help to
achieve this aim. The partners will together restore land
around Ingleborough, an iconic area in the heart of the
Yorkshire Dales National Park. The Wild Ingleborough
project will protect and restore degraded parts of this
important ecosystem.
The partnership between the
University of Leeds, Yorkshire Wildlife
Trust, WWF, Natural England, the
United Bank of Carbon and Woodland
Trust promises to be an important
venture for people, nature and
climate – working together with local
Ingleborough, Yorkshire Dales National Park
communities including farmers to
share skills and knowledge that will
create a wilder future for Ingleborough.
The striking landscape includes swathes of bare
limestone pavement and heavily grazed pasture. But in
the future, the area will be transformed into a nature-rich
haven, with a variety of rare flora and fauna to benefit
from the restoration of their natural habitats.
In recent decades, intensive land use has had a heavy
impact on the area, but now, as well as restoring the
habitats of plants and animals, Wild Ingleborough will
also help to protect against flooding, and improve the
water and soil of the landscape.
Scientific monitoring, overseen by a research team
from the University of Leeds, will enable the project to
track changes to the landscape over time. Crucially, this
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 18Goal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
Ingleborough, Yorkshire Dales National Park
monitoring will help the project team
understand the way that moving to less
intensive land management affects,
for example, biodiversity and carbon
storage across this landscape. This
scientific underpinning will provide
an evidence-base for new policy to
benefit rural communities and boost the
recovery of UK nature.
The project will see the restoration of
peatlands and the expansion of native
woodland and scrub, to remove and
store carbon, helping to tackle the
climate crisis. It will initially cover 1,200
hectares and plans to be one of the first
examples in England of re-establishing
the natural tree line, from broadleaf
woodland to dwarf shrub, heather
moorland and lichen heathlands.
The ambition friendly habitats, home to precious
300
Creating new woodlands is a critical animal species including black grouse,
component of efforts to mitigate red squirrel, cuckoos and curlew – of
climate change and reach net-zero. which there are currently only two pairs
Over the next 12 months, the project will within the Ingleborough project area.
create around 40 hectares of new native
woodland, with half created by planting The programme will also focus on
30,000 trees and the other half through plants such as juniper – most of which hectares of land are already being
restored as part of the first phase of the
natural regeneration. around Ingleborough have suffered from project, with 3,000 native trees planted,
disease – as well as bird’s-eye primrose, including rowan, hawthorn and hazel,
By aiding nature’s recovery, the project globeflower and the nine species of fern and hundreds of metres of drystone wall
hopes to protect and restore wildlife- that can be found in the area. rebuilt.
19 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
Our trees and forests are a precious
resource and are a huge part of the
solution to tackling the climate and
ecological emergencies we face. They
will be vital in helping the UK reach net
zero in 2050. Trees are massive carbon
Exploring how trees
capture and storage machines. The
Woodland Trust estimates that a young
wood with mixed native species can
can help reach net
lock up more than 400 tonnes of carbon
per hectare in trees, roots and soil.
Woods and forests absorb atmospheric
zero emissions
carbon and lock it up for centuries.
They do this through photosynthesis.
The whole woodland ecosystem plays
a huge role in locking up carbon,
including the living wood, roots, leaves,
deadwood, surrounding soils and its
associated vegetation. Expanding the UK’s trees, woodlands and forests will play
The work of the newLEAF consortium an important role in realising the Government’s ambition
is therefore hugely important. The
consortium is a team of nine research
to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
institutes and universities, featuring both However, our treescapes need to become more resilient
strong existing collaborative histories
and exciting new connections. They have to pressures such as changing climate, disease, and
been asked to develop new tools and competing demands for land in order to reverse decades
approaches which will help trees and
woodlands adapt to climate change. of decline in biodiversity and environmental quality.
NewLEAF is led by the UK Centre for
Ecology & Hydrology and along with
Glasgow comprises Forest Research,
James Hutton Institute & BioSS,
the Universities of Stirling, York,
Strathclyde and Gray’s School of Art
(Robert Gordon University).
NewLEAF will help evaluate options
for using the extensive natural genetic
variation and plasticity within tree
species to keep pace with expected
changes in climate and the environment.
The research as a whole will also
improve our understanding of the value
of trees to people and the planet, and
support the expansion of treescapes
across the UK.
