A look at what’s going on within industry in and around the Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and the Humber regions.
Navigating the Future - The Critical Importance of
Humber maritime group wins share of national coastal towns fund
Credit Union thanks colleagues, volunteers and partners after clocking up 25 years and millions of pounds in savings for members
West Midlands: Growth forecasts peak after period of volatility
Adding Expert Financial and Strategic Business Insights without the Full-Time Cost
Drax empowers the next generation with valuable carbon capture skills
Chamber welcomes Government approval for Equinor’s Carbon Capture and Storage plans as part of £4bn scheme
COLEG CAMBRIA is at the forefront of a nationwide campaign to meet a surge in demand for tens of thousands of new welders.
PLANT HIRE &
Energy Performance of Buildings regime: what are the proposed changes?
24. Joinery giant is latest arrival as Allenbys adds to The Trade Yard sites
25. Hull schools say Oh Yes! to net zero as funding paves way for carbon reduction
Patrons’ Lunch in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour is special thank you to key Chamber supporters
Kestrel - Kestrel are market leaders in the shipping, handling & management of Energy Sector projects & components
Consultation on proposals to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to include the
27. Humber catchment area is at heart of research project to help UK achieve net zero target
28. University of Hull’s Logistics Institute and Lampada provide winning rail solutions
29. We/re carbon literate!
30. Fridge magnets, econometrics and a Nobel Prize
Investment at Hull law firm confirms commitment to city centre working
Williamsons Solicitors has invested in its Hull head office and wider business as it looks to future growth.
The firm, which is one of the largest in East Yorkshire, believes that its city centre location in Hull’s Old Town has been a considerable factor in retaining and growing its private client base and attracting talent.
Capital investment in energy efficiency, along with financing significant IT and marketing projects, has secured the future of the Lowgate premises, while ensuring that the business maintains its competitive edge and clients receive an efficient and secure service.
With grant support from Hull City Council’s Hull Business Energy Efficiency Scheme, a government scheme which assists SMEs to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions, two new entrance doors and 66 energy efficient windows have been installed to replace former single glazed aluminium framed windows. In addition, lighting in the building has been upgraded to time-sensor LEDs and extensive work on the roof has been completed.
A rolling programme of IT upgrades and hardware replacements has been
implemented with part funding from a government Business Growth Grant, to create a resilient, future-poof infrastructure and optimise its service to the people of East Yorkshire.
Meanwhile, investment in marketing includes new signage at the Lowgate premises and a new website.
Sarah Clubley, a Williamsons Solicitors owner director, said: “We remain firmly committed to our Old Town home, believing it helps create a vibrant city and future prosperity. Proximity to the courts, access to public transport and the numerous benefits a city centre has to offer makes it hugely popular with staff and clients.
“The substantial capital investment means our 1970s Lowgate building is fit for future decades, lowers our carbon emissions and makes a more comfortable working environment.”
She said that the firms IT systems require ongoing investment along with periodical major upgrades. “We work in a highly regulated and competitive sector of business, so investment like this is essential to ensure compliance and to assist our employees to give high levels of service.
“We are also very pleased with our new signage and website, the latter of which is a culmination of many months of work.”
Williamsons Solicitors has operated from Lowgate since 1998. The 134-year-old firm has additional branches in Driffield and Bridlington ensuring representation for clients around the wider region.
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30th April - 1st May 2025
Doubletree by Hilton, Hull Annual conference, exhibition,
Contact Mary Green at Humber Marine & Renewables: marygreen@humber-marine-renewables.co.uk +44 (0)1482 485271
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Williamsons Solicitors owner directors: Jane Cousins (left) with Sarah Clubley
End of an era as North East Lincolnshire Council chief announces departure.
THE Chief Executive of North East Lincolnshire Council, Rob Walsh, has announced that he will step down from the role in May 2025, after 11 years at the helm of the unitary authority.
Following a public service career that has spanned more than three decades and started when he joined the then Cleethorpes Borough Council as a trainee solicitor, Rob will take early retirement next Spring.
Reflecting on his career journey with pride, he says: “Not in my wildest dreams did I expect to experience the career that followed those early days in Cleethorpes. On January 1, 2014, I became the Chief Executive of this great organisation, in this amazing place.
“The privilege and the responsibility has never been lost on me. There is no greater honour than being Chief Executive in the place you are proud to call home and where your family has grown.”
During his tenure as Chief Executive, he has steered the borough through investment, change, challenge and opportunity.
Working with colleagues, partners and politicians, Rob oversaw the borough becoming the first area of the country to secure a ‘Town Deal’ from central Government in 2018. That deal shone the national spotlight on the borough – paving the way for a series of successful and significant funding bids, the
benefits of which will be seen in the years ahead as major regeneration schemes are completed.
Rob was also integral in the formation, in 2016, of a unique partnership with the then CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) in North East Lincolnshire, which saw health care teams integrated with their colleagues at the council. This established a joint working arrangement aimed at improving health care for residents in the borough.
This new way of working was to come into its own when, in 2020, the world was struck down by COVID-19. In North East Lincolnshire the integrated relationship between council and health colleagues enabled a strong and co-ordinated response to deal with the huge impact of the global pandemic.
Reflecting on a positive and historic moment, Rob – who is from a military family –remembers the honour he felt when the borough hosted National Armed Forces Day in 2016. This, he says, remains a ‘true highlight’.
As Rob leaves next year, the dawn will break on the new Greater Lincolnshire Combined County Authority, (GLCCA). During his years as Chief Executive, he has worked extensively
Combilift Scoops ‘Company of the Year’ at the 2024 Business & Finance Awards
Combilift, the global leader in material handling solutions, has been awarded Company of the Year at the prestigious Business & Finance Awards 2024, in association with KPMG Ireland. This remarkable achievement marks Combilift’s 9th major win in the last three months, solidifying its position as an industry leader.
The Company of the Year award, presented to Combilift’s CEO Martin McVicar by Seamus Hand from KPMG at the 50th Business & Finance Awards ceremony - held in Dublin, is a testament to the company’s significant impact on both the Irish economy and the global market. Combilift, with annual revenue exceeding €500 million, has continued to thrive with its exportfocused business model, with 98% of its operations serving inter national markets.
Since its founding in 1998, Combilift has built a global reputation as the largest manufacturer of multi-directional, articulated, and sideloading forklifts, as well as large material handling equipment such as straddle carriers, with over 85,000 units in operation across 85 countries. The company’s commitment to innovation,
sustainability, and research and development has been pivotal to its exceptional growth, making it a true leader in the material handling industry.
“Not in my wildest dreams did I expect to experience the career that followed those early days in Cleethorpes. On January 1, 2014, I became the Chief Executive of this great organisation, in this amazing place,” says Rob Walsh (pictured).
on the devolution agenda for the region and takes immense pride in the success he and his peers and colleagues have achieved in securing the deal that is being taken forward.
As he prepares for early retirement, Rob also pays tribute to the tremendous amount of people who he has come to know and respect both professionally and personally.
