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Co-founder Martin Wood and Technical Director Adrian La Porta discuss the most difficult parts of the economy to decarbonise in the latest Bryden Wood Podcast. Referencing the Climate Change Committee's report, this episode focuses on the most challenging sectors to decarbonise, including heavy industry and transport. The conversation addresses the limitations of electrification and the need for new, integrated technological solutions.
Martin and Adrian examine the societal and economic complexities involved, advocating for clear policy frameworks and collaborative efforts to stimulate investment and accelerate progress in these hard-to-reach areas, which are vital for the UK's net zero ambitions.
Click the 'play button' above to watch the episode, or read our 5 Key Takeaways from this episode below...
While significant progress has been made in general decarbonisation, achieving net zero hinges on addressing the most hard to abate sectors like iron, steel, cement, chemicals, and heavy transport (e.g., aviation), where electrification is not a straightforward solution.
Diverse Technological Pathways Required: Decarbonising these sectors demands a range of innovative technologies beyond simple electrification, such as sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) for aviation or carbon capture solutions for cement production, often requiring significant energy inputs.
Investment tends to focus on individual technologies, but the podcast stresses the importance of understanding the ‘network value’ and integration of these solutions within a broader, complex industrial system, rather than viewing them in isolation.
The market alone is unlikely to deliver the necessary speed and scale of decarbonisation in these sectors. Mandates (‘sticks’), like those seen for SAF, and incentivisation (‘carrots’), such as carbon sequestration payments, are essential for stimulating investment and progress.
The discussion highlights the impact of deep globalisation, where manufacturing has been exported, potentially shifting emissions rather than reducing them. A drive towards onshoring of industries presents an opportunity to build new, lower-carbon facilities domestically.
Watch Navigating the Energy Debate: Challenges and Solutions with Martin Wood, Adrian La Porta and John Dyson here
