Cleaning up the clusters: how a regional decarbonisation push will be key to UK net zero ambitions

We’ve all got a part to play in achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The ambitious target will require collaboration and investment across every sector to ensure appropriate measures are being put in place.

Industries recognised to be some of the biggest emitters of CO2 thanks to historical reliance on carbon-intensive processes are under serious pressure to innovate and implement change in the form of newer, ‘clean’ technologies.

Many of these heavy CO2 emitting industries, such as steel and cement, oil refineries, glass and chemical production, are concentrated in the UK’s industrial cluster regions, which contribute £170bn to our economy annually and provide over 2.6 million jobs, according to data from the Office of National Statistics (ONS). 

This industrial production is clearly vital for the UK economy, and it’s critical that these regional clusters continue to thrive in the face of our climate commitments. But the clock is ticking, and there is no option for industry other than to decarbonise, according to UKRI’s Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge director, Dr Bryony Livesey.