The spotlight is on Hull and the Humber region for the next two days, as the city hosts the Energy & Clean Growth in the Northern Powerhouse conference.
The event, at the city’s Bonus Arena, is being held on November 5 and 6, and will feature some of the biggest names in business and politics.
The ambition is to attract Government and international business investment in the area, and demonstrate that the North of England must be at the heart of the 海角视频’s strategy to achieving its net-zero carbon emission targets.
Ahead of the conference, Lord Haskins, chair at the Humber LEP, gave us his thoughts on the challenges and opportunities facing not only the Humber, but the whole of the North of England.
'We need the Government to hear what the North has to offer'
"The biggest challenge facing the world right now is how we reduce our carbon emissions– while continuing to see economic growth.
"Since the Industrial Revolution, coal, oil and gas have powered industry and transport across the world – and the North of England has long provided energy derived from fossil fuels to the rest of the country.
"Here in the Humber, 5.4 per cent of the region’s jobs are within this industry – the largest percentage in the Northern Powerhouse.
"Our long tradition of manufacturing has also been powered by fossil fuels such as coal – with many energy-intensive processes (and thus high-emitting processes) such as steel, glass, cement and refining still heavily taking place across the Northern counties. The Humber has long been a centre for such industry, and around a quarter of our economy, including thousands of jobs, is dependent upon them.
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"Whilst providing this valuable economic and community base, these high carbon industries have also contributed to making the Humber the highest emitting cluster in the 海角视频. Of course, many of these high-emitting processes are used to make products vitally needed in our world – so any future strategies must make these industries more sustainable, securing them in the 海角视频 for the long term - rather than simply exporting our emissions overseas.
"Yesterday, we at the Humber LEP launched our Humber Clean Growth Local White Paper – which confirms the region’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2040, which had been proposed in the consultation the LEP launched at its annual business summit in June.
"Further actions will be set out in the Humber Local Industrial Strategy, alongside commitments on key sectors including engineering and assembly, logistics and tech, as well as cross-cutting issues like infrastructure and skills.
"Accelerated by ministers in the summer, the LEP has been in advanced discussions with Government and local partners over recent months and a final draft has been approved by the LEP Board – but publication will now have to wait until after the election.
"Though some new technologies are developing, and there are already ambitious strategies in place to tackle carbon emissions through schemes such as carbon capture, more must be done to tackle the issue and I believe the North of England is a place with many solutions and opportunities for this.
"However – we can’t do this through private investment alone. We can’t just leave it to the market to find the solutions to these problems.
"While individual businesses can all make changes to their operations to make them greener – it will take a unified approach spearheaded by the Government to ensure that we start seeing the reductions in emissions we need to see to really tackle climate change.
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"That is why we are hosting Energy and Clean Growth in the Northern Powerhouse conference here in the Humber over the next two days.
"We need the Government to hear what the North has to offer not just the 海角视频 but the whole of the world in terms of solutions to tackle climate change, building on inroads already made, than can only be at their most effective with the backing of our political leaders.
"We need the Government to not just listen but to back this up with real, tangible policy – providing massive long term funding in order for the North to cement its place as a world leader in renewable energy and technology.
"This can be achieved by the Government supporting the measures such as: research into solutions to tackle climate change; subsidies where appropriate; good regulation; collaboration with the rest of the world; and persuading the public to reduce their own energy consumption.
"Across the next two days, we hope the varied range of discourse and contributions at the conference can provide the foundations to begin a fresh dialogue with the new Government once it is in place – meaning the North can really cement its place at the forefront of Clean Growth not just in the 海角视频, but can be part of a global solution."
Reports from the Energy and Clean Growth in the Northern Powerhouse Conference:
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Business Live's Hull & East Yorkshire journalist is Phil Winter, also the business editor at the Hull Daily Mail and Hull Live.
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