CWP has partnered with Helm, an exclusive community for founders of scale-ups beyond £1m, to produce a video series that offers unique insight into the lives and journeys of inspirational founders. Through ‘The Founders Brew’ we discover what makes them tick, what they would do differently and the advice they wish they’d known. 

In the first of the series, we spoke to Geoff van Sonsbeeck, co-founder of House of Baukjen, who sips his favourite loose-leaf tea as he gives us the low down on what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur in the world of sustainable fashion. 

Each month, we’ll get under the skin of a different founder, as they reveal all, over their favourite brew. As they drink, they think. And then they share motivations, inspirations, insights and experiences, trials and tribulations. 
  
All founders’ stories will be available to view here

There is no doubt that the maritime industry is on a transformative journey. 

This is a period of rapid innovation – from alternative fuels to new technologies – and collaborative action towards a smarter, clearer future.

Who are the key industry players in the UK?   

  • IMO (the International Maritime Organization) is the United Nations specialised agency with responsibility for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and atmospheric pollution by ships. IMO’s work supports the UN SDGs, helps to create a level playing-field, and encourages innovation and efficiency. The promotion of sustainable shipping is one of IMO’s key priorities.
  • The UK Chamber of Shipping is the trade association and voice of the UK shipping industry, working with Government, parliament, international organisations and others to champion and protect the industry on behalf of its members. The UK Chamber is clear that tackling climate change is a top priority; arguing for a Green Industrial Revolution, and calling for greater government action and increased investment in R&D to accelerate the transition to a greener shipping industry.

Where is the industry now? 

It’s worth noting that, statistically, shipping is the least environmentally damaging mode of transport, when its productive value is taken into consideration. It is considered the most carbon efficient mode of carriage.

Furthermore, it’s estimated that the global fleet’s carbon footprint has been reduced by approximately 19% in the last 10 years, a period which has also seen a 60% increase in world fleet tonnage – commendable progress towards in going green.  

What is the industry working towards?

While much has already been done to improve environmental responsibility, the maritime industry is committed to accelerating its decarbonisation journey.

Current IMO regulations require the global shipping industry to cut emissions by 50% (compared to 2008 levels – by 2050), however a host of nations and industry bodies (including the UK Chamber of Shipping and the International Chamber of Shipping) are calling for a doubling of this target with a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050. 

This comes at the same time as pledges from other industries – for example, in October 2021, the airline industry announced a net zero target by 2050.

The UK government identifies clean growth as both a strategic challenge facing UK business, but also one of the greatest industrial opportunities of our time.  

At London International Shipping Week in September 2021, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps commented; “I warmly welcome the UK Chamber of Shipping’s decisive push in driving forward the transition to net zero international shipping and trade by 2050”.

What’s being done to accelerate this journey?

To achieve net zero, new technology and alternative fuels will need to be developed, with the main thrust of research and innovation occurring before 2030. Other contributing strategies include; ‘slow steaming’ and establishing speed limits; coordinating ‘just-in-time’ arrivals of ships at ports; design refinements such as hull optimisation and propeller optimisation; and enhancements to design efficiency.

In September 2021, IMO’s London-based headquarters set the stage for the launch of ‘Making Waves: The Future of Shipping’ – an exclusive new programme created by CWP in partnership with the UK Chamber of Shipping. The programme shines a spotlight on the efforts already underway to decarbonise and sends a clear call for continued ambitious action. In researching and producing the programme, we were given a taste of the sector’s inspirational work in tackling climate change. 

Here’s a snapshot of what we learnt from programme participants and contributors:

