net zero – Page 5 – The NEN – North Edinburgh News

Students set for the Scottish Schools’ Hydrogen Challenge

Over 7,000 second year students from across Scotland will compete to build the best green hydrogen powered Lego vehicle over the next eight weeks
Pupils have the opportunity to test drive the low carbon fuel and hear more on the importance of green hydrogen in achieving Net Zero targets
Winners from each city will compete in the Grand Final in Glasgow during COP26

Students across Scotland are taking part in a unique challenge in the run up to COP26 – designing, building and racing a green hydrogen-fuelled vehicle of their own design.

The Scottish School’s Hydrogen Challenge will see groups of three students collaborate to build the most efficient hydrogen-powered vehicle in under two hours. Vehicles that travel the furthest on the zero emission fuel will take part in a Grand Final in Glasgow during COP26.

Over 7,000 second year pupils from Scotland are expected to take part as the challenge visits Fort William, Wick, Inverness, Aberdeen, Dundee, Perth, Stirling, Edinburgh and Glasgow in the run up to the climate change summit.

Regional finals are taking place in each of Scotland’s cities with the top three teams from each being entered into the Grand Final with a chance to win a Lego Robot Inventor amongst other prizes.

Today, 3rd September, marks the first of the regional finals. Schools from across the Highlands have been competing for a place to race at COP26 over the past two weeks with the final contenders racing their hydrogen powered vehicles in Inverness at Millburn Academy today.

The challenge is being delivered by partners Arcola Energy, ITM Power and ScottishPower, a partnership formed to help educate people on the importance of green hydrogen in tackling the ongoing climate emergency.

Barry Carruthers, Hydrogen Director at ScottishPower, said: “Scotland is about to host one of the most important climate summits ever, COP26, and we want to help bring some of the energy and excitement around COP26 to schools across Scotland with our partners Arcola Energy and ITM Power.

“We’re currently working to deliver a number of green hydrogen projects in Scotland – including the largest green hydrogen facility in the country, but we know that we still have work to do to help educate people about this critical, zero emission fuel and the role it plays in achieving Scotland’s overall Net Zero goals.

“This green hydrogen Challenge will help engage Scottish students in how green hydrogen can help decarbonise our daily lives by providing a clean fuel alternative to heavy industries and transport and supporting hundreds of green jobs.”

During the workshops, competitors will find out more about the decarbonisation of transport and the important role it is playing in reaching Scotland’s climate change targets.

The Challenge also offers a chance for members of the community to learn about green hydrogen, its applications and its expected growth over the next decade during evening and weekend workshops.

Experts will be on hand to answer any questions about the technology and offer a chance for people to try their hand at building a hydrogen-powered vehicle.

Graham Cooley, CEO of ITM Power, said: “It is vitally important we work with young people as they grow up during the rapid shift to a net-zero economy. We are thrilled to be working with partners Arcola and ScottishPower, who are as passionate as we are about inspiring and upskilling a future generation of scientists and engineers.

“These hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are being built by the generation who will inherit the hydrogen technology that we at ITM Power are creating today. We hope to learn as much from them as they do from us.”

Green hydrogen is made when a renewable electricity source, like an onshore wind farm, is used to generate the electricity to power an electrolyser which splits water into its two elements; hydrogen and oxygen.

The zero emissions fuel offers a long term, sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, and can be used to decarbonise sectors that cannot be powered by electricity alone, including large transport vehicles like trucks, trains or buses and heavy industry or high temperature industrial processes.

Dr Ben Todd, CEO of Arcola Energy said: “Arcola Energy has delivered hands-on hydrogen education programmes to more than 100,000 students over the past 12 years, as part of our goal to deliver practical solutions to decarbonise transport, many examples of which will be on Scottish roads in the coming years.

“Based on real engineering principles, our workshops are delivered by our in-house team working with members of local universities and colleges who will be on hand to help teach students about green hydrogen and its applications – as well as offer a few hints and tips as they work to build their vehicles.”

The Challenge is being supported by the Scottish Cities Alliance and the Hydrogen Accelerator who have played a key role in the coordination of the Challenge and helping to educate people on the role of hydrogen in decarbonisation.