The research consortium is supported
by an Advisory Board representing public
policy, private and conservation sectors,
including the Animal & Plant Health
Authority and The Woodland Trust.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 20Goal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
Palm oil is said to be found in 50%
of supermarket products, from
food to cleaners to cosmetics.
Protecting natural forest
conservation areas in
But our dependence on palm oil
has devastating environmental
consequences – it’s been grown at
oil palm plantations
the expense of vast stretches of
thriving forests. Oil palm expansion
is a major driver of deforestation
and dilapidation of natural habitats
in parts of tropical Asia and Central
and South America. On the island
of Borneo, at least 50% of all Forest conservation areas in oil palm plantations play a vital
deforestation between 2005 and 2015
was related to oil palm development. role in storing carbon and boosting rainforest biodiversity.
Forest conservation areas in oil
Oil palm plantation owners should act to manage these
palm plantations play a vital role in forest set-asides in order to conserve them for the future,
storing carbon and boosting rainforest
biodiversity, a new study on palm oil the researchers urge. This is recognised in the oil palm
agriculture in Borneo, jointly funded sustainability certification schemes and should be seen as
by Unilever and the University of York,
has revealed. enhancing corporate commitments to halt deforestation.
Oil palm agriculture is a key driver Recommendations
of deforestation, contributing to • Oil palm plantations should manage
biodiversity loss and carbon emissions their protected forest to improve
– particularly in Indonesia and the potential for trees to produce
Malaysia, where 85% of the world’s seedlings and for the seedlings to
palm oil is produced. survive. This could include planting
additional seedlings or cutting
For the study, researchers measured back vines that prevent seedlings
trees and other vegetation in 14 forest growing.
areas protected in RSPO-certified oil • Maintain large forest patches where
palm plantations in Malaysian Borneo. possible (>200 ha ‘core area’) to
Robin Hayward: HCVA Borneo
protect rainforest biodiversity.
Results
The research, led by the University of The research was delivered in
York and jointly funded with Unilever, partnership with the UK Centre for
found that: Ecology and Hydrology,
• Patches of protected forest play an
important role in helping to conserve South East Asia Rainforest Research
carbon as well as biodiversity. Partnership, Universiti Malaysia Sabah,
• Where a tenth of the plantation University of Stirling, Unilever R&D and
is protected as natural forest, the University of Sheffield.
plantations store up to 20% more
carbon than plantations with no The University of York is collaborating
Rob Colgan: White Crowned Hornbill
protected forest. with Unilever to examine the scientific
• Patches with more carbon also evidence on rainforest restoration
have higher plant diversity, but in to support companies in delivering
comparison to primary rainforest, the against their climate and nature The University of York is part of the
forest areas protected within oil palm commitments, the role of forest edges Socially and Environmentally Sustainable
plantations have low numbers of tree on carbon stocks, and if there are any Oil palm Research (SEnSOR) project
seedlings, and so may contain fewer unintended consequences of zero- (sensorproject.net) delivering policy-
trees in the years to come. deforestation commitments. relevant research to the RSPO.
21 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
In the race to tackle the climate and
nature emergency, the ocean is our
greatest hope. The ocean is vital for
Protecting the oceans
many reasons. The ocean produces
the air we breathe. It covers 71%
of the Earth’s surface and plays a The importance of Seagrass:
crucial role in taking up CO2 from the
atmosphere. The ocean has absorbed University of Plymouth: Developing autonomous technology to assess condition
more than 90% of the excess heat of seagrass beds
caused by greenhouse gases, with the
top few metres of the ocean storing Seagrass beds play a vital role in the acoustic sensors to provide a new and
as much heat as the planet’s entire day-to-day functioning of the planet. comprehensive means of mapping
atmosphere. It’s vital for our weather However, despite their ecological seagrass beds. The proposed system
systems, our fresh water and is a and economical importance, there is centres upon the use of low-impact,
crucial food source. growing evidence that they are under fully electric, uncrewed data acquisition
direct threat from both human activity platforms and non-invasive survey
However, over-fishing, pollution, and climate change. Those threats techniques, and will involve developing
coastal development and rising are to be fully assessed thanks to and training new machine-learning
temperatures have left UK seas close a pioneering collaboration between algorithms to classify submerged
to tragedy. At every level, the ocean Devon-based technology business aquatic vegetation.
