Dcarbonise Week 2021

Virtual Sustainability Summit

4-8 October 2021 

Dcarbonise Week Programme

Dcarbonise Week, a pre-COP26 week-long Virtual Summit, unites some of the best known and respected event communities and provides exceptional education and guidance. Thanks to incomparable speakers, ‘Dcarbonise Week 2021 – Virtual Sustainability Summit’ will engage hundreds of business leaders, policy makers, energy managers, buyers, heads of sustainability, technologists, solution providers and investors, all unified in their passion and pursuit of decarbonising their operations as we strive towards becoming Net Zero.

Whether you’re involved in clean energy, transport, cities, industry, travel, or farming, Dcarbonise Week will inspire and help you to deliver for your business.

Browse the sessions and register to the ones you want to attend!

Sponsor: ScottishPower

It is imperative that choices in the coming months steer a recovery that drives vital new economic activity, accelerates our transition to net zero and strengthens our resilience to the impacts of climate change after the pandemic wanes.

Join speakers from ScottishPower, National Grid ESO, the Climate Change Committee, the onshore wind, solar and marine renewables sectors as they discuss both The Green Recovery and the importance of that Just Transition.

Chair: Lindsay McQuade, ScottishPower Renewables

Speakers: Chris Stark, Climate Change Committee, Dr. Bruce Adderley, UKRI, Julian Leslie, National Grid Electricity System Operator, Sue Barr, Marine Energy Council, Thomas McMillan, Savills, Solar Energy Scotland, Kate Turner, ScottishPower Renewables 

Sponsor: Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) Transmission

SSEN Transmission is responsible for the electricity transmission network in the north of Scotland and the Scottish Islands. In our presentation we will explain why the next price control period for transmission will be a critical period in supporting a cost-effective, just transition and enabling infrastructure investment to accommodate the net zero ambitions of the customers, communities and stakeholders we serve.  

Sponsor: Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP

In optimistic anticipation of COP26; in a global recognition of the real and present danger of our climate emergency; in the afterglow of surprisingly low offshore wind CfD auction prices; in the early years of a Sector Deal and the real life industrial renaissance being delivered by offshore wind. Where do we currently sit against minimum targets - and what is the art of the possible in the small, vital window we have left?

Chair: Scott McCallum, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP

Speakers: Julia, Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS, Sector Champion for Offshore Wind, Benj Sykes, Ørsted, Aileen McLeod, SSEN Transmission, Andrew Elmes, Siemens Gamesa, Charlie Jordan, ScottishPower Renewables 

Sponsor: ScottishPower

Decarbonising heat, which entails reducing and eliminating the greenhouse gases emitted during its generation and use, is essential to tackling climate change. Our panel of experts will be looking at policy and solutions - heat pumps, heat networks/district heating, hydrogen for heat, and geothermal.  

Chair: Ragne Low, Scottish Government

Speakers: Chris Carberry, ScottishPower, David Townsend, TownRock Energy, Nick Gosling, Vital Energi, Craig McCafferty, SGN

Sponsor: SWEP

Take a drone flight through SWEPs District Energy landscape and discover how energy saving applications play a key role in decarbonizing the planet. In this presentation, we will explain several of our energy saving applications relating to heat networks. Such networks are set to play a key role in the future provision of affordable, sustainable and low carbon heat

Speakers: Christer Frennfelt, SWEP, Adam Raymond, SWEP

With less than 30 years to deliver the UK’s Net Zero ambitions it is critical to accelerate technology deployment. The Scottish National Investment Bank will be a key player in investing/ leveraging funding, non-dilutive capital & market adoption of technologies. We open looking at their ambitious aims & delivery plans. 

Novel tech finance/deployment: The panel will then assess the challenges & discuss solutions that can be adapted by both financial institutions & tech providers.

ChairAndrew Smith, Greenbackers Investment Capital

SpeakersMiranda Hochberg, Siemens Energy Global, Keith Lawton, Wood, John Young, Strategic Growth Services, Neil Golding, Energy Industries Council, Myrtle Dawes, Net Zero Technology Centre, Mark Munro, Scottish National Investment Bank   

Sponsor: Hitachi ABB Power Grids 

With only a month to go from the time of the webinar before COP26 begin in Glasgow we look forward to hearing from invited politicians from both the UK and Scottish governments; our speakers will also include senior representatives from local government, academia and industry discussing what they want and expect from COP26; and the steps they believe are vital to achieving the holy grail of Net Zero.