“It really has been a pleasure to know and work with so many professional, dedicated and wonderful people over the years. Together we have strived to take our borough forward, fronting up to the challenges and being ambitious about the opportunities. I would like to thank every single person who has joined me on this journey over the last decade and I know that journey will continue.”
Martin McVicar, CEO of Combilift, said: “This award reflects the bold vision and relentless drive that has been at the heart of Combilift since Robert Moffett and I started in 1998. Every forklift, every innovation, and every milestone reflects our commitment to pushing boundaries and transforming material handling worldwide. This moment belongs to our employees, our dealers, and our customers, who rely on us to deliver quality material handling solutions to optimise their warehouse space.”
Joining a Legacy of Excellence
Winning this award places Combilift among an elite group of previous winners, including industry giants Glen Dimplex, Kingspan, Primark, Google, and Intel. As a homegrown Irish business with a global footprint, this latest recognition serves as a powerful reminder of the company’s ongoing success and its critical role in shaping the future of the material handling industry.
Kevin Hughes, Kenny Gilmour, Lisa Mc Crudden, Fintan Sherry, Ian Hyland, Martin McVicar, Seamus Hand, Patrick McMeel, Colin Gray, Donna Rutledge, Margaret Courtney & Peter Campbell
APSS Named Finalists in Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2025
Commercial design and fit out company APSS has been named as finalists in both the Design Consultant of the Year and Development Project of the Year (Under £5m) categories for the Lincolnshire Construction and Property Awards 2025, cementing its reputation as a leader in innovative design and development in the region.
Organised by the Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce, the awards celebrate excellence, innovation, and sustainability in the construction and property sector. APSS’s nominations highlight its dedication to delivering creative, client-focused solutions that combine cutting-edge design with practical functionality.
Recognition for Exceptional Design
The nomination for Design Consultant of the Year in conjunction with Bainland Lodge Retreats, underscores APSS’s commitment to providing tailored, high-quality design services.
“Our team takes immense pride in creating designs that not only look stunning but also enhance functionality and user experience,” said Laurence Barrass, Managing Director of APSS.
“Being named finalists in this category is a testament to the creativity and hard work of our talented designers.”
Spotlight on Development Excellence
The second nomination, Development Project of the Year (under £5m), celebrates the standout project of LEW Electrical Distributors’ new headquarters in Gainsborough. It showcases APSS’s expertise in project management and execution. The project, completed earlier this year, exemplifies APSS’s ability to transform spaces while meeting the highest standards of sustainability and efficiency.
Stuart Marsland, Sales Director for APSS said: “This project truly reflects our ethos of combining visionary design with
practical implementation. Being recognised in this category is a huge honour and validates the efforts of everyone involved.”
Innovation and Collaboration at the Core
At the heart of APSS’s success lies a dedication to fostering strong partnerships with clients and stakeholders. The company’s collaborative approach ensures that every project is tailored to the client’s unique requirements, resulting in spaces that are not only visually striking but also highly functional and future-ready.
Over the past year, APSS has placed a particular emphasis on sustainable design and development, incorporating eco-friendly materials and practices into its projects.
Laurence added: “We are thrilled to be finalists in these awards. It’s a reflection of the hard work, creativity,
and passion that drives our entire team. At APSS, we strive to deliver excellence in everything we do, and these nominations highlight the impact we’re making in the Lincolnshire construction and property sector. Regardless of the outcome, we are incredibly proud to be recognised alongside some of the Lincolnshire’s best.”
The Importance of Payroll Professionals
Payroll professionals are the unsung heroes of every organisation. Often working behind the scenes, these dedicated individuals ensure that employees are paid accurately and on time, which is essential for maintaining workforce morale and trust. This blog delves into why payroll professionals deserve recognition and highlights the evolving landscape of payroll in today’s digital age.
Payroll is more than just issuing pay slips. It involves complex calculations, staying up-to-date with ever-changing tax laws, ensuring compliance with employment regulations, and managing benefits and deductions. Payroll professionals in the UK are responsible for processing billions annually in income tax and national insurance contributions. This massive responsibility underscores the significance of their work.
Accurate payroll is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, it directly affects employee satisfaction. Errors in payroll can lead to financial stress for employees, reducing their productivity and engagement at work. Furthermore, compliance with legal and tax obligations protects businesses from costly fines and legal disputes. Payroll professionals ensure that all statutory requirements are met, which is vital for the smooth operation of any organisation.
The payroll industry is undergoing a significant transformation driven by digital technology. Automation and cloud-based solutions are making payroll processes more efficient and accurate. According to a report by Deloitte, automation can reduce payroll processing times by up to 80%, allowing payroll professionals to focus on more strategic tasks like financial planning and analysis.
Cloud-based payroll systems also offer enhanced security and accessibility,
enabling real-time data access and reporting. These systems are particularly beneficial for remote and hybrid work models, which have become more prevalent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. By embracing these technologies, businesses can improve their payroll operations and reduce the risk of errors.
Looking ahead, the role of payroll professionals is set to become even more strategic. With the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, payroll systems will become more predictive, offering insights into labour costs, turnover rates, and other key metrics. This evolution will enable payroll professionals to contribute more significantly to business strategy and decision-making.
Furthermore, the growing importance of data privacy and security will place additional responsibilities on payroll professionals. Ensuring compliance with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will be crucial in protecting sensitive employee information.
Payroll professionals play a critical role in ensuring the financial well-being of employees and the operational efficiency of businesses. Their work ensures compliance with complex regulations, prevents costly errors, and enhances employee satisfaction. By embracing digital transformation and promoting financial literacy,
organisations can support these professionals in their vital roles. It’s essential to recognise the achievements of payroll teams and look forward to the innovations that will shape the future of payroll.
Forrester Boyd Partner, Matthew Priest states, ‘payroll is such a critical part to any organisation, there is the obvious compliance side, which means it has to be right but for me the most important side and the biggest risk is staff. Getting a hard working member of the teams pay incorrect is not going to be good for your business!’
Therefore for businesses and employees alike, understanding and appreciating the value of payroll processes can lead to a more harmonious and productive work environment. Whether through adopting new technologies or enhancing financial education, every effort to support payroll professionals contributes to the overall success of the organisation.
If you require our payroll services, contact us today and gain access to our invaluable expertise.
Navigating the Future The Critical Importance of Business Succession Planning
In today’s dynamic business environment, the importance of robust succession planning cannot be overstated. For any owner-managed or family business aiming to secure their legacy and ensure longterm success, developing a comprehensive succession plan is not just an option—it’s a necessity.
Why Your Business Needs a Succession Plan
Succession planning is the strategic process of identifying and developing future leaders within your company. It prepares your business for the inevitable transitions that occur as key employees retire, resign, or become incapacitated. Despite its significance, many businesses overlook this critical aspect of strategic planning, often to their detriment.
Just some of the key areas that a god succession plan should consider are:
Continuity and Stability - A well-crafted succession plan ensures the seamless continuity of business operations during transitions. By identifying potential leaders early and preparing them for future roles, businesses can avoid disruptions that may impact productivity and morale.
Risk Management - Unexpected events, such as the sudden resignation or incapacitation of key personnel, can pose significant risks. Succession planning acts as a safety net, reducing the impact of unforeseen changes and safeguarding the company’s future.
