Events

The Midlands Net Zero Hub Conference 2023

As we reach our 5th anniversary, we are bringing together key stakeholders in the region to come together and look at successes and challenges with projects that contribute to the net zero agenda.

At the conference, we will also take a look to the future as we continue to drive the sustainability agenda forward to achieve net zero through collaboration across the Midlands.

Take a look at the slides from the sessions for a recap of the day.

The Midlands Net Zero Hub Conference 2022

With the Midlands Energy Hub having rebranded to Midlands Net Zero Hub, it is a great opportunity for key stakeholders in the region to come together and look at successes and challenges of the last four years. At the conference, we took a look to the future as we continue to drive the decarbonisation agenda forward to achieve net zero through collaboration across the region.

Download the slides to see successful case studies from across the Midlands that are supporting local authorities and organisations to transition to net zero.

Upskilling the domestic retrofit supply chain

The Homes Decarbonisation Skills Training Competition (HDSTC) is a £9.2m scheme to provide grant awards to a range of training organisations in England who will offer appropriate training and support to installers operating across the different Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) retrofit schemes.

Supporting the supply chain in this way will also help build capacity and resilience for homes energy retrofit delivery more widely and scale up delivery further as Government works towards meeting its 2030 and 2050 decarbonisation targets.

Climate-aware decision making for local authorities

Local government has a vital role to play in the transition to a net zero energy system. To achieve this, local authorities must better integrate planning and climate change considerations to inform local plan making and development management decisions.

In 2022, local authorities across Derbyshire conducted a spatial renewable energy study to act as the evidence base for county-wide climate change planning guidance and to assist in future sustainable and net zero policy and decision making.

Funded by the Midland Net Zero Hub and D2N2 LEP, the project has resulted in a toolkit which provides local authorities with the processes and tools to conduct their own spatial energy assessments.

PAS 2035 Toolkit Launch

The Midlands Net Zero Hub identified a knowledge gap between the technical standard of PAS 2035 and the operational requirements for implementation by local authorities delivering building retrofit schemes. Given the mandate of PAS 2035 in all public funded projects, the Hub commissioned the MEH-COE LA Toolkit to provide a clear process for all LAs to follow to help facilitate PAS 2035 compliance. The toolkit highlights key steps and points for intervention for local authorities, in order to be a well-informed Funding Client.

To launch the toolkit, we hosted the Midlands Retrofit Toolkit Launch event, which you can watch online if you missed the event.

COP26 Zero Carbon Tour

To highlight the importance of COP26, a UK-wide tour using a 100% electric “Carbon Battle Bus” set out on its journey in London on the 9th June 2021. It travelled around the UK until it reached Glasgow on 31st October 2021. The aim of the tour was to raise awareness of carbon reduction and showcase examples of sustainable action from across the country in the build up to the COP26 event in Glasgow. In the Midlands, the bus stopped to visit Worcester, Birmingham, Nottingham, and Lincoln.

COP26 Regional Roadshows

Regional events took place across the UK during the fortnight of COP. Throughout the fortnight of the COP26 event in Glasgow, we supported four Midlands organisations to host Regional Roadshows to mirror the activity and themes that happened at COP26. These roadshows were an opportunity to showcase local activity and projects to the public, delegations, and investors.