ecosystem is threatened by human HydroSurv Unmanned Survey (UK)
activity, from the saltwater bays, seas Limited and researchers from the The resulting solution will monitor
and inlets, the shorelines and salt University of Plymouth’s Marine both seagrass coverage and canopy
marshes. Much more needs to be done Institute. height, with the sensors being trained to
to protect this precious ecosystem. provide a rapid and robust coverage and
The project, supported with funding biomass assessment that can inform
from Innovate UK, will use autonomous ongoing monitoring programmes.
vessels equipped with cutting edge
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 22Goal 2: Adapt to protect communities and natural habitats
University of Cardiff: Seagrass restoration
As the world is facing a climate seagrass meadows. That equates to
emergency enhancing long term carbon about 1.5% per year, or 2 football fields
storage has never been more important. each hour.
Seagrass, which grows in large
underwater meadows, could be part of In order to protect our seagrass, UK
the solution with its ability to capture universities, including Cardiff University
carbon from the atmosphere (up to 35 and the University of Essex, have
times faster than tropical rainforests). formed part of the Seagrass Ecosystem
Research Group (SERG) that have
However, after centuries of also set up “Project Seagrass”. Project
industrialisation and overexploitation Seagrass is also working with a range
many areas have been left barren. of industry partners to improve our
Once degraded, these former seagrass understanding of seagrass systems
environments become a source rather in the UK and further afield and raise
than a sink for carbon. Indeed, since awareness of their ecosystem service
1980, we’ve lost over 35% of our value.
Bangor: Bangor University’s partnership seeks to reduce ocean plastic
Tackling the environmental impact The team will carry out an initial
of plastic waste is key to the UK’s feasibility study to examine how
industrial strategy for clean growth. the bait bags are used, and how
Ocean plastic is a huge problem with the material could be reprocessed
an estimated eight million pieces into a stronger and recyclable
of plastic pollution finding their way polymer bag.
into our ocean daily.
Greenpeace has concluded that
To help limit plastic pollution within lost and discarded fishing gear
the seafood supply chain, Bangor makes up the vast majority of large
University has teamed up with plastic pollution in the oceans – this
shellfish supplier Macduff Shellfish collaboration is therefore potentially
to find a sustainable alternative to an important step forward for the
plastic bait bags. shellfish industry.
23 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGOAL 3: Mobilise finance SUMMARY To deliver on our first two goals, developed countries must make good on their promise to mobilise at least $100bn in climate finance per year by 2020. International financial institutions must play their part and we need work towards unleashing the trillions in private and public sector finance required to secure global net zero. #PartnershipsForThePlanet 24 #PartnershipsForThePlanet
Goal 3: Mobilise finance
New climate innovation platform
The third COP26 goal is for developed long fallen short of this target. Ahead of partnership aims to unlock barriers to
countries to deliver on their pledge to COP26, much work needs to be done to finance for companies and projects
provide $100bn in annual climate aid unleash the trillions of pounds in private that tackle climate change to bring
per year by 2020. It’s a vital commitment finance that are needed to power us them to scale while also delivering for
if we are to protect our planet and towards net zero by 2050. people and nature. The global initiative
population and to deliver a greener, The collaboration between HSBC is backed by $100m of philanthropic
more resilient future for us all. So far and the University of Birmingham is funding from HSBC over five years.
the world’s largest economies have therefore particularly welcome. The
In June 2021, The University of Birmingham’s Energy
Institute and Energy Systems Catapult launched an innovator
challenge to support small and medium-sized enterprises in
driving the commercialisation of innovative energy products
and services.
Supported by HSBC UK, the Climate
The CIP provides access to:
Innovation Platform (CIP) offers
• Business engagement support
businesses a package of tailored support
through the University of
to research, test and grow the innovations
Birmingham's European Regional
that will support Britain’s acceleration
Development Funded SME support
towards a net-zero economy.
programme, ATETA, which offers
access to research expertise and
Businesses will also be made aware of
facilities for SMEs to improve
funding opportunities and have access
efficiency and test new ideas.
to investment opportunities, a dedicated
• Incubation and acceleration
support team, market insight reports, Partnership innovation accelerator,
support through the Energy
and office and workshop space at powered by WWF’s ‘Impactio’ platform,
Systems Catapult Energy
Tyseley Energy Park. which will help further scale climate
Launchpad. This will also
solutions internationally, supporting
help design the innovation
Successful applicants to this business innovations in partnership with
challenges and provide technical
programme may also be selected to leading universities, research institutes,
assessment of applications.
apply to the global Climate Solutions incubators and accelerators.