  • EPSRC is bringing together scientists, innovators and industry to research alternative energy sources. In his lab at Durham University, Professor Roskilly’s team is producing environmentally cleaner hydrogen which drives a new design of combustion engine that’s 30% more efficient and carbon free.
  • BMT is working with the Isles of Scilly Steamship Company to deliver a new ship that will be a hybrid of combustion engine supported by an electric power management system.
  • Newcastle University is developing new monitoring systems and new green technologies which will help to make the whole industry more energy efficient. The University’s School of Engineering is home to a Cavitation Tunnel which supports world-leading research on propeller design.
  • Lean Marine’s Fuel Opt system is an optimisation tool for the propulsion machinery on board vessels as well as a speed and consumption management tool.
  • Quadrise Fuels International has developed bioMSAR™, an oil-in-water emulsified synthetic biofuel with lower emissions than conventional fuels.
  • Wärtsilä is conducting leading research in developing both engines and systems that are intended for carbon free fuels, as well as upgrades and retrofits for existing equipment.
  • ABS is deploying innovative simulation technology to test various decarbonisation solutions virtually. 3D simulations will not only show new ship builders how to reduce the cost of future conversions set by regulators, but the technology also reveals how existing vessels can be converted. 
  • Windship Technology has developed a triple-wing rig, harnessing wind to propel the ship through the water.
  • The Sustainable Shipping Initiative is rethinking shipping’s approach to cutting emissions and sustainability by taking a holistic approach across the entire value chain. It has developed a roadmap for the industry to showcase what sustainable shipping can look like across oceans, communities, people, transparency, finance and energy.
  • Global law firm HFW is helping the shipping industry navigate the complex maritime regulatory environment, including the challenging straits of compliance and carbon reduction. Commenting on the commitment of companies in embracing this transformative moment, Joanne Waters, Senior Associate at HFW said: “I think we need to see companies transform the way they work together, because the only way to achieve decarbonisation is through collaboration, and to really have a whole of supply chain solution”.
  • We also spoke with Baroness Brown, Chair of The Carbon Trust, who commented on the urgent need to decarbonise, and the opportunities that lie in producing fuels for low-carbon shipping. She said: “We’ve got to be prepared to actually invest money and fail fast, and pick ourselves up and move on and try new things”.

Following the launch of the programme, CWP Managing Director, Max Smith, said: “With the Decade of Action for sustainable solutions now fully underway, it’s been hugely encouraging to experience the sense of optimism from every corner of the maritime industry. There is no doubt that the industry is facing a grand set of challenges, but this is a highly motivated maritime community, and we are excited to share some of their stories.”

View the full programme here, and learn more about the initiatives mentioned above:

https://makingwaves.ukchamberofshipping.com/

By Rachel Purser-Lowman and Millie Gallagher, Senior Programme Managers, CWP

The first installment of the long-awaited Sixth Assessment Report of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was published on 9th August 2021, and its message was clear – we need to act, urgently. (Watch the full  IPCC Press Conference here)

The IPCC calls for urgent action

Hundreds of leading international scientists contributed to the report, which ‘addresses the most up-to-date physical understanding of the climate system and climate change, bringing together the latest advances in climate science, and combining multiple lines of evidence from paleoclimate, observations, process understanding, and global and regional climate simulations’ (IPCC).

It paints a picture of the ‘unprecedented’ changes in the climate system, and the ‘unequivocal’ role that human activity has played in climate change, which is causing a plethora of weather and climate extremes around the world.

The climate extremes caused by climate change

Under proposed plans for emissions reductions, global warming is still set to increase in the lead up to 2050. This warming has a direct impact on changes in the climate system and global water cycle, meaning that we will see increases in heatwaves, droughts, storms and ice melt.

A finding that is particularly tough to bear, because it affects many future generations, is that many changes resulting from greenhouse gas emissions are ‘irreversible for centuries to millennia’.

Stark Warnings

In order to limit the damage of human-induced global warming, the report concludes that the need to reach net zero CO2 emissions is crucial, alongside the reduction in other greenhouse gas emissions.

The report is timely as world leaders gear up for the UN COP26 summit, taking place in Glasgow this November.

The full report is available here:

https://www.ipcc.ch/assessment-report/ar6/

How environmental professionals are sowing the seed for a sustainable future

In 2019, the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) declared a climate and ecological emergency, accelerating the mobilisation of environmental professionals to develop and implement much needed solutions for a brighter, greener future.

The following year, we had the pleasure of working with Terry Fuller (CIWEM’s Chief Executive) and his hugely passionate and dedicated team to produce a programme called ‘Adapting for Tomorrow’s Environment’. As a geography graduate with a keen interest in environmental issues, I couldn’t wait to get started!

My continued education on environmental issues and solutions got started straight away in a highly productive and eye-opening editorial meeting with the CIWEM team. We were introduced to SuDS (Sustainable Drainage Systems), the water-food-energy nexus, and discussed the sobering news of scientists’ warnings that the world may already have crossed a series of climate tipping points. 

Given that CIWEM is an organisation dedicated to the sustainable management of the environment, a number of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals are closely aligned with its focuses and the work of its members; including:

  • SDG6 – Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all
  • SDG11 – Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable
  • SDG12 – Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns
  • SDG13 – Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts
  • SDG14 – Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development
  • SDG15 – Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

So there was much to explore… 

We spoke with professionals across academia, industry, government and the third sector in our research for the programme, gaining insight into the broad spectrum of inspirational work contributing to environmental sustainability.

