How Scotland’s response to the climate emergency is shaping up
In spring 2019 Scotland declared a climate emergency and made it the focus of its Programme for Government. Nearly two years later, the Climate Emergency Response Group looks, by means of a report, at the many achievements in Scotland’s response to the climate emergency.
The report highlights those achievements and identifies outstanding concerns that must be met in the coming years by a new Government and through the delivery of major policy instruments such as NPF4 and the Infrastructure Investment Plan. It will publish a new report – within the first 100 days of the new Government – outlining in detail the steps that the new Government should take to build on the progress made to date and to take further action to ensure that Scotland’s ambition to become a net zero nation into tangible changes in its communities, buildings, infrastructure and land management practices.
There is just six months to go until COP 26 – the UN Climate Change Conference – in Glasgow, and Scotland can and should showcase world-leading policies to reach net-zero emissions which match its world-leading climate change targets.
Your help is needed to develop a key White Paper
FTech2Zero, is an unfunded, pro bono group including Wood and Siemens Energy, forming a multi-organisational network of industry experts. The group have been drawn together to develop a White Paper recognising the challenges associated with financing and deploying novel technology, raising awareness, and assessing the solutions that can be adapted by both financial institutions and technology providers alike. Here is a short explanatory video:
With less than 30 years to deliver the UK’s Net Zero ambitions it is critical to focus on measures to accelerate deployment of the technologies which are necessary to deliver net zero goals. Current estimates state that the required investment to create an integrated energy system on the UKCS alone requires investment of approximately £430 billion. It is therefore imperative that any initiative is attractive to a broad range of financial investors.
FTech2Zero has produced a survey to collect voices from the entire energy value chain to help broaden our understanding of what is needed to truly move the dial on financing net zero. They need your input.
NnG’s Methil-built jacket foundations
Harland & Wolff, the iconic shipyard with over 160 years of maritime and offshore engineering pedigree, has been awarded a contract by Saipem Limited for the fabrication and load-out of eight wind turbine generator (WTG) jacket foundations.
The jacket foundations will service the EDF Renewables and ESB owned Neart na Gaoithe Offshore Wind Farm project located in the outer Firth of Forth in Scotland. The contract schedule is due to commence from 1 July 2021 and is anticipated to create around 290 direct and indirect jobs.
The works for fabrication, consolidation and load-out of the eight WTG jacket foundations will principally be conducted at Harland and Wolff’s newly acquired Methil facilities in Scotland (the old BiFab yard).
Hydrogen: It’s a long read…
…but it’s a fascinating one. As nations come forward with net-zero strategies to align with their international climate targets, hydrogen has once again risen up the agenda from Australia and the UK through to Germany and Japan. In the most optimistic outlooks, hydrogen could soon power trucks, planes and ships. It could heat homes, balance electricity grids and help heavy industry to make everything from steel to cement.
@CarbonBrief examines the big ‘hydrogen economy’ questions – and much more. With a full range of infographics, maps and interactive charts and the views of dozens of experts, this in-depth Q&A addresses ‘Does the world need hydrogen to solve climate change?’ And, whilst answering that, it also answers all the questions you’ve been eager to ask – plus quite a few you might never have thought of. Dive in!
As our most recent webinar at the end of March proved, there is an almost insatiable appetite to find out more about hydrogen (there were nearly 950 registrations and close on 900 watched the webinar live or ‘on-demand’ – it is available at
Great plans at Whitelee
The ‘Hydrogen: From hype to reality’ webinar (the 30th in our series) was sponsored by ScottishPower. In the past week they have announced they have submitted a planning application to deliver the UK’s largest electrolyser. At 20MW it will be the key component of a green hydrogen facility located close to their Whitelee windfarm. The planning application also includes proposals for a combined solar (up to 40MW) and battery energy storage scheme (up to 50MW), to help power the electrolyser.
Energy efficiency: Housing Associations step up to the mark
Five of the largest housing associations in the UK have signed a partnership to improve the energy efficiency of their 300,000 homes and develop decarbonisation solutions for the sector.
The Greener Futures Partnership (GFP) is made up of Abri, Anchor Hanover, Home Group, Hyde and Sanctuary. All of which have a joint turnover of £2.3bn. Can we invite you to come and talk about this at this year’s Dcarbonise – co-located with All-Energy (SEC Glasgow – 18-10 August).
Over time the five housing associations intend to work together “to procure services, build skills and create jobs, and develop solutions that enable them and the wider sector to build more affordable and sustainable homes, while maintaining existing homes”. Just what our visitors would be interested in hearing about! Please contact us at [what email? Do they fill in the “conference enquiry form? Where IS that?) if you’d like to rise to the speaking challenge!
The power of white paint
In an article headlined: ‘Whitest-ever paint could help cool heating Earth, study shows’ The Guardian drew attention to a new white paint developed at Purdue University in the USA that reflects 98% of sunlight as well as radiating infrared heat into space, reducing need for air conditioning. Here’s more from the university’s own website