• A range of business development
support including financial
planning, start‐up mentoring,
market research, business Michaela Wright, Head of Corporate Sustainability for HSBC UK, said: “A
development expertise, IP challenge as significant as climate change can only be tackled in collaboration,
protection expertise alongside with innovation playing a key role in accelerating the UK’s transitions to net zero.
advice on regulation and Companies developing clean technology often struggle to access the networks,
standards, grant writing and bid financial backing and business mentoring required. We’re excited to support
development. the University of Birmingham with their Climate Innovation Platform, bringing
together our combined knowledge, insight and international network to help
climate solutions breakthrough systemic barriers and scale up.”
Professor Martin Freer, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute and the
Energy Research Accelerator, said: “We are delighted to be able to provide SMEs
across the region with access to the support services needed to research, test and
grow their innovations. Whilst supporting the growth of these businesses, we are
accelerating the development of next-generation, low carbon technologies that will
ultimately help meet our national commitment to achieve net-zero by 2050.”
25 #PartnershipsForThePlanetGoal 3: Mobilise finance
Green finance: Sustainable finance refers to the process
of taking environmental, social and
governance considerations into account
Landmark research when making investment decisions in
the financial sector, leading to more
long-term investments in sustainable
collaboration on
economic activities and projects.
It’s a hugely positive step forward that
sustainable finance
two landmark institutions: The University
of Oxford and Lombard Odier are
collaborating to deliver the first endowed
and investment
professorship in sustainable finance.
Dr Ben Caldecott, the Lombard
Odier Associate Professor and
founder of Oxford’s Sustainable
The University of Oxford has formed a landmark research Finance Programme, commented,
collaboration with banking group Lombard Odier, which aims “Sustainable finance is mission
critical for tackling the massive
to foster sustainable finance and investment research. The environmental and social
multi-year partnership will have a particular focus on climate challenges facing humanity. This
is a huge agenda that is rapidly
change, circular economy and nature. expanding as we head into COP26.
As the Lombard Odier endowment
implies, these questions and
The collaboration creates the first Nettle: Country Comparative Advantage issues will endure in some form
endowed professorship in sustainable and the Green Premium. for many generations and at
finance at any major global research the University of Oxford we look
university and involves collaboration A series of collaborative events have forward to continuing to play a
between the banking group and the also been organised to take place major role in creating, defining, and
university on a range of sustainable during November’s UN Climate Change growing this major new field.”
finance projects. Conference, COP26, on the transition to a
net zero and nature positive economy.
Lombard Odier’s research on climate
and nature-related transition risks and Dr Caldecott is leading the new UK Centre
opportunities and physical risks has for Greening Finance & Investment
benefited from in-depth reviews by panels (CGFI), established by UK Research
of Oxford climate and social scientists. and Innovation in 2021 as the national
centre to accelerate the adoption and
Hubert Keller, a managing partner use of climate and environmental data
at Lombard Odier, commented, “The and analytics by financial institutions
environmental transition is the finance internationally. CGFI brings together a
industry’s most pressing challenge. world-leading, multidisciplinary team
Lombard Odier’s ability to lead this with expertise across: climate, earth
conversation and provide frameworks systems and environmental science,
and solutions for reallocating private geography, computing, data science,
capital into an environment-friendly mathematics, water, engineering, systems
economy, is supported by this unique science, statistics, economics, business,
partnership with the University of Oxford innovation, decision science, and finance.
and its Sustainable Finance Programme.
It provides a robust academic basis to our The centre advises lenders, investors
work, which is focused on understanding and insurers, enabling them to make
the nature of the transition, the alignment better decisions to support a greener
of companies and investments, and the global economy. It will make data and
value impact linked to these challenges.” analytics openly accessible to all financial
institutions and help them shift money
The partnership also provides funding away from risky activities which harm the
for several Oxford-led research projects, environment, such as coal-fired power and
including the report State and Trends deforestation, and towards activities that
of Spatial Finance 2021 and the are less harmful, such as renewable power
forthcoming report Grasping the Green and sustainable agriculture.
#PartnershipsForThePlanet 26You can also read