Chair: Lindsay McQuade, ScottishPower Renewables

Speakers: Patrick Harvie MSP, Scottish Government, Ian Funnell, Hitachi ABB Power Grids, Councillor Susan Aitken, Glasgow City Council, Bryony Livesey, UKRI, Prof. Karen Turner, University of Strathclyde, Jane Dennett–Thorpe, Ofgem

For the oil and gas industry, energy integration can help reduce production emissions, as well as accelerate the progress of CCS and hydrogen in support of net zero. These are essential for the sector’s ‘social licence to operate’.  For offshore renewables, there are real opportunities for increased collaboration with oil and gas skills and supply chain for further expansion. Our panel explores these issues discussing how each side of the energy ‘coin’ can work together, and the role of training.

Chair: Claire Mack, Scottish Renewables

Speakers: Scott Robertson, Oil and Gas Authority, Luca Corradi, Net Zero Technology Centre, Andy Williamson, OPITO, Bryony Livesey, UKRI

There is no single answer to reducing industrial CO2 emissions, so we must progress a range of solutions which will include carbon capture and storage, using hydrogen in place of natural gas and direct air capture which removes CO2 directly from the air. All are represented by our speakers as are CO2 emitters, and the CO2 receiving port. 


To achieve its net zero ambition by 2050, the UK must look to Scotland because of the country’s ready-made gas transportation infrastructure and proximity to excellent sub-surface carbon storage sites in the Central North Sea.

Chair: Ronnie Quinn, NECCUS

Speakers: Alan James, Storegga, Colin Pritchard, INEOS Grangemouth, Stuart Gregg, Carbon Engineering, Stephen Paterson, Peterhead Port Authority, Edward Lawns, SSE Thermal

Sponsor: Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP

The UK has a statutory net zero target of 2050 & Scotland has gone one step further with a 2045 deadline. Many of our cities are undertaking even more ambitious targets with many seeking to achieve net zero by 2030. What does that mean in practice and is it achievable in less than a decade? We know that there isn’t a silver bullet & one solution does not fit all in the cities/place context. There is a common goal - innovation and collaboration will be key.  

Chair: Clare Foster, Shepherd and Wedderburn LLP

Speakers: Polly Billington, UK100, Shirley Rodrigues, Greater London Authority, Jonathan Guthrie, Robertson Group, Guy Jefferson, SP Energy Networks, Stephen Vere, Scottish Futures Trust

This is an opportunity to ‘eavesdrop’ on conversations between senior members of the hydrogen community and learn about their targets, hopes and aspirations for hydrogen – and the challenges too; to ask them questions and to get a feel for what will happen in the short, medium and long term.

Chair: Clare Lavelle, Arup

Speakers: Matthew Knight, Siemens Energy, Barry Carruthers, ScottishPower, Sam Lee Mohan, XODUS Group, Russell James, ATCO, Australia

Sponsored by Kellas Midstream Limited

A low-carbon hydrogen hub strengthens the case for CCUS infrastructure, revitalising existing infrastructure, & attracting new industry.

At the same time, any hydrogen cluster will also need to incorporate green hydrogen produced from electricity generated by the substantial offshore wind capacity off the UK’s East Coast. We explore Teesside and Humber hydrogen projects in action & examine the role that both blue & green hydrogen will play in the overall energy transition picture

Chair: Dr. Kerry-Ann Adamson, Advisian

Speakers: Filippo Gaddo, Arup, Andy Hessell, Kellas Midstream Limited; Dr. Chris Robinson, Tees Valley Combined Authority, Matt WilliamsonBP, Richard Crossick, Ørsted UK

Our panel considers the subject from both ‘Buyer’ & ‘Supplier’ viewpoints.

Both sides agree that bringing climate & GHG emissions into supplier selection decisions is on the horizon, but what does that actually mean?  What role do SBTs & ESG play? Are standardisation of methods, systems, processes on the cards? How do you achieve tangible results? What about behavioural change? The panel’s here to help!