Retention of Institutional KnowledgeExperienced employees hold invaluable knowledge and skills that are critical to the business’s success. Succession planning ensures that this knowledge is transferred to new leaders, maintaining the integrity and performance of the company.
Strategic Growth - As businesses expand, the need for capable leaders who can manage increased responsibilities becomes evident. A succession plan prepares a pipeline of talent ready to take on new challenges and drive the company’s growth.
For succession planning to be effective and well thought through, there are a number of things a business owner should consider.
These include:
Identification of Key Roles and Potential Successors: Start by pinpointing the roles crucial to your business’s success and identifying potential successors for these positions. Consider their skills, experience, and potential for growth.
Development Programs: Invest in training and development programs to equip potential leaders with the necessary skills and knowledge. This can include mentoring, leadership training, and hands-on experience.
Regular Reviews and Updates: Succession planning is not a one-time task. Regularly review and update your plan to reflect >>>
changes in the business environment, employee performance, and organisational goals.
Communication: Keep open lines of communication with potential successors and key stakeholders. Transparency ensures everyone understands the succession plan and their role within it.
Exploring Exit Strategies
An integral part of succession planning is determining the best exit strategy to meet your future needs and objectives. Your succession plan could look very different depending on how you plan to exit your business. The most important thing is to continue review and asses your exit plan and succession plan. Things change, life happens, make sure you are prepared to react and adapt and that your exit strategy and succession plans are aligned to any changes. There are several different exit strategies that a business owner may consider, each with its unique benefits and challenges:
Merger and Acquisition: This strategy involves merging with or acquiring another company to expand reach and create shareholder value.
Sell to Partner or Investor: For those not owning the entire business, selling a stake to a trusted partner/director or investor can be a viable option.
Family Succession: Keeping the business in the family requires careful planning and open discussions. This strategy can offer various tax reliefs but it is really important to check or review this in light of recent announcements in the Autumn Statement 2024.
Management/Employee Buyout:
Selling to existing management or employees can provide a seamless transition and maintain business continuity. Employee Ownership Trusts (EOTs) are also gaining popularity for their tax benefits and positive impact on employee engagement.
Financial Health and Valuation
Understanding the financial health of your business is paramount when planning for succession. Comprehensive financial analysis and business valuation are crucial to ensure that your succession plan is feasible and aligned with your financial goals. Engaging with a corporate finance specialist and a tax specialist such as at Forrester Boyd can provide insights into your company’s
financial performance, identify potential areas for improvement, and help you develop strategies for a smooth transition.
Your next steps
Business succession planning is a vital component of long-term strategic planning. It prepares your business for the future, mitigates risks, and ensures that you have a robust pipeline of future leaders ready to take the helm. By investing in succession planning today, you can secure the continued success and legacy of your business for years to come.
At Forrester Boyd, we understand the complexities of succession planning. Our comprehensive Business Succession Planning Guide provides the insights and tools you need to create an effective plan tailored to your business needs. Contact us today to learn how we can support you in navigating the future with confidence or visit our succession planning page on our website where you can access a variety of resources and information to help you make an informed decision on your business exit and succession plans. Visit www.forresterboyd.co.uk/succession_planning or email succession@forrester-boyd.co.uk
Humber maritime group wins share of national coastal towns fund
Influential industry group Humber Marine & Renewables has been awarded £85,000 from the Department for Transport as part of an initiative to grow economies in coastal towns around the UK.
Amounting to nearly £1m, the Maritime Cluster Development Fund has been divided amongst nine UK maritime clusters and is intended to drive investment and help local businesses through delivery of skills, training and educational programmes.
The funding, which is to be matched by Humber Marine & Renewables’ supporters, will assist in its marketing of the region’s maritime sector as well as enhancing its work with new and existing members through additional business development activity.
Iain Butterworth, chair of Humber Marine & Renewables and director of Butterworth Marine, said he was excited about what could be achieved as a result of the financial boost.
“Our roots are in the Humber’s historic maritime industry, and we have a long history in supporting its development which includes, in recent years, assisting companies to use their unique and valuable skills to diversify into offshore wind.
“This award will significantly augment our ability to provide targeted assistance to this important contributor to the region’s economy and help it shine on the world stage.
“I want to thank our members and supporters for their role in making this happen through match funding and support in kind, with special thanks going to our board member Camilla Carlbom Flinn for her invaluable work in the grant application.”
Humber Marine & Renewables has been instrumental in promoting the region for its expertise in maritime and offshore wind, with many of its members now working in the renewables sector regionally and globally.
It hosts the internationally recognised Offshore Wind Connections conference and, last year, added the Humber Renewables Awards to its portfolio.
The government’s Maritime Minister Mike Kane announced the funding, which is being managed by Maritime UK, and said that the sector was key to unlocking regional economic growth.
“The UK is a proud maritime nation, with our coastal communities being vital in unleashing our full potential and unlocking economic growth across the country,” he said.
“By investing in our excellent maritime clusters, we can deliver jobs, skills and training for local communities and turbocharge growth by delivering investment into the sector.”
The nine clusters receiving funding (incl. allocation breakdown) are:
Tees Maritime Cluster (£117,000)
Humber Marine & Renewables (£85,000)
Short Straits Maritime Cluster (£85,000)
Cornwall Marine Network (£124,100)
Mersey Maritime (£100,000)
Northern Ireland Maritime & Offshore (£100,000)
Scottish Maritime Cluster (£85,000)
Maritime UK South-West (£85,000)
Maritime UK Solent (£85,000)
Humber Marine & Renewables is hosting Offshore Wind Connections and the Humber Renewables Awards in Hull on 30 April & 1 May 2025.
For more information, please visit www.offshorewindconnections.com
Financial boost: Iain Butterworth, Chair of Humber Marine & Renewables
Credit Union thanks colleagues, volunteers and partners after clocking up 25 years and millions of pounds in savings for members
An organisation which has generated millions of pounds for the regional economy by offering a fairer banking alternative to savers and borrowers celebrated its 25th anniversary by looking forward to the next quarter-century.
HEY Credit Union took over Hull Guildhall for the occasion and welcomed members, volunteers and staff from a branch network stretching from Bridlington to Grimsby and Goole to Withernsea.
Guests were welcomed by the Lord Mayor, Cllr Mark Collinson, and they heard from speakers who represented the past, present and future of an organisation which is credited with helping the community develop a better understanding of financial issues and resisting the scourge of loan sharks.
Alan Johnson, the former MP for Hull West and Hessle who was a key figure in launching
the Credit Union and is still a member, was unable to attend but sent congratulations by video.
He said: “From small beginnings this tremendous organisation has grown. The Credit Union was formed to tackle problems for people who only had modest amounts of money but wanted to entrust it safely and get the benefits of a bank account, particularly in terms of direct payments and paying their bills.”
Cllr Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, and Cllr Daren Hale, Leader of the Opposition,
Some of the HEY Credit Union staff, volunteers, members and guests from across the region at the 25th anniversary celebration in Hull Guildhall.