Cllr John Alexander, Chair, Scottish Cities Alliance, Leader Dundee City Council, said: “With COP26 just around the corner there has never been a better time to engage our future leaders, engineers, economists and so much more about how important zero carbon fuel is.

“In the lead up to COP26 the Scottish cities are proud to collectively support this important programme to inspire the next generation of renewable energy engineers who can capitalise on the high skilled jobs we aim to create from our collective investment to position Scotland as one of Europe’s leading early adopters of hydrogen technology.

“Innovation is happening here and now across the Scottish cities in deploying these technologies at scale to play our part in meeting Scotland’s ambitious net zero target by 2045 and putting the technology in the hands of young people is vital to ensuring that Scotland’s workforce of the future is best placed to reap the economic rewards as part of our just transition.”

Professor John Irvine, Chair of the Hydrogen Accelerator at the University of St Andrews, said: “On behalf of the Hydrogen Accelerator and the University of St Andrews, I am delighted that we are supporting this exciting Hydrogen Challenge programme, inspiring our young people to take up future careers within sectors such as Hydrogen as it offers such a diverse range of fulfilling career opportunities.

“The Hydrogen Accelerator also looks forward to continuing to support the ambitions of the Seven Cities and city regions in achieving their decarbonisation targets.

“With the abundance of renewable energy and water here in Scotland we have the right ingredients to produce green hydrogen enabling not only the decarbonisation of the transport sector but the opportunity to create innovative solutions, supply chain growth whilst providing citizens with clean, green transport.”

UK must learn from energy policy failures to set standard at COP26

Regions and nations of the UK blueprint for how NOT to deliver the green jobs revolution, says GMB Union

GMB, the energy union, has said the UK must learn from its own energy and industrial policy failures if it is to set the standard at the COP26 summit in Glasgow.

The union’s call comes after Shadow Business Secretary Ed Miliband said Boris Johnson must take ‘personal responsibility’ for the talks.

Gary Smith, GMB General Secretary, said: “Climate justice and economic justice must go hand-in-hand -which means delivering the jobs transition to help reach net zero.

“But with the world coming to Glasgow, the UK isn’t any closer to this than it was in 2015.

“The regions and nations of the UK are a blueprint for how not to deliver the green jobs revolution. Look at Scotland and the broken promises of 28,000 offshore wind manufacturing jobs and “a Saudi Arabia of renewables”. Instead supply chains have been starved of work and investment.

“Despite this, our political class persist in playing fast and loose with the futures of energy workers, and with security of supply.

“This is not how you take working class people with you on a journey to net zero.

“The UK can’t set the standards at COP26 unless we start learning the lessons from our own failures on energy and industrial policy.”

Positive diets for negative emissions in beef race to net zero

Diet is at the heart of beef’s race to net zero, according to respected Dr Karen Beauchemin, a federal scientist in Canada and an international authority on Green House Gas (GHG) emissions from livestock farming.

Seaweeds, fat from crushed oilseed rape and feed additives have all been part of a practical research programme she and her colleagues are carrying out, looking at both feeding and breeding to make the economics and environmental commitment stack up for beef producers.

“The goals of economic and environmental sustainability go hand-in-hand in beef farming and are complementary,” she says. “We have discovered multiple methods of reducing methane emissions in beef production, but the number one way is still to improve overall efficiency whether that’s through more kilograms reared per cow or improved grass utilisation.”

The studies have shown that methane is a direct result of the amount and quality of food, and in this week’s QMS podcast, Dr Beauchemin, who has worked in animal nutrition for over 30 years, looks at diet-related strategies that can be used to reduce methane emission patterns, and achieving the balance for producers to make cumulative gains.

“The research shows that methane emissions are highest when diets are higher in fibre, such as grass or silage, but this can be mitigated by cutting silage earlier to minimise the starch levels.

“And, although by feeding concentrates and grains producers can reduce emissions, we don’t want to overfeed these to beef cattle as their unique ability is to digest highly fibrous feeds like grass that cannot be consumed by humans and make use of that energy to produce food that can be.”

In Canada, consumers have been paying a carbon tax since 2019, $20/tonne soon to rise to $170/tonne, but it is not currently applicable on agricultural products.

