Net zero transitions
Updates from the wider world of net zero
Innovate UK Connections
HYPERCUBE X NET ZERO LIVING
Can local innovation drive net zero progress?
Our very own James Taplin and Rachel Duggan unpack the transformative potential of the Net Zero Living Programme and its impact on local authorities in an episode of the Hypercube podcast.
INNOVATE UK / NET ZERO HEAT
4-6 March 2025 / Futurebuild, ExCel London
Big Retrofit Challenge – Winners pitching session at Futurebuild
The Big Retrofit Challenge is an exciting initiative aimed at tackling the pressing challenges of home decarbonisation. Innovate UK, in partnership with the National Home Decarbonisation Group (NHDG) and Futurebuild, ran a competition for UK innovators to showcase their game-changing solutions. Winners will be pitching in a special session at Futurebuild in early March.
There will be lots else going on at Futurebuild, including Hannah Gibson, Innovation Lead, speaking on the From Net Zero to Healthy Homes and Buildings panel on 4th March.
Net Zero Heat Open Day – Catch up on the recordings
If you missed the Net Zero Heat Open Day in October, all recordings from the webinar are available here. This is a chance to hear directly from the businesses that we support, talking about the solutions they are delivering.
Their technologies include decarbonisation decision-making platforms for owners of building portfolios, tools for verifying the building performance outcomes of retrofit, and means for collecting building data at scale.
DESNZ NET ZERHO HUBS
Local Net Zero Accelerator Finance Support Services DPS – now available!
Acquiring independent advice on your project can be essential in preparing it for investment, and a new Dynamic Purchasing System is available to assist with that.
The LNZA DPS aims to make the process of obtaining independent advisory services quicker, more efficient and lower-risk for Local Authorities.
Learn how to develop a tenant engagement strategy for your retrofit projects
The Midlands Net Zero Hub have launched a Tenant Engagement Toolkit to support local authorities and housing providers across England to deliver successful social housing retrofit programmes.
North West Retrofit Skills Plan
This project was commissioned on behalf of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) to assess the current state of the retrofit workforce.
It also aimed to identify the necessary steps to develop the local workforce to be able to achieve net zero targets.
North East Hub – Support for Community Groups
The North East & Yorkshire Net Zero Hub is offering community groups free tailored advice sessions from specialist consultants to help progress their local energy project.
The sessions will take place in February 2025 and cover four themes:
- Low Carbon Technologies
- Net Zero Project Planning and Development
- Commercial Case Development
- Governance and Procurement for Community Energy Projects
LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS SUPPORT & RESOURCE HUB
Discover the climate-focused tools and support available
The capacity of local authorities to deliver the priorities of their communities has become more and more constrained recently. Local Partnerships’ energy and climate change experts help transform services across the public sector ecosystem.
Our climate response work focuses on both climate adaptation and emissions reduction, supporting local and national authorities in tackling climate change.
We provide tools including the GHG Accounting Tool, Electricity Forecast Tool, Climate Adaptation Toolkit and Waste Emissions Calculator, helping councils address climate risks, track their emissions, develop Net Zero plans, and implement renewable energy projects. We also support central government initiatives, including local energy projects and decarbonisation schemes, ensuring a comprehensive climate response across sectors.
Jointly owned by the LGA, HM Treasury and Welsh Government, we work solely for councils and combined authorities, central government departments and the Welsh Government. Local Partnerships delivers value and efficacy for the public purse. We provide expert advice and practical resources alongside project and programme delivery support, enabling public services to thrive.
Read the Local Partnerships’ Impact Report 2023 – 2024 for an overview of recent work.
REGEN GREEN ENERGY AWARDS
27 March 2025 / Bristol Harbour Hotel
Submit your nominations and book your place for The Green Energy Awards 2025!
There is still time to submit your nominations for Regen’s Green Energy Awards, with the deadline for nominations on 10 January 2025. The annual awards are an opportunity to recognise and reward excellence across the sector. It’s free to submit nominations and takes around 20 minutes.
You can nominate online here and find out more about the awards online here.
A quick reminder of the categories:
- Clean Energy Project
- Community Energy Initiative
- Just Transition Scheme ✨NEW THIS YEAR✨
- Local and Public Sector Net Zero Transformation
- Net Zero Energy Developer
- Net Zero Energy Pioneer
- Whole System Innovation
The Green Energy Awards are a leading national celebration of the innovative technologies, pioneering companies and inspiring individuals that are shaking up the energy system and driving towards a net zero future.
Taking place at the beautiful Bristol Harbour Hotel, these prestigious awards are a highlight of the clean energy calendar and are a fantastic celebration of the sector. The awards dinner brings together our entire industry, from policymakers to transmission and distribution network operators to investors, suppliers, developers, ancillary services and everyone in between.
News
Heat
Read here about the DESNZ approach to fast-track UK heat network zoning, in partnership with Arup and Ordnance Survey.
Energy
Cornwall Council car park goes green
The South West Net Zero Hub have worked alongside Cornwall Council to support the installation of a 230-kilowatt solar canopy over the car park at New County Hall in Truro.
The project demonstrates how car parks can provide multi-functionality for parking, energy generation and EV charging. The canopy will supply about one-third of the electricity demand for the site, providing an annual saving of around £50k in operational costs as well as carbon savings.
Read the case study on the South West Net Zero Hub website.
Agriculture and food
23 January & 26 February 2025 / online
Innovate UK Webinar Series: AgriFood innovations for a nature positive food system
Join these events to learn about reducing carbon in food production across different thematic areas. The webinars are open to industry professionals, academics, innovators, funders and anyone interested in AgriFood to attend.
29 & 30 April 2025 / Olympia London
Innovation Zero World Congress - Transforming systems for a low carbon economy
Join and engage with leaders and professionals from multiple sectors in the net zero community at Innovation Zero, the UK’s largest net zero congress.
Sign up to Carbon Brief’s Cropped, a fortnightly email newsletter sharing insights around climate, land, food and nature.
Business engagement
Greater South East Industrial Cluster Research phase 1 identifies 500+ opportunities
A study commissioned by the Greater South East Net Zero Hub has highlighted opportunities to decarbonise more than 500 industrial sites and business parks. It builds on findings from recent Hub-supported projects which highlighted the benefits of businesses coming together to plan and utilise shared technology or infrastructure to reduce carbon and other GHG emissions.
Following the study, the Hub will be developing tools to help areas identify the opportunities to decarbonise businesses/industries.
To see the clusters identified in the Greater South East, visit the Hub’s website.
Innovation
The National Grid have just published their 5-year business plan to invest up to £35 billion into their National Grid Electricity Transmission (NGET) business. Read the published business plan here.
Reports
The government respond to the Climate Change Committee’s 2024 Progress Report and address the Clean Energy Superpower Mission. Read the response here.
Read the recently published English Devolution White Paper here. You can also read Regen’s summary, and what that means for local authorities, on the Community Platform.
The government has also relaunched the Net Zero Council to now include civil society and local authorities, recognising their vital role in accelerating the UK to net zero.