From left, Cllr Daren Hale, HEY Credit Union President Andy Stankard, Lord Mayor Cllr Mark Collinson, Lady Mayoress Cllr Christine Randall, Cllr Mike Ross.
both spoke about the significance of the Credit Union and the 25-year milestone and Matthew Stevens, CEO of the Credit Union, highlighted the achievements so far.
He told of modest beginnings when the organisation, initially known as City of Hull Credit Union, was set up in a back room in the Guildhall to help council employees build up savings and get cheaper credit than they could get from other lenders.
In 2004 the directors made the most of a change in the law to take the organisation across Hull and East Yorkshire, updating the name accordingly. In addition to the main office in Hull it now has a presence in Beverley, Bridlington, Driffield, Goole, Grimsby, Hessle, Scunthorpe and Withernsea, and membership extends into North Yorkshire.
Matthew said: “We’ve enrolled over 18,000 members and junior savers, who together have accumulated over £14 million in savings. Lots of members have told us that, without us, they’d never have got into the habit of saving regularly.
“We’ve issued over 81,000 low-cost loans, to a total value of £60 million. We estimate that we have saved people who have borrowed with us, instead of taking out credit with doorstep lenders and other high cost credit sources, over £25 million in interest charges.
“We’ve also returned £1.6 million to our Members as Dividend rewards, sharing the benefits of Co-operative trading with the people we serve. These funds have stayed within our City and Region’s economy instead of
being sucked out of our communities to make profits for City bankers and possibly ‘bankers bonuses’ for their managers.
“Our Christmas Savers account, with £1 million saved into it every year, is probably the biggest and safest Christmas Club in the region, avoiding the risks of unregulated hamper clubs and didlums. We have also provided stable Real Living Wage employment for 23 people, and volunteering opportunities for many more.”
Also present at the celebration were some of the employers who support their workforce wellbeing with direct payroll deductions for savings and loans with HEY Credit Union. Matthew revealed they now total more than 30 and include the four local authorities, DWP, Hull University, KWL, Groupe Atlantic, Sewell Group, HICA and Image Data.
Andy Stankard, outgoing President of HEY Credit Union and an employee of Hull City Council, told how he was approached in the early 2000s to help with preparing the ground for the expansion of the Credit Union. His involvement led to him becoming Vice President in 2014 and President in 2017.
Joe Hendon, who will succeed Andy in December, said: “I am excited to take on this role and really enthusiastic about what the Credit Union does at the moment and what it has the potential to do in the future.”
Matthew, who succeeded the Credit Union’s Governance Officer, John Smith, as CEO in 2023, emphasised the importance of continuing dedication and partnership as the organisation moves forward.
He said: “None of this success would have been possible without the dedication of our amazing team of staff and volunteers. The work they do, day in, day out, to look after our members is tremendous and I’d like to thank them all, not only for their loyalty and support but also the way they live up to our co-operative ethics and values in everything they do.
“I’d also like to thank our directors, who give their time freely to serve on our board and help to set our future direction. We also appreciate the many partner organisations, service providers and suppliers that we work with. They are all part of our success.
“What of the next 25 years? I’d like to think that HEY Credit Union will go on to achieve new levels of success, serve many more people and organisations across an expanded area, and deliver even more social benefit to our members and the communities we serve.”
Becoming our latest Payroll Partner would enable your valued sta members to access our nancial wellbeing bene t -
It allows employees to manage their HEY Credit Union savings accounts and/or loan repayments directly through their wage, and apply for exclusive products such as our Flexi Credit for emergencies. Payroll schemes are a great way to gain nancial resilience - leading to a happy, healthy workforce! There’s no direct cost to set it up and run it - we handle all member enquires, transactions and compliance.
West Midlands: Growth forecasts peak
Do you want your operations to be future ready?
With technological advances happening daily, it can often feel as though it’s hard to keep up with the world’s digital transformation. Businesses may find themselves questioning whether their workforces are prepared for the future of their industry – do they have the right skills? Can they adopt more sustainable methods of working? Or will their roles completely evolve in line with new technologies?
To ensure businesses have a highly skilled workforce which can embrace advances in technology and the green revolution, the government has developed Skills Bootcamps for adults, with a focus on those industries where there’s a national shortage of skilled workers.
Through these programmes, your staff can gain the necessary knowledge and skills for new jobs in growing sectors, such as the automotive industries, construction, green technologies, engineering and more.
These programmes have been designed with national and local employers, ensuring that learners can gain the skills which are in high demand in their industry of choice.
Developed with Drax Power, the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group’s Skills Bootcamp in the Principles of Carbon Capture and Storage has already trained 45 people in this climatesaving technology – which will play a leading role in helping the UK reach its net zero target by 2050.
The Group’s joint Skills Bootcamp in Large Goods Vehicle Driving with Viamaster Training has also enabled a number of learners to gain a Cat C driving licence and the skills needed to become an LGV driver, with many of these learners now in full-time employment after competing several job interviews as part of their course.
Lizzi Greaves, Operations Manager at Viamaster, said: “We’re always looking for drivers as there is a shortage and a demand, so the Skills Bootcamp meant we could upskill our own drivers and make sure they are trained to a good standard to jump into that job.”
Learners on the Group’s Skills Bootcamp in Heat Recovery & Transfer have stated how the programme has enabled them to make improvements to their employer’s energy usage.
John Gardiner, Engineering Manager at Lambson Building Products Ltd, said: “The course has given me the knowledge to be able to calculate what energy we are using and losing. This will enable us look at ways to reuse this heat and ultimately generate savings for the company.”
The Skills Bootcamps are delivered part-time and flexibly across the Group’s state-of-the-art Colleges, including Castleford College, Selby College and Wakefield College and span a range of areas, including:
• Principles of Carbon Capture and Storage
• Heat Recovery and Transfer
• Large Goods Vehicle Driver
• Construction Site Operative
• Pipelaying and Groundworks
• Glass and Glazing Fenestration
Lizzi Greaves, Operations Manager from Viamaster
John Gardiner in Selby College’s Carbon Capture and Heat Recovery lab
Learner in Selby College’s state-of-the-art Institute of Technology laboratory
Drax empowers the next generation with valuable carbon capture skills
Drax is providing young people a pathway to upskilling in carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology with unique virtual work experiences through the Springpod platform and an immersive CCS skills bootcamp, in partnership with Selby College.
Renewable energy leader Drax is offering young people an exciting opportunity to develop the skills necessary to drive forward the carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies of the future, including its groundbreaking Bioenergy with Carbon Capture and Storage (BECCS) project at Drax Power Station.
In collaboration with Springpod, an award-winning careers exploration platform, Drax has launched its first-ever Project Sprint, which gives students aged 14-19 a virtual experience of working as a Process Engineer as part of its BECCS project. Alongside this, Drax is offering emplyees at Drax Power Station the chance to upskill their CCS knowledge through an in-depth bootcamp in partnership with Selby College.
The new initiatives are part of Drax’s ongoing efforts to equip young people with the expertise they need to succeed in a rapidly evolving energy industry and help tackle climate change through innovative carbon capture solutions.
