All eyes are on Glasgow as more than 190 world leaders descend on the city for the much anticipated 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties - more commonly known as COP26.
From the 31 October to 12 November, tens of thousands of negotiators, government representatives, businesses, activists and citizens will engage in talks on the global climate crisis. They hope to agree definitive actions to get climate change under control.
Six years on from the establishment of the Paris Agreement - when countries agreed to try and limit global warming - countries attending COP26 will provide an update on their final plans for reducing emissions.
COP26 is being hailed as the most important United Nations climate change conference to date.
This is mainly due to the realisation that countries have been too slow in their response to the climate crisis and the original measures may not be enough to limit the impact of global warming.
The climate clock is ticking
Against a backdrop of extreme weather events witnessed across the globe, turbulent geopolitics, rising tensions, gas shortages, raising energy prices and energy storage issues, COP26 needs to deliver decisive action plans.
Coupled with the findings of the most recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, published in August 2021, in which environmental scientists declared a “code red for humanity”, there is an urgency to COP26 unlike previous conferences.
Delivering the climate change commitments agreed at COP26 will not just be the responsibility of governments: tackling what is the greatest challenge to humanity needs business, education, and individuals to collaborate, adapt and invest.
The UN estimates developed countries will need to invest $100billion a year until 2050 to support developing countries in reaching net zero.
In the UK, the Committee on Climate Change suggests that by proactively tackling climate change, the investment required per year to reach net zero emissions “could cost less that 1% of GDP every year through until 2050”.
Currently, the UK defence budget is 2% of GDP each year.
The investment figures may initially be substantial, however as green technology evolves and develops the costs will be reduced making the transition cheaper.
The costs associated with dealing with the negative impact of extreme weather events or health conditions caused by pollution will also reduce.
Taking Scotland’s energy engineering expertise to the world
While tackling climate change may almost seem like too big a problem or, indeed, “someone else’s problem” everyone has a role to play.
Scottish businesses and entrepreneurs are proactively tackling climate change.
Right across the energy eco-system, Scottish-based businesses are developing technology and sustainable solutions to create a zero-carbon world.
Whether promoting the circular economy through harnessing artificial intelligence and data to monitor the environmental and carbon impact of industrial waste, decarbonising oil and gas production, or developing an app to measure individual and company carbon footprint, Scotland has the ideas and technology to help the world.
Scotland has a long-standing heritage as energy engineering pioneers from the development of hydropower, to the extraction of oil and gas, to the development of offshore wind and tidal energy.
Born out of the complex challenges posed by connecting remote areas of the country to the national grid or sourcing energy in the harshest of environments such as the North Sea or the Pentland Firth, Scotland’s energy expertise continues to evolve as the energy landscape changes.
Decarbonisation and decommissioning
Reducing emissions from fossil fuels is a key priority to ensure global net zero is met by 2050.
As one of the most mature basins in the world, the North Sea has witnessed incredible technological advancements to drill deeper, increase recovery and improve cost efficiencies.
As the energy transition unfolds, the main engineering challenges for the North Sea are decarbonisation of production, and decommissioning.
Decommissioning (the ceasing of production, plugging and abandoning of wells, and removal of equipment) is a prime example of harnessing collective knowledge, expertise and data across the energy ecosystem to develop effective solutions.
Supported by third party organisations such as the UK and Scottish Government funded Net Zero Technology Centre, energy companies are making the progress required, and at pace, through partnerships with other organisations and educational institutions.
This approach of co-funded partnerships between the public and private sector, and the vision of working cross-sector to co-create an integrated energy future is already reaping benefits.
The centre is driving and encouraging innovation to support the development of renewables and energy storage; hydrogen and other clean fuels; and carbon capture, utilisation and storage.
It’s an approach that will only become more commonplace as the race against climate change continues.
Keeping momentum
Hosting COP26 recognises Scotland’s decades of energy engineering expertise and commitment to leading the transition to a net zero world.
Scottish businesses are already taking action and developing innovative solutions to tackle climate change and have a role to play in keeping the momentum from COP26 going.
What better place to do that than World Expo in Dubai?
Reconnect at World Expo in Dubai
Featuring more than 192 country pavilions, World Expo in Dubai is bringing people from all over the world to connect and showcase world leading innovation and technology.
Having turned world-leading engineering skills to green energy, Scottish businesses can benefit from the strong sustainability theme that runs through the whole event.
Some of the world’s most advanced technology is on show, which makes it the ideal stage for Scottish technical innovation.
Leading on from COP26, the Scottish Chambers of Commerce network is organising an energy focused delegation to World Expo in January 2022.
This delegation will enable Scottish businesses to re-establish vital international business connections and discover valuable new opportunities to showcase their skills, expertise and innovation.