There is pressure from the retailers, however, and the Canadian beef industry has introduced a low carbon beef framework to allow retailers to source from producers who are working to reduce their environmental impact.

The “badge” on the supermarket shelf is more than GHGs, however, explains Dr Beauchemin. It includes land use, water management, animal welfare and a healthy work environment.

On the challenges of consumer perception of livestock production on the environment, she adds: “Cattle do produce GHGs but they are producing food. With cars we’re talking about fossil fuels that are extracted from the earth and the CO2 emissions emitted are in the atmosphere for a long time.

“Methane from animals is part of a biological cycle. We have energy trapped in plants by photosynthesis, those plants are converted by animals into energy that goes into producing meat and milk for human consumption. The methane emitted in this system is short lived – it is broken down in about 12 years.

“Also, the animals are maintained on pasture and those pastures are sequestering carbon or have sequestered carbon, so they have large reserves. We have to be careful with comparing the emissions from animal production with fossil fuels.”

While there is a lot of interest in using breeding to improve feed efficiency, Dr Beauchemin focuses on diet over genetics. She has been very involved in the commercial-scale study of 3-NOP, a feed additive from manufacturer DSM which inhibits methane in the rumen.

In collaboration with several teams including experts in large-scale methane measurement, feedlot nutrition and health consultants, the results from 15,000 cattle have shown that it can reduce methane in a forage-based diet by up to 25% and by 80% in a feedlot finishing diet.

The podcast series is available through Apple Podcast, Buzzsprout, and Spotify, as well as via the Quality Meat Scotland website and social channels.

Government urged to reform the planning system to reach net zero

Centre for Cities: Planning and transport changes in cities would bring UK 26% closer to its target

Make it easier to build energy efficient low-rise flats and terraces in city centres and suburbs
Improve public transport and charge polluting drivers to halve urban car emissions
Encourage people to ditch their cars post-pandemic

The Government needs to press ahead with planning reform to meet its net zero target according to Centre for Cities’ research in partnership with HSBC UK.

Its campaign should begin in cities which, despite being big carbon emitters, have the best chance of leading the UK to net zero. The report finds that the right policies targeted in cities will being the UK a quarter of the way closer achieving a carbon neutral future.

Doing this this will require the Government to progress its planned reforms as the current system is a barrier to reaching net zero. They encourage housing development in isolated areas over better-connected inner-city and suburban brownfield sites.

Houses emit more carbon than flats, but they accounted for nearly eight in ten homes built in 2019 – an increase of 12 percentage points since 2013. Therefore, providing a more balanced mix of low-rise flats and terraced houses close to city centres would therefore help the UK reach net zero.

Building new homes centrally would also reduce car dependency. If the share of journeys made by public transport rose from one third to two thirds then urban carbon emissions would halve. Therefore, providing good public transport in all cities is essential to reaching net zero.

The number of people using public transport fell sharply during the pandemic and has not yet reached pre-Covid levels. Reaching net zero will be impossible while so many people continue to shun public transport in favour of cars. Policy makers therefore must encourage the public back onto public transport.

They should also introduce charges to disincentivise non-electric car usage and improve the public transport system in all cities. Doing these together could reduce total urban transport emissions by 87% by 2035.

The report argues that, to help cities reach net zero, the Government should:

Make it easier to build new energy efficient homes in city centres and suburbs.
Reintroduce the £2 billion Green Homes Scheme to retrofit existing homes. This would reduce carbon emissions by around 30% across England and Wales’ largest cities and towns.

And local government leaders should:

Improve public transport by bringing buses under public management
Introduce Clean Air Zones that charge drivers of the most polluting vehicles.
Encourage walking, cycling and public transport usage.

Centre for Cities’ Chief Executive Andrew Carter said: “The majority of people in the UK are based in our cities and largest towns. This means that changing the way that we live, work and move around them will be essential if we’re to reach net zero by 2050.

“Because 64% of the UK’s total carbon emissions come from homes and transport, it will be impossible to reach net zero without changes to our planning and transport systems. If the Government does these together it will help it reach its goals of becoming carbon neutral and levelling up.”

