Thank you to those members who joined The Solent Cluster team at our recent networking and engagement event, hosted at Southampton University.
Your participation added tremendous value to the event, making it a resounding success.
A key outcome from the event is that collaboration and knowledge-sharing are at the heart of progress. Your contributions to discussions, willingness to connect with others, and your genuine interest in furthering our collective goals is much appreciated.
We have outlined below key interventions that you shared that are helping and hindering your organisation during transition to net zero.
The top interventions helping organisations:
- Integration of sustainability as a fundamental business principle, backed by comprehensive future plans and well-defined deadlines
- Overhaul of staff travel policies to promote online meetings and reduce carbon footprint
- Establishment of internal carbon accounting procedures, emphasising the utilisation of information technology
- Governments worldwide are offering clear guidance to achieve net zero; now, they must allocate adequate funding
- Emphasising the significance of knowledge
- Leveraging UKRI Innovate Funding for solar feasibility studies and implementations
- Collaborating with Universities to explore new technological solutions
- Appointment of dedicated managers to spearhead decarbonisation initiatives
The key hindrances are:
- Insufficient policy and regulatory frameworks that support and incentivise investments in achieving net zero transitions.
- Ambiguity in policies regarding the utilisation of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS), and Hydrogen, as integral components of the transition
- Inadequate grid capacity to facilitate the electrification of industrial processes and the development of new transition infrastructure
- A pressing need for clear and unified policies to steer consumer behaviour towards sustainable practices
- The current expenses associated with the transition could render otherwise profitable businesses unviable
- Government departments operating in isolation, such as education and net-zero initiatives, exacerbating skill shortages as current apprenticeship programs fall short of meeting decarbonisation job demands
- Advocating for the significance of skills and employment opportunities in the net-zero transition, while enhancing their societal value
- Raising public awareness regarding the imperative role of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) and Hydrogen (H2) in decarbonising industrial processes
We welcome any feedback or suggestions, which will help us improve future events. Please share your thoughts or ideas with our project manager Zoë – info@thesolentcluster.com.