The Project Sprint is an online learning simulation, developed by Drax’s Early Careers Development team and Capital Projects engineering experts. Students will step into the shoes of a Process Engineer at Drax Power Station, exploring the role’s involvement in the BECCS project at the power station. Through a series of engaging videos and a work booklet, students will learn about the process of capturing carbon emissions, identifying potential problems, and finding solutions to ensure safety and efficiency.
The interactive module will give students a valuable insight into the technical aspects of carbon capture technology, while developing problemsolving skills that will support their future careers. The project also aims to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, particularly in projects such as BECCS, which will play a pivotal role in helping the UK meet its net-zero targets.
Bruce Heppenstall, Plant Director at Drax Power Station said: “Drax’s commitment to developing the next generation of engineers is integral to our strategy for a sustainable future and both Project Springpod and our CCS Skills Bootcamp will give young people the pathway to play a part in this future.
“BECCS will bring thousands of highly skilled, well-paid jobs to the local region and it is imperative that we equip young people with the skills to design and implement not only BECCS at Drax Power Station, but the CCS projects of the future, which will be critical in the fight against climate change.”
“I really enjoyed taking part in the Process Engineer virtual work experience,” said Max Apedaile, a student from Selby College who participated in the programme. “It was interesting learning about the system Drax uses for carbon capture. This is going to be a huge part of the future of engineering, and it’s important for young people like me to get involved and understand how it works.”
Sam Hyams, co-founder and CEO of Springpod, said: “Carbon capture is emerging as one of the most promising technologies in dealing with climate change. It’s critical that the next generation of young people entering the industry are equipped with the right skills. Drax’s expertise in this area provides young people with unparalleled insight and gives them the chance to test their hard skills and learn from real-world feedback.”
Adrian Haigh, Engineering Lecturer at Selby College, emphasised the value of this initiative: “The course was well put together and challenging, exactly what our students need to become competent engineers of the future. The collaboration between Drax and Selby College bridges the gap between industry needs and education, providing students with valuable insight into the technologies of today and tomorrow.”
In addition to the Project Sprint, the Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) Skills Bootcamp, provides in-depth training in BECCS technologies, empowering the workforce of tomorrow to be leaders in sustainable energy innovation. So far over 50 Drax engineers have completed the programme, designed to upskill them ahead of BECCS deployment.
Emily Cooper, Health, Safety, and Environment (HSE) Co-ordinator at Drax, participated in the CCS Bootcamp and shared her experience: “It’s been incredibly useful to learn about the carbon capture process and how it can be scaled up for
industrial use. I plan to bring this knowledge back to my team to ensure we can effectively support the BECCS projects as they move forward.”
Apprentice Technician, Centime Breach-Frank, added: “The CCS Bootcamp has opened up new opportunities for me in my career. I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the theory behind carbon capture and storage, and I hope to apply this knowledge in my apprenticeship as Drax advances its BECCS technology.”
Plans to deploy BECCS at Drax Power Station will require the upskilling and re-skilling of both the current and future workforce, with programmes such as the CCS skills bootcamp and Springpod’s Project Sprint proving crucial to support the 10,000 jobs BECCS will bring, and make the Yorkshire/Humber region a global centre for excellence in green skills.
Drax’s collaboration with Springpod is just the beginning of these efforts to engage with and develop future talent and so far over 300 students have completed the project sprint. The company is also in the process of developing an eight-module virtual work experience programme, launching in 2025, which will be shared with over 400,000 students across the UK. This initiative will further empower young people to pursue careers in the growing sector of carbon capture and sustainable energy.
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Consultation on proposals to expand the UK Emissions Trading Scheme to include the maritime sector
The UK governments are consulting on plans to cover include emissions from the maritime sector1. The UK ETS was launched in 2021 and aims to decarbonise aviation, electricity and industry by limiting emissions and introducing trading permits, creating a carbon price that encourages emissions reductions.
Under the plans, from 2026, the UK ETS will capture emissions of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide from ships weighing 5,000 gross tonnes (GT), including all emissions at berth at UK ports from ships travelling domestically, internationally, and or from Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories, regardless of the location of the next port of call. Government non-commercial maritime activity will be exempt from the scheme.
Certain obligations under the UK ETS will apply to operators, usually the registered owner of the ship except where responsibility is delegated to another party by contractual agreement responsible for a ship’s compliance with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. These obligations include the requirement to monitor and report emissions from qualifying journeys, buying and surrendering allowances covering those emissions. It is likely that responsibility for UK ETS compliance and the allocation of legal liabilities under the scheme are going to be a significant commercial consideration for the maritime sector.
The scheme will run from 1 January to 31 December, with reporting and surrender and surrender deadlines of 31 March and 30 April respectively. Operators will also need to apply for approval of a greenhouse gas emissions monitoring plan ahead of participation in the scheme. They will then need to comply with the conditions of the plan. Operators will also need to appoint an independent verifier accredited by the UK Accreditation Service (UKAS) to verify their annual emissions report.
Failure to meet the requirements of emissions monitoring, reporting, verifying and surrender of allowances could result in significant financial penalties.
The consultation notes that by the end of 2028 there will be a review of whether the proposed 5,000 GT threshold ought to be lowered and whether emissions from inland waterways and leisure craft could be captured.
The UK maritime sector provides a wide range of services and infrastructure. In
2019, it directly contributed 227,100 jobs. As noted in the consultation, the impacts of the proposed policy will affect different services, sectors or parts of society differently.
The Government anticipates that the expansion of the UK ETS to the maritime sector will help to address the issue that the cost of maritime fuels does not currently reflect the environmental cost of emissions from these fuels. The application of a carbon price via the UK ETS will help to strengthen the incentives to use zero or near-zero greenhouse gas emission fuels and technologies, which are typically
more expensive than their conventional counterparts.
Chamber welcomes Government approval for Equinor’s Carbon Capture and Storage plans as part of £4bn scheme
TWO of Equinor’s partnership projects, Northern Endurance Partnership (NEP) and Net Zero Teesside Power (NZTP), have been approved by the Government and will now become a reality marking a major milestone in the UK’s £4-billion Carbon Capture and Storage plans.
The announcement means the country’s first carbon storage facility has been given the go-ahead to capture millions of tonnes of CO2 and store it under the North Sea, thereby helping to clean up some of Europe’s biggest carbon producing areas.
The North Sea is thought to be an ideal geological location for carbon capture, where disused oil and gas aquifers will be used to store C02 emissions from heavy industries.
The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce has been a strong backer of Equinor’s plans and has supported their efforts in lobbying the Government to get the schemes in Teeside and the Humber approved.
Chamber Chief Executive
Dr Ian Kelly said:
“This is great news for the Humber and for Teeside as well. When we hosted the then Shadow Energy Secretary Ed Miliband at the Chamber in Hull we impressed upon him the urgency of bringing this scheme to the fore if the UK is to meet its 2050 net zero targets.”
Now the Energy Secretary in the new Government, Ed Miliband said:
“This investment launches a new era for clean energy in Britain – boosting energy security, backing industries, and supporting thousands of highly skilled jobs in Teesside and the North East.
“This is the Government’s mission to make the UK a clean energy superpower in action- replacing Britain’s energy insecurity with homegrown clean power that rebuilds the strength of our industrial heartlands.”