Ian Stuart, CEO of HSBC UK said: “This report shows the key role Britain’s town and cities, and decision-makers leading them, are going to play in helping the UK reach its net-zero ambitions.

“Consumers, businesses and local communities will need support from both central and local government if we’re going to make the big lifestyle changes needed over the coming years in the way we travel and in the way we build and heat our homes.

“There is a real opportunity to build a partnership between the public and private sectors to create the new solutions to meet the climate challenge and to open up new green opportunities for growth for small and medium sized businesses right across the country. HSBC UK stand ready to play our part in this partnership.”

Net-Zero-Decarbonising-the-City Download

Lothian’s on the road to net zero!

Arriving now: Edinburgh’s first fully electric double decker buses

Today sees the official launch of Edinburgh’s first fully electric double decker buses, thanks to major funding from SP Energy Networks working in partnership with Lothian buses.

The £1.7million project was funded as a flagship project of SP Energy Networks’ £20million Green Economy Fund to enable Edinburgh to take a major step in its journey towards the city becoming Net Zero by 2030.

These buses will bring immediate benefits to the city and the communities in which they operate, helping improve the city’s air quality and delivering multiple health benefits.

Lothian’s four brand new all-electric double decker buses will be introduced onto route 10, which connects outlying parts of the city, Western Harbour and Bonaly with Edinburgh’s city centre.

The City of Edinburgh Council has committed to establish a Low Emission Zone (LEZ), reducing the carbon footprint of public transport and the new Lothian electric buses are a statement of intent for the city’s transport network.

The launch of these buses will play a big part in the city’s green transport infrastructure.

Through the Green Economy Fund, SP Energy Networks is investing in the communities that it serves to support the UK and Scottish governments’ green energy ambitions. It also contributes to government plans to meet climate change targets, boost local economic growth, improve air quality across the country and deliver a better future, quicker for our communities.

SP Energy Networks is part of the ScottishPower group, a Principal Partner for the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) to be held in Glasgow in four months’ time.

It is developing an energy model that will play a significant role towards reaching the UK’s world-leading climate change targets and is investing a total of £10billion in the clean energy generation and networks infrastructure needed to help the UK decarbonise and reach Net Zero emissions.

The new electric buses were built by Alexander Dennis, Britain’s biggest bus builder, at its Falkirk factory and will benefit from a smart management system which allows reduction in well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption.

Transport Minister Graeme Dey, who attended the official launch of the new electric fleet at Dynamic Earth, said: “Scotland was one of the first countries in the world to declare a global climate emergency and with projects like this we continue to show our commitment to reducing emissions.

“As the country comes out of the pandemic and restrictions continue to ease, it is essential that our recovery is a green one, which has returning to public transport at its heart. This all-electric service is welcome news both for Edinburgh bus users and the environment.

“It’s also fantastic to see private sector organisations collaborate to tackle climate change. The funding from SP Energy Networks to support Lothian’s electric fleet with buses made in Falkirk is very much an initiative to be welcomed and encouraged.’’

Guy Jefferson, Chief Operating Officer at SP Energy Networks, said: “This is an historic moment in Edinburgh’s journey to Net Zero. The four new electric double decker buses will serve one of the busiest bus routes in the capital and provide a blueprint for other routes across the city.

“Edinburgh has ambitious plans to be a leading UK Net Zero emissions city by 2030 but for that to happen there needs to be big changes. The introduction of this new technology will improve air quality and noise pollution while supporting the city’s green recovery from the pandemic.

“We are committed to collaborating with government and industry to harness the knowledge, skills and resources we need to tackle climate change. Net Zero is now the prism through which we take all our business decisions. It’s one of the key drivers of our decision to become a Principal Partner of the COP26 global climate change conference, which is taking place in Scotland later this year.

“By working with our partners in Edinburgh and across Scotland through initiatives such as this we can deliver the cleaner, greener and better future we all want, quicker.”

Nigel Serafini, Interim Managing Director at Lothian Buses, said: “Across the last decade, Lothian has removed around 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide from our carbon footprint through our fleet replacement strategies, and the introduction of Edinburgh’s first fully electric double decker buses allows us to continue on this journey, further reducing our impact on the environment.

