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igem news

ANNUAL CONFERENCE

BRINGING VISION TO LIFE

This year’s IGEM Annual Conference focused on how to think about the opportunities.”
exactly the industry is helping to realise the UK’s low carbon “I think the answers lie in this room.
ambitions. Gi Editor Sharon Baker-Hallam reports There’s a responsibility for everybody
to get involved in this decarbonisation
HAVING DRAWN UP the blueprints, the the future – and we are working towards challenge. There are opportunities for us
UK knows what it needs to do to meet that as an industry sector. all, both professionally and personally,
its ambition of reaching net zero carbon “But we can’t forget the customer as we go through this transition. But
emissions by 2050. However, what is in this. Social media has given them a the pace of change is accelerating – so if
less clear is how exactly those demands stronger voice in today’s world and it’s you’re not on board already, you need to
will be met by the energy industry. far more challenging as a supplier in ask yourself, why not?”
At IGEM’s 2019 Annual Conference, the industry to satisfy customer needs. Following Antony’s address, Jim
Blueprint for the Future: From vision And the only thing they see ahead, in Watson, Professor of Energy Policy at
to reality, these challenges and others all of the things we are trying to do, is the University College London Institute
were explored during an action-packed potentially rising costs. When you’re for Sustainable Resources, spoke about
day at Loughborough’s Holywell Park out and about talking to customers you the work of the UK Energy Research
Conference Centre. realise that they are very, very sensitive Council, where he has been Director
The event was opened by IGEM CEO to even small changes in their bills and since January 2015.
Neil Atkinson, who welcomed around that’s particularly challenging for the A frequent advisor to UK government
200 delegates and thanked the event’s transmission and distribution networks departments and other national and
speakers and sponsors before handing as we move into RIIO-2. international organisations, Jim’s
over to the institution’s President, Antony “And, of course, we can’t forget the presentation focused on disruption
Green. “The industry as it stands at the need for a reliable network,” said Antony, to the energy system as a result of the
moment is at a point of change,” he said. referencing the August power cut that UK’s commitment to achieve net zero
“We have some real challenges lying caused widespread disruption across the carbon emissions by 2050.
before us. The UK has signed up to net UK. The current political situation also Giving a ‘big picture’ overview, Jim
zero. We have got to decarbonise. By poses a complex change for the industry discussed the various pathways for
2050, that is going to present an awful with a great deal of uncertainty. “Against delivery of low carbon energy and how
lot of challenges. As a gas sector, we’ve the backdrop of all that, we’ve got to find innovation can be used to facilitate the
got competing technologies out there a way through it,” he added. transition.
with the renewables industry building The industry, he said, has already Jo Coleman OBE, UK Energy
more and more capacity year on year. done a vast amount of work to identify Transition Manager at Shell, spoke about
“But, we have our own responses and the best pathways to decarbonisation, how Shell is keen to become a greener,
the industry in recent times has been but there remains a lot of work to do more decarbonised organisation as the
looking at whether hydrogen, hybrid be done. “I’ve outlined the challenges,” benefits of achieving net zero emissions
approaches and biogas are options for said Antony, “but I think we also need by 2050 far outweigh the costs.

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