Hannah Dunkerley, Capita business case consultant for local public services, explains how the public sector can fund its role in achieving net zero carbon emissions targets.

The climate change crisis, caused mainly by emission of greenhouse gases and burning fossil fuels for energy use, is accelerating at a rapid rate and having catastrophic impacts on our weather, environment and the future of our planet.

Energy Day at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) was dominated by the message: ‘consign coal to history’.

At Cop 26 in Glasgow last October, world leaders pledged to end deforestation, move away from coal and curb methane emissions, amongst many other revised targets.

Since January 2021, global market forces and, more recently, soaring natural gas prices have forced no fewer than 14 smaller energy suppliers to cease trading.

The recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) stated very clearly that “human-induced climate change is already affecting many weather and climate extremes in every region across the globe”.

The UK Government has pledged that the country will become net-zero by 2050. Achieving this will require both huge changes to our energy system and innovative low carbon solutions supported by consumers.

The UK water utilities industry is under greater stress than at any other time in its history. Chris Cartwright, Head of Critical Infrastructure at Capita Consulting, discusses the role of data in water conservation.

The North has a proud industrial heritage, and now it has a huge opportunity to become a world class leader in the emerging clean energy sector.

To mitigate climate emergency, there is a global race to achieve carbon neutrality.