“These new buses are fitted with the most advanced zero emissions technology and the introduction of these vehicles across our Service 10 further cements our commitment to meet the requirements of the Scottish Government and The City of Edinburgh Council’s climate change strategies.

“We’re delighted to have been able to partner with SP Energy Networks’ Green Economy Fund on this project and look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Transport and Environment Convener Councillor Lesley Macinnes said: “This is a really exciting step forward for the city’s public transport network, and our own ambitions to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030.

“We want to make a green recovery from the pandemic and to do this we need to encourage more people to make sustainable transport choices. These buses offer a clean, reliable and environmentally-friendly alternative to the car.

“As we work towards the introduction of a Low Emission Zone in Edinburgh too, electric and other low emission buses will be essential for transporting people to the city centre while maintaining clean, breathable air.

“In the coming months we’ll be playing an important supporting role when Glasgow hosts the major COP26 climate change conference, and it’s innovations such as these that signal our firm commitment to tackling the climate emergency.”

The new vehicles also have USB charging points, on-board audio-visual next stop announcements and free Wi-Fi to provide a better overall customer experience.

So far, 35 projects have been awarded funding from SP Energy Networks across Central and Southern Scotland.

To find out more about the Green Economy Fund and the projects it supports, please visit:

www.spenergynetworks.co.uk/pages/green_economy_fund.aspx

Edinburgh Napier University announces fossil fuel divestment

STATEMENT:

Edinburgh Napier is proud to announce that the University has removed all direct investments from fossil fuel companies.

We have a strong history of enhancing environmental sustainability within and beyond Edinburgh Napier. To maintain our achievements and develop our work further, we have set significant commitments within our new University Strategy, including achieving net zero carbon in our operations by 2030 at the latest.

This announcement is in line with our net zero direction of travel and reflects our wider commitment to minimise both our wider and legacy carbon footprint and influence sustainable practices within and beyond our campuses. We are now fully divested from direct investments in fossil fuel companies, including investments through share providers.

Andrea Nolan, Principal and Vice Chancellor of Edinburgh Napier University, said: “This announcement recognises the dedication and enthusiasm of our University’s students and staff to work together to meet our sustainability goals. We have made the commitment to achieve net zero carbon in our operations by 2030 at the latest, while also seeking to minimise both our wider and legacy carbon footprint and influence sustainable practices within and beyond our campuses.

“By removing all direct investments from fossil fuel companies, we are taking significant steps towards meetings these commitments. We have a strong history of enhancing environmental sustainability within and beyond Edinburgh Napier, and we will continue to work collaboratively to maintain our achievements and develop our work further through the sustainability commitments embedded within our new University Strategy.”

It is important to highlight the vital role our own Edinburgh Napier students had in making this happen. Members from the Edinburgh Napier Sustainable Society and the Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association were instrumental in making their voices heard, taking the issue to the University and advocating for the position of divesting from fossil fuels.

As well as engaging with senior leadership, the students also worked with the Edinburgh Napier University Development Trust to ensure that the Trust itself – a separate legal entity from the University which manages all philanthropic funds on behalf of the University – also removed all direct investments from fossil fuel companies.

The Trust has been working to reducing its exposure to fossil fuel investments over the last few years, and our students played an important part in working with them to make the final push to full divestment.

In February this year, investment management company Brewin Dolphin wrote to the Trust to confirm it had taken action to sell all remaining collective funds in the UK, Europe and the US where there was any indirect exposure to oil and gas companies, reinvesting the proceeds into a range of directly held stocks or into collectives where there is no underlying exposure.

Brewin Dolphin also stated it would continue to work with the Trustees not only to generate investment returns, but also to reflect the values of the University and the wishes of the donors within the investment strategy by favouring companies which contribute positively to society.

George Borthwick, Chair of the Development Trust, said: “Edinburgh Napier University recognises the challenges we all face in living and working more sustainably. Aligned to the University’s strategic priorities, the University Development Trust, which raises funds to provide student scholarships, bursaries and awards, has completed divestment from fossil fuels.

“As a University Development Trust, it is important that our own investments and operational decisions reflect the values that underpin our community. By moving all our investments out of fossil fuels and adopting a position that they should aim to have a positive impact on society and the environment, we are making a commitment to being a part of a sustainable, healthy and positive future.”