Richard Royal, Head of Public Affairs & Communications for Equinor, said: “This is fantastic news and a very important step for the low carbon energy industry, establishing the very first carbon capture and storage projects in the UK. Whilst this announcement relates primarily to Teesside, it also helps to unlock and speed up similar opportunities in the Humber.
The graphic shows how the new pipelines will carry east coast C02 emissions to storage sites under the North Sea.
“We now have the green light to further develop and consult on engineering plans for the onshore CO2 pipeline from Easington to Drax, in advance of a DCO submission.
“Also, with the first Track-1 projects ‘off the blocks’, it clears the way for the progression of Track-1 Expansion and Track 2 projects in the Humber, which have been in limbo for nearly two years.”
Irene Rummelhoff, executive vice president of Marketing, Midstream and Processing at Equinor said she was looking forward to continuing the collaboration with Equinor’s partners and the UK Government as we prepare to progress the projects, with an estimated operational date from 2028 onwards.
“NEP, in which Equinor is a key partner, is the CO2 transportation and storage provider for the East Coast Cluster (ECC), one of the UK Government’s first selected CCS clusters.
The project expects to commence construction from mid-2025 with start-up in 2028. It includes a CO2 gathering network and onshore compression facilities as well as a 145km offshore pipeline and subsea injection and monitoring facilities for the Endurance saline aquifer located around
1000m below the seabed. It could transport and store up to 4 million tonnes of captured carbon dioxide emissions per year from three Teesside projects initially, rising to an average of up to 23 million tonnes by 2035 with future expansion of the East Coast Cluster.
“The UK is a key market for Equinor and we have a history of delivering significant energy provision along its East Coast, transitioning from traditional oil and gas demand to include renewables and low carbon options such as CCS and hydrogen. This is a major step for both Equinor and the UK, helping to decarbonise the country’s industrial heartlands and achieve its net zero ambitions whilst providing jobs and supply chain opportunities. We look forward to working with the Government to deliver further low carbon projects across the UK including in the Humber and in Scotland”, says Alex Grant, UK country manager at Equinor.
Equinor is also a partner in NZT Power, which is part of the East Coast Cluster. NZT Power will be a new first-of-a-kind gas-fired power plant with carbon capture, which supports the decarbonisation ambitions across the north-east of England’s industrial regions.
The plant will have the capacity to generate up to 742 megawatts of decarbonised, flexible power, complementing a growing share of intermittent renewable power. This capacity is equivalent to the average electricity demand of around 1 million UK homes. It will have a capacity to capture up to 2 million tonnes of CO2 per year for transport and secure storage by the NEP project.
Equinor has a 45 per cent stake in NEP with the remaining 45 per cent owned by BP and 10 per cent by TotalEnergies, and a 25 per cent stake in the NZT Power project with the remaining 75 per cent owned by BP. BP provides operator services on both projects.
Building work for both projects will be completed by nine leading engineering, procurement, and construction contractors with a combined value of around £4-billion. The work will bring thousands of jobs and wider socio-economic benefits to the north-east of England.
NEP has also been granted government approval to progress development engineering for the Humber Carbon Capture Pipeline (HCCP), the proposed onshore infrastructure project that would transport CO2 from future selected carbon capture projects in the Humber region.
Ed Miliband pictured in discussions with Chamber business leaders when he visited the head offices in Hull.
Tony Commins, a Fabrication and Welding lecturer at Cambria Deeside, said there has been an increase in students on the course this academic year.
However, many more learners need to pursue welding as a career if the skills gap is to close.
“More people have joined us but nationally there has been a decline in the amount of young people going into engineering, especially welding,” said Tony.
“There is a lot of demand – especially overseas – and so many opportunities in what is a highly skilled profession.
“Welders are highly sought-after all over the world, notably in the US and Australia, as well as the UK, so it’s an avenue they should think about.”
He added: “Given the move towards robotics, machine programming and operating is another area where there will be significant growth in the years ahead.
“For us it’s about showing learners welding is a trade where there is diversity, with different roles and options to consider.”
As well as a boom in numbers, the college has three students in the top 20 welding and construction metalwork apprentices in the UK.
Jimmy Smith, Zac Winn and Mark Wright participated in the recent WorldSkills UK national finals in November, with all three winning medals - Zac brought home the gold.
“All three are incredibly talented, and to reach the finals given the institutions, manufacturing companies and training academies we were up against was an amazing feat,” said Tony.
“They competed versus the very best, and did so wellthey deserved to be there and winning those medals will have a positive impact on their future careers.”
Cutting-edge technology including plasma cutters, press breaks and specialist welding sets have also attracted learners, and forged partnerships with some of the leading names in engineering in north east Wales and beyond.
Visit www.cambria.ac.uk for more on the wide range of courses and qualifications available at Coleg Cambria.
Energy Performance of Buildings regime: what are the proposed changes?
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero have launched a joint consultation on proposed reforms to the Energy Performance of Buildings (EPB) regime.
This article provides a background to the regime and highlights the reforms proposed within the consultation as set out on GOV. uk, https://www.gov.uk/government/ consultations/reforms-to-the-energyperformance-of-buildings-regime/ reforms-to-the-energy-performance-ofbuildings-regime.
Background
The EPB regime was introduced with the goal of improving the energy
efficiency of buildings, reducing their carbon emissions and the impact of climate change. Legislative measures were introduced through the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (EPB Regulations).
The EPB Regulations require:
- Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are produced for certain domestic dwellings and non-domestic premises.
- Display Energy Certificates (DECs) are produced for public buildings.
- Air conditioning inspection reports are carried out for systems above a certain size.
The EPC has become a key tool for assessing the performance of buildings and is now widely used beyond its original scope. For example, EPC ratings are used as the basis for energy efficiency targets, for regulatory requirements such as
minimum energy efficiency standards for the private rented sector and as an eligibility requirement for funding, such as in the Warm Homes: Social Housing Fund.
The EPC will remain an important tool for delivering the Warm Homes Plan, which aims to save families money and contribute to the UK meeting its climate targets, including by setting new PRS standards for homes by 2030.
The consultation notes that buildings account for around 20% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions. In order to meet the government’s net zero commitments, a significant shift in the way domestic and non-domestic buildings use energy needs to occur.
The EPC acts as an enabling tool supporting actions across a range of areas working to improve the energy performance of buildings. This includes supporting lenders with information to assist with finance for energy efficiency improvement; allowing businesses to provide innovative products and services based on accurate building data and allowing government grants to be targeted to where it is most needed.
The Energy Act 2023 introduced powers to amend the EPB Regulations, and represents a new opportunity for government improve the current regime and help deliver in its net zero ambitions.
The consultation proposes reforms to the following:
Updating what Energy Performance Certificates measure through additional metrics
Proposals include moving from a single headline metric to multiple complementary metrics, providing a more comprehensive representation of building energy performance. Proposals also include new metrics in relation to energy cost, carbon, energy use, fabric performance, heating system, and smart readiness. For nondomestic buildings, the carbon-based metric will remain the single headline metric. Changes to these metrics are expected to be introduced in the second half of 2026.
