Despite making up just 5% of the UK's population, Wales accounts for 20% of all of the country's overall industrial and business carbon emissions.
To try and reduce Wales' fossil fuel consumption the Welsh Government has announced the creation of a new body, to support Welsh industry to decarbonise and create new jobs in the green industries of the future Called Net Zero Industry Wales, the aim is to drive down Wales' carbon emissions which are incredibly high in business and industry compared to to the other parts of the UK which have a more service-based economy.
We've looked previously at the huge costs - estimated at around £2bn - Tata's Port Talbot steelworks would face to decarbonise. The steelworks is one part of Wales’ industrial heritage in the steel, oil, gas and chemicals sectors in south Wales which are responsible for around 20% of the UK’s overall industrial and business carbon emissions – the majority are along the M4 corridor.
Read more: The Welsh Government wants to get rid of every gas boiler in Wales within eight years
According to the Welsh Government, Net Zero Industry Wales will work with an existing group of 40 business and academic partners operating within a wide range of energy-intensive industries to help them achieve Net Zero. This will require an average annual reduction in Welsh emissions of 1.3 million tonnes of CO2e (from 2018 levels). The need to decarbonise is more important than ever after temperatures a terrifying 40C above usual were recorded in Antarctica recently.
What will the priorities of the new body be?
When announcing the new body the Welsh Government said that it "will have a number of short to medium term priorities" including:
- Enabling industry to explore new economic growth opportunities by becoming a world-leader in low-carbon manufacturing - playing to Wales’ existing strengths.
- Support future development of a Circular Economy in Wales.
- Stimulate and anchor new investments to create and retain high-skilled jobs.
- Engage with stakeholders to support public and private investment.
- The creation of Net Zero Industry Wales will help maximise the potential for stakeholder engagement, industrial participation, the drawdown of relevant UK Government funding, and ensure activities align to Welsh Government policy priorities.
There will not be a massive amount of money put behind the project with it receiving £150,000 in support each year for the next three financial years. After winning the Welsh Parliamentary elections last May, First Minister Mark Drakeford has made a great deal of noise about the green priorities of his administration. This has included bringing transport within a large climate change department within the Welsh Government. You can read about the priorities of this department, including removing all gas boilers from Wales within eight years, here.
Dr Chris Williams, head of industrial decarbonisation at Industry Wales, said: “This announcement today is the product of many years of hard work by many Welsh companies, governments, universities and likeminded people who realised that to achieve a restorative and net zero economy in Wales we would have to work together to map out what is needed from every sector in Wales.
“What we are working on isn’t about changing the industrial make up of Wales, it’s about innovating it, being ahead of the curve when it comes to decarbonisation to ensure that we keep these industries and jobs in Wales. It is also about examining opportunities to create exciting new industries in Wales, as well as revitalising and sustaining existing ones.
"Wales has a long and rich industrial heritage, leading the way in the manufacturing and engineering revolution. Now we plan to be a leader of the green revolution and the creation of Net Zero Industry Wales is certainly going to help us achieve that in a more joined up and cohesive way.”
Announcing the policy on Monday, March 28 during a visit to TATA Steel in Port Talbot, minister for economy, Vaughan Gething said: “Accelerating the decarbonisation of Welsh businesses and industry is crucial if we are to meet our ambitious net zero targets by 2050. The creation of Net Zero Industry Wales is an important step forward to help deliver this transition, and underlines our commitment to support industry in south Wales to decarbonise. Without this action, Wales and the UK will not achieve our net zero targets by 2050."
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