Chair: Stuart Broadley, EIC, UK Energy Supply Chain (UKESC) Ministerial Taskforce

Speakers: Charles Langan, ScottishPower, Ben Walsh, Innovate UK, David Fatscher, British Standards Institution, Kirsty Isla MacArthur, MacArthur Green

Sponsored by Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres

Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centres (DER-IC) have been established across the UK to encourage cross sector collaboration, enable development of technology and accelerate growth of manufacturing capability in order to make the UK a centre of excellence for Power Electronics, Machines & Drives (PEMD). PEMD is crucial for successful delivery of electrification and decarbonisation of transport, energy and industry. The DER-IC project aims to maximise the opportunity presented by the global drive to net zero and encourage different sectors to develop solutions together which will accelerate the time to market.

The session provides an overview of the UK DER-IC network and insights into DER-IC - Scotland which focusses on high power, high integrity and systems across sectors such energy and industrial and transport sectors including rail, aerospace, maritime, off highway and truck & bus.

DER-IC - Scotland offers an opportunity to utilise a range of capability to tie early stage system level development through to sub-system and component design, manufacture and test. The region draws on expertise across the University of Strathclyde and University of St Andrews at platform level, through to drive sub-system and component level at University of Edinburgh and University of Glasgow with support in manufacturing and testing at National Manufacturing Institute of Scotland and PNDC. With contributions from our network, DER-IC offers a unified approach to technology development, manufacture and test in order to accelerate supply chain growth, create jobs and reduce time to market.

Speaker: Dan Cutting, Driving the Electric Revolution Industrialisation Centre - Scotland

Sponsored by Ørsted

Decarbonisation of the power sector is well under way; decarbonisation of transport is just beginning to get going. Whilst electrification will be the technology of choice to decarbonise light transport, hydrogen & fuels derived from hydrogen will be an essential technology to decarbonise heavy transport, shipping, & aviation. But what needs to happen to enable this transition both in terms of electrification & using hydrogen as a fuel? We look at steps to be taken now, lessons learned and opportunities for UK existing and new businesses

Chair: Jane Cooper, Ørsted UK

Speakers: Dr. Russell Fowler, National Grid, Richard Crossick, Ørsted UK, Amanda Lyne, ULEMCo Ltd., Morna Cannon, Transport Scotland, Graeme Dey MSP, Scottish Government, Ian  Divers,  SP Energy Networks

7th October: Oceanology International Sessions

12:00 BST

The move toward a sustainable and climate neutral Blue Economy, will have a positive impact on global economic impacts, technology innovation and investment. This panel will explore the current outlook and future challenges in areas such as energy, climate adaptation and marine habitat protection and the role that technology will play to further these goals.

We will also look at what this means for the future of the blue economy and our Oi audience. Live audience Q&A will operate throughout the session allowing time for plenty of discussion and interaction.

ModeratorProf. Ralph Rayner, London School of Economics

Panel: Thorsten Kiefer, JPI Oceans, Melanie Nadeau, Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship, Huw Gullick, National Oceanography Centre

13:30 BST

Seabed 2030 is a collaborative project between the Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans (GEBCO). It aims to bring together all available bathymetric data to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030 and make it available to all. This session focuses on the project from a Decarbonisation  view point and distils what we have learned and where, as a community we need to go in order to achieve the Paris Accord agreement.

Panel: Jamie McMichael-Phillips, Seabed 2030

14:30 BST

As the Energy Transition gains momentum, industry incumbents will look at how the survey, geotechnics and OSIG sector is changing in order to keep pace with the changing needs of Offshore Energy and the expectation of operating in a more sustainable manner.

Technology providers will join the discussion to share plans for delivering solutions for delivering services and technology to the growing offshore wind user base to push this burgeoning industry forward in established and nascent global markets.

Live Q&A will operate throughout between panellists and the audience.