Updating
when energy certificates are required by refining the
rules for obtaining Energy Performance Certificates and Display Energy Certificates
Proposals include:
- Reducing the existing validity period for EPCs.
- Requiring a new EPC upon expiration for private rental properties.
- Extending EPC requirements to houses in multiple occupation and short-term rental properties.
- Requiring all heritage buildings to have EPCs.
The government is also considering reducing the:
- Validity period of DECs and DEC recommendation reports - from seven to 10 years for buildings between 250-1,000m².
- Validity of DEC recommendation reports - from seven to five years for buildings over 1,000m².
Managing energy certificate quality
Proposals include granting accreditation schemes more responsibility for energy assessor training and improving compliance and enforcement through updated guidance.
Improving the accessibility of building performance data
Proposals include removing cancelled or unissued certificates from the EPB Register after two years and removing the option for building owners to opt-out of making their EPC publicly accessible on the EPB Register.
Strengthening the quality of air conditioning inspection reports
Government proposes to increase the penalty for non-compliance with air conditioning inspection report requirements for systems over 12 kilowatts to £800 to improve low compliance rates. The government is also seeking views on redesigning air conditioning inspection reports to make them more concise, potentially including a cost metric in the assessment methodology to demonstrate savings from specific recommendations.
Joinery giant is latest arrival as Allenbys adds to The Trade Yard sites
The first tenant has started trading at a new business site which has the potential to create up to 50 jobs, and the company behind the development will soon start work on a second location.
Allenby Commercial has three more units available now at The Trade Yard in Bartonupon-Humber, with a fourth coming on the market after completing its festive role supporting a nationwide charity’s Christmas campaign.
The company also confirmed it will start work during the first quarter of 2025 on The Trade Yard Immingham, where planning permission was secured during the summer for six new units.
Charlie Allenby, Business Development Director at Allenby Commercial, said: “We do a lot to support local communities and we gifted one of the units at Barton for Cash for Kids to use as a seasonal headquarters for their Mission Christmas campaign.
“That project comes to an end this week as the charity concentrates on getting all the gifts which have been donated out to the families who need them. Our focus will then be on dealing with the interest which the development has generated, particularly following the arrival of Howdens as the first tenant.”
Howdens, which marks its 30th anniversary this year and now has more than 800 depots across the UK and Europe, has taken the largest unit of about 9,000 square feet at The Trade Yard at Falkland Way in Barton. The remaining four units offer 3,400 square feet each and are also capable of inter-connecting to offer up to 13,600 square feet of space.
A spokesperson for Howdens said: “We have been looking for the right location in Barton-Upon-Humber for a few years now and we are very pleased to be open at Falkland Way as part of our national expansion programme.”
The Trade Yard Immingham will offer units in Hall Park Road from 2,750 to 13,00 square feet and will again be aimed at the trade counter sector locally and nationally, continuing a strategy which was launched by the Hull-based developer in 2015 and which is in demand on both sides of the Humber.
Charlie added: “The Trade Yard sites at Beverley, Scunthorpe and Willerby are all full and the success of those gave us the confidence to develop the site in Barton and to move forward at Immingham.
“It is clear that the demand is there for The Trade Yard concept, which is tailored to meet the needs of the trade counter sector and which has attracted many national brands as well as some local businesses. Typically The Trade Yard tenants are creating as many as ten jobs with every move and our commitment is to continue investing to help them start trading and grow.”
Jordan Stokes, Surveyor at PPH Commercial Chartered Surveyors and Commercial Property Consultants, said: “The Trade Yard Barton is an exceptionally high standard development with modern fully insulated cladding and solar
panels, and Allenby Commercial has planted more than 2,000 shrubs and trees on the site.
“Barton itself has shown good demand for industrial accommodation – the nearby Humber Bridge Industrial Estate is now fully let, but there has not been a great deal of development of this sort of opportunity in the area for the last 15 to 20 years.
“The Trade Yard is the only speculative industrial development taking place at the moment and the shortage of availability is clearly a factor behind the increase in enquiries. It’s an opportunity for trade, warehouse and light industrial businesses to improve on the accommodation they have at the moment and it might also appeal to inward investors, as has happened at other Trade Yard locations.”
Pictured outside the new Howdens depot at The Trade Yard Barton are Jordan Stokes of PPH Commercial (left) and Charlie Allenby of Allenby Commercial.
Hull schools say Oh Yes! to net zero as funding paves way for carbon reduction
Six climate-conscious schools have received vital funding to accelerate their drive to net zero.
The Hull secondary schools have been supported under a pioneering programme run by the Oh Yes! Net Zero campaign.
The secondary schools successfully bid for at least £10,000 – jointly funded by Oh Yes! Net Zero founding partners Reckitt and Hull City Council – to help them accurately measure and reduce their carbon footprint.
As part of the same project, five student-led climate initiatives have also received funding. Those projects range from rainwater harvesting and recycling to biodiversity enhancement.
The funding was awarded through Oh Yes! Net Zero’s Climate Changemakers programme, which was launched to inspire the next generation of climate champions.
The programme has already worked with students across Hull to develop their science communication skills, create educational resources and encourage them to take climate action.
Oh Yes! Net Zero is a campaign bringing together businesses and organisations in Hull and the Humber with a shared commitment to reduce their carbon footprint and transition to net zero.
Launched in 2022, Oh Yes! Net Zero now has over 150 active members, ranging from some of the region’s biggest businesses to SMEs with only a handful of employees.
Grace Chapman, Programme Lead for the Climate Changemakers project, said: “Our Climate Changemakers programme empowers young people to take action to protect the planet.
“The feedback we’ve received from students participating in our activities has been overwhelmingly positive. We’ve nurtured fantastic ideas and sparked creativity which is making a real difference. “We’re excited that the Climate Changemakers programme is now
entering the next phase to support schools in taking action to reduce their carbon emissions, improve biodiversity and empower students to make change.”
Schools have large estates with multiple buildings and facilities and reducing their environmental impact is important in the net zero transition.
The new funding will enable five schools to implement an energy management system on their sites. This will allow them to comprehensively measure, understand and analyse their carbon footprint, with the aim of using the data to develop their carbon reduction plan.
An energy management system can highlight a specific part of the estate – like a sports hall – which is consuming high levels of energy. Having that knowledge enables schools to focus on tackling areas which can have the biggest impact. Once a school has identified suitable projects, it can apply for grant funding to support the investments required to transition to net zero.
Martin Budd, Climate Change Manager at Hull City Council, said: “A key element of Hull’s 2030 Carbon Neutral Strategy is engaging with young people so they can help shape a city of tomorrow – one with low carbon energy and sustainability at its heart.
“For students to see the work their own schools are doing to reduce their carbon footprint, as well as getting involved in some really powerful sustainability projects, is a fantastic way to inspire the next generation of climate leaders.
“As a Founding Partner of Oh Yes! Net Zero, Hull City Council is delighted to be funding these projects which will play a significant role in decarbonising school estates and involving students in the net zero transition.”
