Industry leaders and academics are set to join forces and start mapping out the route to a greener economy for Wales at a virtual summit this week.
The South Wales Industrial Cluster (SWIC) Net Zero Week takes place from Tuesday (October 5th) to Thursday (October 7th) and is free of charge for anyone with an interest to attend online.
SWIC is a partnership between Welsh companies, academia and public sector organisations committed to a greener economy, and has been awarded £21million from UK government which has been match funded by industry to total £40m for the development of Cluster and Deployment plans to map and carry out engineering and feasibility studies into the structure and developments needed to make the region NetZero by 2050.
SWIC Net Zero Week will focus on what is already happening to achieve net zero in south Wales industry, future challenges and what opportunities for businesses and other stakeholders to support the effort will look like.
Dr Chris Williams, who is heading up SWIC for Industry Wales, will open the event with an introduction to the Cluster Plan and the Deployment Project that are already working to make these aims a reality, as well as previous projects that have already made inroads into south Wales achieving net zero.
Dr Williams said: “The UK became the first country in the world to legislate that it will become NetZero carbon by 2050, and south Wales is the second largest industrial emitter of Carbon Dioxide in the UK.
“The time to step up our efforts in actively tackling decarbonisation and identify the practicalities involved in creating, revitalising and sustaining industrial practices that will truly help safeguard our future is here.”
“SWIC Net Zero Week is the point where research starts to become a reality, and where the successful decarbonisation of industry, manufacturing and energy generation in south Wales begins,” he added.
SWIC Net Zero Week will look at how partners are working with industry, energy infrastructure providers and energy suppliers to develop industrial site decarbonisation options to make South Wales NetZero by 2040
Those attending will also hear about SWIC’s aims ahead of the COP 26 conference, which will bring parties together in Glasgow to accelerate action towards the goals of the Paris Agreement and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The final seminar of SWIC Net Zero Week on Thursday (October 7th) will sum up the week’s events ahead of COP and highlight the ambitions and key opportunities for industry in south Wales to make its mark in the fight against carbon emissions globally.
Dr Williams said: “With COP 26 just around the corner, SWIC Net Zero Week presents us with a real opportunity to showcase our efforts here in Wales with regards to the rest of the UK, and indeed the world, as an industry-led partnership working to effect real and timely change on the ground.
“We’d like to thank our partners in SWIC Net Zero Week, namely the University of South Wales, Costain and CR Plus, as well as all those taking time out to present during the seminars, for helping us make this week a reality.”