Panel: Nadine Robinson, International Marine Contractors Association, Mick Cook, Society for Underwater Technology, Andy Barwise, RWE Renewables, Phil Wilson, MMT / Ocean Infinity, Dr. Neil Morgan, Lloyd's Register EMEA

16:45 BST

Session sponsored by iXblue

 Focused on the ever-growing role that autonomous and unmanned systems are playing in more sustainable ocean industry operations, future opportunities and technology innovation. Industry incumbents will provide an overview of this growing market looking at the active programmes, projects and supply chain demands.

Technology providers will join the discussion to share plans for delivering solutions in established and nascent global markets. A live audience Q&A will operate throughout the session allowing time for plenty of discussion and interaction.

Moderator: Justin Manley, Just Innovation

Panels: Olivier Cervantes, iXblue, Bjorn Jalving, Kongsberg Maritime

8th October: Future Farm Technology Sessions

10:00 BST

Sustainable energy needs for controlled environment agriculture CEA. By 2050 the global population will be circa 50bn, food producers will need to increase production by 70% to meet this demand. With land at a premium allied to global warming innovative producers are looking to grow in controlled environments – but CES can be power hungry-  this session hosted by UKUAT discuss the challenge we face and what the CEA industry can do to lower its foot print. 

Chair: Mark Horler, UKUAT

Panel: Douglas Elder, International Growth Solutions, Charlie Guy, LettUs Grow, Ahmad Mohseni, Brits Energy

14:00 BST

Find out how you’re performing now and you’ll know what to aim for. The measurement of carbon output across a farm may differ from location to location – taking regular measurements can help farmers and land managers to identify where in their business they have challenges. Different measures from across a farm may require a different solution to help net out emissions. Plus ELM and, what this means in terms of incentives to reduce emissions. As George Eustice said “we want farmers to access public money to help their businesses become more productive and sustainable, whilst taking steps to improve the environment and animal welfare, and deliver climate change outcomes on the land they manage.”

This session hosted by the RAU looks at the challenges land managers and farmers have and propounds possible solutions to help reach net zero goals.

Chair: Dr. David Bozward, Royal Agricultural University

Panel: Ben Thompson, Hartpury

8th October: WTM Responsible Tourism Sessions

10:00 BST

The problem is not flying. The problem is the fossil fuel that is used. The aviation industry needs to transition urgently to zero carbon flying. Aviation is important to the outbound tourism industry of the developed world; it is vital to the livelihoods of families and the foreign exchange earnings of many Small Island Developing States and developing countries, nations without a domestic tourism industry.

We shall begin by reviewing Sustainable Aviation Fuel from biofuels and waste, battery-powered electric flight and reforming Air Traffic Control to increase the efficiency of flight operations. Then we will look at the more radical alternative: Hydrogen.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin, WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor

Speakers: Jane Ashton, easyJet PLC, Keith Bushell, Airbus, John Strickland, JLS Consulting, Adam Freeman, MAG

11:30 BST

Hotels and other types of accommodation are responsible for 2% of the 5% of the global CO2 emissions from the tourism sector (UNWTO). With expert panellists from major hospitality groups, we shall discuss best practices in reducing emissions in designing and building new hotels and retrofitting existing properties. Are zero-emissions hotels possible? Is the hospitality sector making progress fast enough to achieve the Paris targets?

Moderator: Harold Goodwin, WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor

Speakers: Eric Ricaurte, Greenview, Singapore, HC Vinayaka VP, ITC Hotels, India, Claire Whitely, Sustainable Hospitality Alliance 

12:30 BST

Tour Operators, both inbound and outbound, make choices on behalf of the travellers and holidaymakers for whom they provide transport services. This is the case both for the tours and excursions included in the package and in selecting and packaging the optional excursions and activities offered in the destination. On this panel, Intrepid will talk about how they decarbonised the trips they sell, we shall hear about how TO-OT Bus has decarbonised and from Much Better Adventures about how they have measured and managed the carbon emissions arising from their business.

Moderator: Harold Goodwin, WTM’s Responsible Tourism Advisor

Speakers: Sam Bruce, Much Better Adventures, Dr. Susanne Etti, Intrepid Travel, Arnaud Masson, Ratp Dev’s Sightseeing Business Line

Industries and brands represented within the Dcarbonise Week

Dcarbonise Week Sponsors and Partners