The first Net Zero Industrial Cluster Exchange (NICE) conference was held on Wednesday 28 September 2022, from 9.30 to 15.30, at the Scotland House office in Brussels, organised by EPRC in conjunction with the Scottish Government and Michelin. The conference reviewed and discussed regional and local strategies for industrial decarbonisation and Net Zero, exploring both the challenges and opportunities facing government, business and other stakeholders to meet emissions targets, secure sustainable economic prosperity and create good jobs.
A particular focus was given to access to finance for decarbonisation, examining the different models of non-grant support from public and private sectors through venture capital, loans, equity and guarantee funds used in different European regions. Speakers from European institutions like DG Regio and the European Investment Bank, as well as partners from various countries/regions, highlighted experience and lessons from implementing net zero finance in different contexts.
Key and emerging challenges and questions were highlighted for future work and discussion:
- How to deliver decarbonisation required in relatively short time frames set and at the scale needed?
- How can these shifts be managed effectively?
- How do we coordinate across the wide range of implementation strategies?
- Do regions have the necessary capacity to initiate and drive these transitions?
The event was successful in bringing NICE partners and potential partners together to discuss common issues, assess common ground and develop perspectives for joint work.
For more information, access the NICE website and the post about the event here.