Amy House, Director of Green Economy was invited to speak at an international conference on net zero. Here she shares the key learnings from how other nations are tacking climate change and her hope for a net zero future.
I was invited to speak and join the delegation at The Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF)’s International Workshop on Setting an Ambitious Path towards a Net-Zero Future, which was held in Taiwan in September 2024.
The event provides an innovative platform for cooperation, knowledge sharing and fostering collaboration to address global challenges - and there is no greater global challenge than climate change. This event was established to encourage the sharing of policies and practical measures for achieving net zero with international speakers covering six themes; green economy, renewable energy development, green finance, circular economy, green technology, and climate change adaptation.
I was invited to speak on the topic of the UK’s green economy and the actions we are taking through our service provision to accelerate the transition to net zero emissions. I drew on the exemplar city regions we are supporting across Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire and York and emphasised the importance of providing both decarbonisation and resource efficiency business support, whilst simultaneously improving the competitiveness of the local green tech and services sector to ensure the economic benefits of the net zero transition are captured locally.
To be invited to speak and hosted during the conference was a huge privilege and something I was keen to make the most of. I had researched the conference prior to attending and knew it would present a valuable learning opportunity, but I had underestimated the value I would gain from connecting with and forming relationships with fellow attendees.
I met with Eilen Soderberg, Member of Swedish Parliament and spoke to her about Sweden’s long-term strategies for reducing greenhouse house emissions that remains consistent regardless of the political party in power. Sweden’s Climate Act imposes an obligation on current and future governments to pursue a policy based on the national climate goals. Sweden’s Climate Policy Council is an independent expert body tasked with evaluating whether the overall policy decided by the Government is compatible with the climate goals. These long standing, bi-partisan policies offer Swedish businesses the confidence to invest in the net zero transition, without fear that better terms or policies will be offered under a future government.
Saul Griffith from Electrify, and author of ‘An Optimist’s Playbook For Our Clean Energy Future’ gave a really interesting presentation, offering a new angle to the climate emergency. He encouraged us to look at solutions not barriers, offering a no-regrets pathway to success which calls for an all-encompassing electrification approach net zero.
A common assertion from participants was that net zero cannot be achieved without a transition to a circular economy. The sessions presented alternative business models (service led, lease and take back) that not only reap economic benefits but environmental benefits too. There was a strong call to ensure clear links between net zero, economic development and circular principals which typically sit separately in terms of government departments and policy. Some nations such as Taiwan have no raw materials and are forced to adopt circular approaches which shows nations considering it as an option of what is possible.
I also heard from Dr Neetu Farabaugh, Deputy Director for Global Resilience within the Office of the Secretary of Defence for the United States. Her role is to develop and implement the Department’s strategic approach to challenges related to climate change and energy resilience, demonstrating action and accountability as well as a vision for change.
As part of the visit we were invited to see innovation in action. We visited the Techzone Technology Materials co, which has established an industrial waste treatment centre combining incineration treatment, waste heat recovery, and distillation recycling. Instilling the belief of “limited resources, inifinate circulation”.
We also went to meet with UWin Resource Regeneration, a firm that recycles lithium with an innovative process which limits the environmental impacts. They were keen explore the UK battery recycling infrastructure and discuss opportunities to collaborate, which I’ll be looking at with Green Economy members.
Lastly, we visited E.Sun bank which is named after the highest peak in Taiwan and is committed to becoming the best bank and top choice for its customers. They shared with us the efforts they are making to provide services to their customers that support their net zero transition and also their own journey to reduce their carbon impact.
My visit to Taiwan, was both eye-opening and heartening. I found it reassuring to meet and hear from individuals about their work and the wide range of activities that are taking place around the world. We often hear such polarising narrative around net zero and climate change, it’s encouraging to see people quietly working away to mitigate the risks and deliver a positive economic vision without deindustrialisation. Green Economy is a small cog in a global network of partners, making small changes to overcome humankind's greatest risk. I’m glad to know we’re not alone in this challenge.
Director
Amy is a chartered environmentalist with two decades experience working with the businesses at the heart of the net zero transition.
With an MSc in Environmental Monitoring, Modelling and she has a deep understanding of the technologies that make up the industry, the legislation that affects it and the businesses and people at its core.
Amy has a unique understanding of the supply chain and advocates for the sector with buyers, local decision makers and national policy makers. Amy and her team have established Green Economy to improve the competitiveness of the supply chain, to overcome the market failures that prevent uptake of low carbon technology and to promote the businesses playing a key role in delivering the UK’s net zero ambition.
