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On 26 November, IChemE brought together a range of experts for a roundtable event to discuss the realities of industrial decarbonisation.

Industrial decarbonisation matters because we want to reduce our use of carbon without stopping industrial activity or making a significant sacrifice in our living standards. The UK is committed to transitioning to net zero, and industry contributes to about 14% of UK greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, the previous government published an industrial decarbonisation strategy, and the current government highlighted the importance of the transition to clean energy by making it one of their central missions. Their recent industrial strategy green paper emphasises the importance of the decarbonisation of industrial energy use.

Yesterday, IChemE convened a roundtable discussing industrial decarbonisation and looking at how the government can drive this agenda forwards. The session was chaired by IChemE President Mark Apsey MBE, and organisations represented included the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero, the Chemical Industry Association, and the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre.

Participants in the roundtable identified a number of barriers to industrial decarbonisation, some of the most prominent being the high cost of energy in the UK (particularly green energy), shortages in the STEM, and specifically the chemical and process engineering, workforce, and the difficulty in making decarbonisation an attractive investment prospect in the current regulatory/market environment.

There were a number of clear themes from the discussion of policy solutions. The overriding importance of a clear, consistent and long-term policy approach for business and investor confidence was a repeated message in discussion. A number of policy suggestions were discussed, one key topic being the role for the government in ensuring that there is an attractive business case for companies to invest in the technologies needed to decarbonise. There was also a clear call for chemical and process engineering to be recognised as subjects of national strategic importance, as they are vital in delivering the government’s ambitions in this area.

IChemE will be uploading an anonymised write-up of the discussion shortly.

External URL: https://www.icheme.org/about-us/news-releases/icheme-convenes-expert-roundtable-on-industrial-decarbonisation/