The warnings are out. In the past month several significant reports have been published, which you’ll be forgiven for having missed, given all of the other world news going on. But they are important. They are worth a read.

By Steve Foxley, CEO, University of Sheffield AMRC

My recommendation? Read the UN’s synthesis report (link), the WMO’s greenhouse gas bulletin (link), the UN’s emissions gap report (link) and Climate Action Tracker’s state of the climate report (link).

Despite the variety of perspectives, there is one common message in all the reports. We’re not on track. We’ve already warmed the planet by 1.1 degC and based upon the latest global data, the chance to limit global warming below 1.5 degC is fading. What’s left? A very narrow window to keep on track.

There’s no time for re-discussing targets. It’s time for delivery and implementation, doing rather than strategizing and the call is to do it at a faster pace.

We’re fortunate in the UK as we are seen, by many countries, as leading in addressing climate change; and the good news is that people globally want to see the UK continue that leadership. Our credibility and reputation in this area comes from the hard work over the past three decades to shift to renewables to decarbonise electricity, the work by Government to develop a detailed Net Zero plan and the appointment of an independent body in the Climate Change Committee to advise and assess the Government on actions to address climate change.

The CCC’s latest progress report documenting the UK’s progress in reducing emissions (link) is another sobering read. In the latest CCC’s assessment, only 39% of key indicators are on track.

The question often heard is where start and where to focus? We lose focus when we talk about 2050. It’s too far away. Yes, we need a NorthStar and the plan needs to get to net zero by 2050 (or earlier), but we need to focus on milestone closer at hand. Our focus should be 2030 and hitting the milestones in the next seven years to make sure we’re on the right track. Seven years may seem like a long time but don’t forget that seven years ago can fly by; in 2016 the UK voted to leave the EU and Donald Trump became the 45th US President.

The scale of this decade’s challenge is significant. To put the challenge into perspective, the total amount of emissions reduced over the 30-year period between 1990 and 2020 by decarbonising electricity was 153 MtCO2e. This decade we need to save 140MtCO2e from

1. Surface Transportation
2. Manufacturing & Construction
3. Residential Buildings; and
4. Further decarbonisation of electricity

UK Industry has a massive role to play across all these four areas this decade. And the good news is that delivery in these four areas brings green growth. “Growth, growth, growth” and addressing climate change are not mutually exclusive.

So, what does that mean for manufacturing? Manufacturing has a critical role in addressing climate change and a critical role in growing GDP and creating high value, long term jobs. Both are possible. Capturing consumption emission data will be key and that’s why the work being done by The High Value Manufacturing Catapult on carbon accounting will make sure we achieve both.

So, it comes back to focus and knowing where to start. From our experience at the AMRC working with manufacturers our advice is to follow these six actions, in this order:

1. Resource efficiency: relentlessly look for improvements in use of resources. How could less materials be used, what can be recycled, how could life be extended, can efficiencies be achieved by sharing equipment?
2. Energy efficiency: what can be switched off more regularly, what heat and energy can be recovered, what upgrades are available to further save energy consumption, what clustering options do I have with other businesses around me?
3. Switch to Electricity: what processes can I move over to using electricity as the fuel source? Can I move to gas boilers to ground or air sourced heat pumps?
4. Switch to H2: what processes are left that I will need to consider alternative fuel sources such as hydrogen?
5. Carbon Capture: what carbon emissions will be left? What processes and infrastructure will I need in the future for carbon capture and storage? Are there pilot networks being planned in my area?
6. Carbon tax: am I considering in my future planning carbon tax on imports, more stringent product standards, financial institutions asking for evidence of carbon emission reductions for future investment and/or loans?

Tackling climate change in the most challenging of economic headwinds is a real test of leadership. Can UK manufacturing do it? Absolutely. Having seen UK manufacturing rise to the challenges during Covid and build 10 years’ worth of life saving ventilators in 10 weeks, everything is possible.