Industry leaders have called for Government and industry to work together to help manufacturers respond to the drive for net zero.
Speaking at the second annual National Manufacturing Summit which focused on sustainable manufacturing, Manufacturing Technology Centre chief executive Dr Clive Hickman called for a specific funding pot for net zero manufacturing to ensure that UK industry is able to realise the innovation and economic opportunities that de-carbonisation offered.
Speaking to an audience which he described as a "Who's Who of UK Manufacturing", Dr Hickman said the UK's commitments at COP26 required a rapid, deep and sustained reduction in CO2 emissions.
He added that expanding the UK's sector deals to include nascent industries such as hydrogen would create opportunities to boost productivity, employment, innovation and skills as well as attracting investment through greater certainty and clarity.
Addressing the summit, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that green technology is expanding in the UK and that could give the country first-mover advantage, making UK manufacturing more competitive and resilient.
Katherine Bennett, chief executive of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, which the MTC is part of, said the scale of the task of limiting the most damaging effects of climate change was considerable.
Chairman of Lloyds Banking Group, Robin Budenberg, told the summit that the importance of the role of manufacturing in moving to net zero cannot be overstated.
The National Manufacturing Summit 2022 summit was an opportunity to set a framework for sustainable manufacturing, pulling together the UK's world class manufacturing sectors, the opportunities of emerging technologies, and the need to remain globally competitive. Contrasting with last year's virtual event, the 2022 summit was attended by around 300 industry leaders, experts and influencers, while around 600 watched the event stream online.
The summit, at the Coventry-based Manufacturing Technology Centre, featured presentations and discussions as well as an interactive virtual audience.
That event established a national platform, bringing together the many voices of UK manufacturing industry and setting a framework for the sector to contribute to the national recovery based on resilience, innovation, and the reshoring of manufacturing industry.
The event concentrated on three core themes providing a focus on the UK's progress to net-zero. The themes were "Field to Fork", "Factory to Door", and "Fossil Fuels to Renewables."
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