So.. what are the key issues facing environmental professionals?

There is little doubt that climate change, and its consequences, are our biggest threat, and pose the grandest of challenges to environmental professionals. Some of the repercussions of climate change are easily seen and directly affect many people on a day-to-day basis; such as more extreme weather events or ‘climate shocks’ – storms, flooding, rising sea-levels, coastal erosion, heatwaves, drought. Others are less easily seen, but just as devastating for life on earth; warming oceans, melting glaciers,biodiversity loss. Looking ahead, the IPCC has showed the difference between 1.5°C and 2°C of global warming, and unless we take action now, the world is likely to exceed 2°C of warming, possibly even reaching 5°C or more by the end of the century. The effects we see now are just the beginning.

In the UK, the most widely experienced impact of global warming is flooding; 5.2 million properties in England are at risk from flooding, and the Environment Agency projects that if planning outcomes continue, this number could double.

Last year, Storm Dennis brought the UK’s worst flooding in 200 years; there were at least five fatalities, hundreds of residents were evacuated from their homes, power cuts, widespread disruption on road, rail and ferry links, sporting events cancelled. The storm left £15 billion of damage in its wake. 

Human factors contribute to the severity of flooding on the ground. For example – urbanisation and development in flood prone areas impacts their natural resiliency and impermeable surfaces affect surface-runoff patterns. 

And what are the solutions?

The good news is that much is being done to take action on climate change, not only in mitigation (carbon neutrality, reducing greenhouse gas emissions), but also across resilience and adaptation (“taking action to prepare for and adjust to both the current effects of climate change and the predicted impacts in the future” – European Commission).

The IPCC Sixth Assessment Report conveyed the urgency required in mitigation to limit future climate change. The UK has committed to become net zero by 2050, and sustainability is climbing to the top of the agenda for many companies. In March this year, it was announced that a third of the UK’s biggest companies have committed to net zero – signing up to the UN’s Race to Zero campaign.

But in the meantime, adaptation is critical in order for us to live with the consequences already being felt, and those to come. 

With flooding being a key focus of the programme, we connected with many experts who are dedicated to developing and implementing solutions to improve outcomes for the benefit of the public. 

Emma Howard Boyd, Chair of the Environment Agency (EA), spoke to us about the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy (published in 2019) and its changing focus from protection and defence to adaptation and resilience, setting out a vision for a nation resilient to flooding and coastal change to the year 2100. The EA takes a strategic overview of the management of all sources of flooding and coastal erosion.

Meanwhile in England, Lead Local Flood Authorities (LLFAs) were set up under the Flood & Water Management Act 2010, and are responsible for coordinating flood risk management in their areas. We spoke with Bristol City Council (the LLFA for Bristol) – the first local authority to declare a climate emergency for their city. Some of the adaptation measures the council is putting in place include landscaping for better flood control and river restoration to open up the river where it flows underground. Not only will this help to prevent damage caused by flooding, but it will also create a healthier environment and improve biodiversity.

Civil engineering companies are at the forefront of innovation in flood risk management, designing and constructing infrastructure and drainage networks to prevent flooding. 

Jacobs helps cities and towns adapt to the challenges of climate change. In Salford, Jacobs led the design of a new wetland with re-meandering of the river to store flood water; and harder defenses against the River Mersey have been sympathetically designed for Warrington.

VolkerStevin demonstrated the work being done as part of the Southsea Coastal Defence Scheme to protect 10,000 homes and 700 businesses. This includes a range of defenses – from hard seawalls to rock armour and beach nourishment.

In another chapter of the programme, we visited the work of The Rivers Trust – a charity working to protect, promote and enhance our river environment. Chief Executive Mark Lloyd introduced nature-based solutions as a great way of tackling the issues of nature depletion and climate change. For example – planting trees in strategic places, restoring habitats alongside rivers, and restoring healthy soil on agricultural land – all these things help to slow the flow of water and reduce flooding.

It was encouraging to see such a vast amount of multi-disciplinary expertise and a range of skills sets coming together to address our pressing environmental challenges, the efforts above are the tip of the iceberg!

View the full programme and find out more about the initiatives mentioned, and others in flooding and beyond to avert the ecological and climate crisis:

https://adapt4tomorrow.ciwem.org/

By Millie Gallagher, Senior Programme Manager, CWP

Content With Purpose