The Edinburgh Napier Sustainable Society said: “We at Edinburgh Napier Sustainable Society believe that education plays a vital role in the fight against climate change.

“We are incredibly proud to be a part of a University that actively listens to the student voice, and is leading by example to combat the climate crisis with its fossil fuel divestment. Although we are only at the beginning of our fight, this is a huge milestone that we have been grateful to be part of!”

Achieving this position has been a result of hard work and collaboration across the University, its partners and its students. We are especially proud of the commitment, passion and dedication of our students, who used their voice to ask for change and worked tirelessly to help make the final transition to full divestment happen.

This accomplishment came about as a result of their efforts and pride in their University, and we are grateful for them continuing to challenge us and work alongside us to make these changes.

In addition to divesting from direct investments, the University has recently updated the existing electricity contract to procure 100% renewable electricity throughout all University buildings. From 1 April 2021, all electricity consumed is backed by Renewable Energy Guarantees of Origin.

Professor Gary Hutchison, Chair of the University’s Environmental Sustainability Strategy Group, said: “By removing direct investments from fossil fuel companies, we are underpinning our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and working towards a more sustainable future for Edinburgh Napier University.

“Our students have played a significant part in making this divestment happen, and will continue to have a voice on the University’s sustainable future through their involvement in our Environmental Sustainability Strategy Group.

“We know there is a lot of work still to do but by working together with our staff, students and local communities, we can make sure Edinburgh Napier University plays its part in tackling climate change.”

Meeting our net zero carbon goal will be a culmination of work from across the University, its staff and students, its local communities and partners.

We are committed to collaborative working wherever possible and will continue to explore and identify opportunities to further reduce our carbon emissions and enhance our sustainability practices.

Scottish National Investment Bank is open for business

The Scottish National Investment Bank has officially opened for business with the completion of its first major investment. It is the UK’s first mission-led development bank and it is being capitalised by the Scottish Government with £2 billion over ten years.

The bank’s proposed missions will focus on supporting Scotland’s transition to net zero, extending equality of opportunity through improving places, and harnessing innovation to enable Scotland to flourish.

It will provide patient capital – a form of long term investment – for businesses and projects in Scotland, and catalyse further private sector investment.

Today’s £12.5 million investment in Glasgow-based laser and quantum technology company M Squared will support the company’s further growth in Scotland and speaks to the bank’s proposed core missions.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “The Scottish National Investment Bank will help to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face now and in the years to come, delivering economic, social and environmental returns.

“It is hitting the ground running with its first major investment in M Squared – a great example of the ambitious and innovative companies we have here in Scotland that will be key to our economic recovery and future prosperity.

“The launch of the bank is one of the most significant developments in the lifetime of this parliament, with the potential for it to transform, grow and decarbonise Scotland’s economy.”

Scottish National Investment Bank Chair Willie Watt said: “Today is a key milestone for the Scottish National Investment Bank. Our launch enables us to make mission-led, strategic, patient investments in businesses and projects that can deliver benefits for the people of Scotland. I am excited about the role the Bank will play in supporting and enabling growth in the Scottish economy.

“We are particularly pleased that our first investment is in M Squared which is at the cutting edge of innovation and is a recognised world-leader in its field. It is our firm belief that the bank will make many more investments that deliver positive mission impacts in the years and decades to come.”

Dr Graeme Malcolm, CEO and founder of M Squared, said: “Science and advanced technologies have a major role to play in Scotland’s future economic prosperity. By increasing investment in research and development with a mission-based approach, Scotland has a real opportunity to actively tackle climate change and benefit from the coming quantum revolution.

“We are delighted that the Scottish National Investment Bank has invested in M Squared as its very first business – our shared commitments to society and the environment makes this an ideal partnership that will enable accelerated growth and progress in frontier technologies.”

Benny Higgins, Strategic Adviser to the First Minister on the establishment of the bank, said: “It has been a privilege to be part of an outstanding effort to make this a reality.

“We could not have predicted that the current pandemic renders the need for mission-led investment even more vital to create a robust, resilient wellbeing economy in Scotland.”

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