On the 10th of May, SMEs, climate professionals and local business leaders were brought together at an event run by the University of Portsmouth in partnership with the University of Winchester and Greentech South. The event itself was, at its heart, a low-carbon future showcase which gave SMEs from the south coast of the UK the opportunity to share their innovations and experiences.
The organisers described the opportunities of the event as follows:
• Celebrate the impact our programmes have had on SME members and the local environment.
• Discover how other businesses have reduced their operational carbon footprint and associated costs.
• Hear from businesses who have successfully commercialised and launched their low-carbon innovations to market.
• Network with the Programme team, SME Members, Academics, and Stakeholders.[i]
Greentech South, who ran the event, are a technology and innovation cluster founded by Future South and based in Portsmouth, UK. The cluster focuses on the following goals to help companies in the low-carbon sector:
• A £4m grant scheme to help companies commercialise their ideas.
• Facilitate 200 green tech training positions in small businesses within two years.
• Work together to develop new export markets.
• Build a strong network of active companies with well-defined specialities.
• Creation of a thriving, internationally recognised, world-class cluster.[ii]
The spirit of the event was one that chimes tunefully with the vision of Zero Carbon Academy, of the many SMEs that spoke all had one thing in common, a practical, solution-lead approach to decarbonising our world. In some cases, the solutions were elegantly simplistic; in others, they required expertly deployed technological aptitude. This served to demonstrate that across the economy, no sector will remain untouched by the zero carbon revolution, and as such, innovation for all is paramount to ensuring a sustainable and prosperous future.
The event demonstrated its own endeavour to not only talk the talk but to walk the walk by taking practical steps to reduce waste. For example, the flowers seen in the image above were bulbed and spritzed throughout the day, meaning they may be replanted following the event. There was also no single-use plastic to be found at the event, and the programme was solely available digitally, meaning no waste paper would be generated.
MP Chris Skidmore addressing the event via Zoom
Mission Zero, the Net Zero Review, visited all four UK countries, received over 1,800 Call for Evidence responses and hosted over 50 roundtables, making it one of the UK's largest Net Zero engagement exercises. The review's recommendations set out to accelerate UK performance, establish a clear roadmap that provides the certainty needed for investment and R&D, achieve net zero whilst simultaneously driving growth, and achieve a supportive environment for enterprise. One pillar of the review’s recommendations found that there is a strong commitment to net zero emissions at the regional and local level, but governments often get in the way. It was suggested that the UK government needs to provide significant leadership on climate action, but it also needs to empower people and places to make it happen. Community-based actions towards carbon neutrality can not only lead to more community support but also better economic outcomes.[iii]
During his keynote speech, MP Chris Skidmore (chair of the independent net zero review) spoke of the recommendations and opportunities that were identified by mission zero. He said, “All these things can be better achieved by giving local communities the authority to author their own net zero journeys.”[iv]
Mr Skidmore also said ensuring that it was “green tape not red tape” that business and government faced in pursuit of net zero.[v]
The Institute for Government reports that there is now a bipartisan consensus that the decentralised government needs to be strengthened as it is considered the key to strengthening England's regions, increasing productivity and reducing regional inequality. The government deepened and expanded decentralisation as one of its 12 missions to "level up" the country by 2030 and also declared that decentralisation is “vital” to accomplish all missions. It has been argued that these enhanced urban areas will also play a key role in other long-term transitions the UK is undertaking, including the transition to net zero. In fact, these two fields are closely related. Green jobs and industry have become a major area of investment in former industrial centres, with mayors often partnering with and supporting innovative British businesses to support innovation.[vi]
What the low-carbon future showcase embodied was a sense of community power united by a common goal. Each individual brought something to the table, a vast array of varied talents, from encouraging the use of bikes by increasing safety to marine engine battery solutions, showing that no aspect of our world will be untouched as we attempt to build a more sustainable future. Hearteningly it seems that the will and the talent to take this journey are abundant and that the final piece of the puzzle is opportunity. With a sense of local pride sewn right through this event and an atmosphere of genuine community support, it is hard to overlook the potential power of a local approach to a zero-carbon future.
[i] Greentech south- Empowering Small Businesses: A Project Showcase For A Low-Carbon Future
[ii] Greentech south- What we do
[iii] UK Government- Mission Zero
[iv] Quote obtained by author at event
[v] Quote obtained by author at event
Oscar is a recent graduate with a background in earth science. He is currently studying an MSc focussing on disaster responses, emergency planning and community resilience. His postgraduate research project will assess the link between climate crisis risk perception and attitudes to green energy projects. “Adapting to the climate crisis through the pursuit of net zero requires community engagement and understanding. Zero Carbon Academy’s goals closely align with this approach and I’m excited to have the opportunity to research and communicate a variety of topics relating to our environment and sustainability”.
