techUK at COP diary: Multilevel action, yay or nay?

techUK will be at COP 28 from Monday to Thursday this week, bringing daily blogs of activities and announcements.

The day spotlighted the role of technology in enabling a just energy transition and overcoming challenges such as decarbonising high-emitting sectors and ensuring inclusive energy access.

The Global Tipping Points Report was launched at COP28 yesterday (6 December 2023). The report is an authoritative assessment of the risks and opportunities of both negative and positive tipping points in the Earth system and society. The reports highlight that currently, there is no adequate global governance at the scale of the threats posed by negative tipping points and that the world is on a disastrous trajectory.

Something that stayed with me today was a speech by Anja Radoharinirina, Technical Director of SAF/FJKM Madagascar who pointed out that in Madagascar there is only 10% of forests left, and if we reach 2 degrees, 80% of the biodiversity on the island will be lost.

On a more positive note, alongside multiple announcements at COP28, our own UK Transport Secretary announced a £70 million boost for more rapid electric vehicle chargers. Net Zero Minister Graham Stuart has announced further details of £140 million to support developing countries to deliver net zero while growing their economies.

Key announcements on 6 December:

123 countries joined COP28 Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge (4 new since Dec 2).
Roundtables discussed solutions for renewables, focusing on grids, permitting, and financing.
Six industry associations from steel, cement, aluminum, aviation, renewables, and oil and gas sectors joined Industry Transition Accelerator (ITA).
35 companies endorsed ITA principles, representing 10% of production in heavy emitting sectors.
ITA emphasised cross-sectoral collaboration, announced Utilities for Net Zero Alliance.
60+ countries signed Global Cooling Pledge to reduce cooling-related CO2 emissions by 68% by 2050 (compared to 2022).
COP28 introduced transition credits to support early retirement of coal plants globally.
39 countries endorsed COP28 Declaration on Hydrogen & Derivatives, agreeing on standards and unlocking the hydrogen economy.
Organisations pledged to triple global renewables capacity and double global energy efficiency by 2030.
Indigenous Peoples Presidency Roundtable focused on inclusion for a just transition to a low-carbon economy.

Team techUK was present in the Sustainable Innovation Forum and the ‘Blue Zone’ once again.

Teo spoke at the UK Pavilion at a National Grid event alongside experts from Hitachi Energy, Gridserve, and National Grid. A brilliantly delivered keynote was given by Charles Hendry, Former Minister of State for Climate, HMG. The event only highlighted once again the crucial importance of a much-needed grid upgrade as a core to economic growth having a ripple effect on a multitude of sectors as well as science and innovation.

Later in the day, we heard from Ali Zaidi, Assistant to President Biden and White House National Climate Advisor who shed a spotlight on the challenges of creating bankable opportunities for the sector to transition to net zero. Furthermore, he identified climate resilience and adaptation as areas of improvement in the US.

Craig was speaking at the ATOS Sustainable IT conference which looked at how IT can be delivered sustainably, focusing on circular economy and how to roll out new services with sustainability in mind. The day ended with Teo attending the New York Times Dinner sponsored by Google which highlighted the power of AI in climate action. The opening interview was with Thomas Friedman, a three-time Pulitzer Prize winner, a weekly columnist for The New York Times, as well as a foreign correspondent. Key takeaway – the climate is a scale, if we don’t deliver applicable solutions at scale, then it’s a hobby.

Craig attended the Sustainable Innovation Dinner and the UK Climate Action Forum too. The highlight was hearing from former ministers Chris Skidmore and Alok Sharma (who also served as COP 26 President) on the importance of regulatory certainty for businesses, and their disappointment in the recent policy reversals from the UK government.

7 December is a day of rest, and it's time for our team to head back home and reflect.

Written by Teodora Kaneva, Head of Smart Infrastructure and Systems, techUK

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