The schools and students to receive funding are:
• The Boulevard Academy, west Hull
• Kelvin Hall School, west Hull
• Malet Lambert, east Hull
• The Marvell College, east Hull
• Newland School for Girls, west Hull
• Sirius Academy West, west Hull
Lydia Burton, Teacher of Science and Eco Committee Coordinator at The Boulevard Academy, said: “We’ve seen first-hand the passion and wonderful ideas that students have had as part of this sustainability project.
“What is also clear to see is how acutely aware our students are of the impacts of climate change, and the urgent need to take action to protect our planet and become more sustainable.
“We’re so grateful to have received this funding, which will enable us to move forwards with our own carbon reduction plan. By involving our students in that process, we are inspiring them to think about the small changes they can make in their own life which all play a part in tackling climate change.”
Student-led projects to receive funding span a broad range of sustainability initiatives.
The latest Climate Changemakers project is supported by Hull-based C3 Group, a sustainability consultancy providing businesses with net zero strategies, low carbon technologies and energy efficiency retrofit work.
Climate Changemakers was launched by Oh Yes! Net Zero to empower young people in Hull to take action against climate change.
To find out more about the impact of Oh Yes! Net Zero, read its Two-Year Report: www.reckitt.com/oh-yes-net-zero.
Patrons’ Lunch in the Lord Mayor’s Parlour is special thank you to key Chamber supporters
The Hull and Humber Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Shipping welcomed its Patrons to its annual lunch in the historic Lord Mayor’s Parlour in the city’s historic Guildhall – and presented a plaque to its newest Gold Patron, Cory Group.
This year’s patrons were welcomed by Hull’s Lord Mayor and Admiral of the Humber, Cllr Mark Collinson and Lady Mayoress Cllr Christine Randall.
Chamber President Kirk Akdemir told guess it was now 25 years since we feared the approach of the Millennium Bug and everyone was scared of what might happen to their computers as the New Year arrived.
He thanked the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress for welcoming the Chamber to the Guildhall again. Kirk reminded guests: “The Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce dates from the early merchant adventurers, yet now the city is at the centre of clean energy and digitalisation.
“The Chamber itself dates from 1837, and has represented businesses for all this time, and continues to be the biggest business organisation and is the collective “Voice of Business” in the Humber.
“I would like to thank our patrons for supporting the Chamber, and welcome our two newest members of this exclusive club, Cory Group and Pattesons Glass. The Chamber is always very grateful to our patrons for supporting the Chamber and helping us to support our smaller businesses.”
The Lord Mayor thanked everyone for coming and highlighted the importance of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce to the city and the people of Hull and the wider Humber.
He highlighted the historic dinner service which was being used for the Patrons’ Lunch, noting it only comes out twice a year and commemorates the 200th anniversary of the birth of William Wilberforce and was presented to the City Council by the Chamber to mark that occasion.
The Lord Mayor said: “The city economy will continue to improve into the future and I’d like to say thank you on behalf of the City Council and the city for the work of the Hull & Humber Chamber of Commerce does.”
Giving the vote of thanks, Chamber Chief Executive Dr Ian Kelly, said: “We have some excellent people here today, including representatives of Ørsted and Equinor, which has made a major
announcement this week which will lead to a massive transition stage on the Carbon Capture and Storage agenda in the North Sea to help the region reach net zero.
“We are extremely grateful to our Patrons and we are playing our part – the Chamber is looking to be supportive and constructive as things move forward. We will do our best to do our bit elegantly, to move things forward. We are extremely grateful for the support the Lord Mayor and the City Council give to the Chamber.”
Before sitting down for lunch, Chris Girdham from Cory Group, was presented with a Chamber Patrons’ Plaque by Vice President Irene Keal after the energy from waste business became the latest major company to pledge its support to the Chamber with a Gold Patronage package.
Cory Group’s development director, Chris was born in Grimsby and grew up in Barton, and although now London based, knows the area well and returns regularly to catch up with family and friends.
Thanking the Chamber for special plaque, Chris said: “I’m thrilled to receive the Patrons Plaque – It will be given pride
of place in in our headquarters in London.
“This has been a fabulous event here in the Guildhall, it’s a spectacular setting and there’s so much history everywhere you look.
“I’m really pleased to be working with the Chamber of Commerce, we’ve got a lot happening next year and I’m already looking forward to coming back here next year.”
Chamber Patrons posing for the official photograph before enjoying the Patrons’ Lunch in the Mayor’s Parlour at the Guildhall. Picture: Kevin Greene Photography.
Chris Girdham is presented with his Patron’s Plaque by Chamber Vice President and Chair of the North East Lincolnshire Area Council, Irene Keal. Picture: Kevin Greene Photography.
Humber catchment area is at heart of research project to help UK achieve net zero target
The Humber catchment area is at the heart of new University of Hull research that promises to bring about fresh thinking on land use change to help achieve the UK’s net zero target.
The project has received £4.5 million funding from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) as a share of £14.5 million under phase two of the Land Use for Net Zero, Nature and People programme (LUNZ).
The Rapid Engagement with Stressed Peatland Environments and Communities in Transformation (RESPECT) is a collaboration between the Universities of Hull, Glasgow Newcastle and Stirling, that brings together expertise in law, archaeology, ecology and environmental geography which will produce data, methods, landholder tools and proposals for governance reforms to change agricultural practices on peatland and reduce emissions from land use.
The £4.5 million project promises to bring about new ideas and approaches to land use change that will help achieve the UK’s net zero target. Governance reforms will be proposed to develop a framework for the social innovations, such as changes in land and farm management practices, necessary for transformative change.
Peatlands are one of the world’s most important habitats and the largest terrestrial carbon store. However, 80% of UK peatlands are in a damaged and deteriorating state, meaning they are often a carbon source rather than sink. This is alarming in the context of the climate emergency. Restoring peatland is therefore an urgent priority for the UK, necessary to meet the net
zero commitment. Two case study regions –the Humber and Forth Catchments in England and Scotland – will be investigated in-depth, where tensions exist between food production, historic environment preservation, carbon sequestration and ecological restoration.
The Humber catchment covers 20% of England and its peatlands, from heathery plateau peatlands covering the windswept tops of the Pennines and North York Moors via the remnants of the UK’s largest lowland raised bog complex in the Humberhead Peatlands to the salt marshes of the Humber estuary. Better management of the peatlands throughout this densely populated landscape has the potential to increase carbon storage, reduce flood and drought risks, and benefit humans and wildlife alike.
Professor Graham Ferrier, project leader of RESPECT at the University of Hull, said: “This new project provides an outstanding opportunity to develop further new land and farm management approaches and tools to aid farmers in achieving net zero goals. The project involves collaboration with a wide range of local stakeholders including Natural England, Historic England, the National Farmers Union, the National Centre for Resilience and the National Trust. The allocation of £730,000 to the University of Hull will allow us to apply our
understanding of peatland function and how they respond to restoration to help develop tools for decision-making and prioritisation of restoration efforts.”
Dr Jane Bunting, Co-Investigator and Reader in Geography, said: “Peatlands keep a record of their own history in their layered sediments. Here at the University of Hull, we have developed techniques for translating the peatland archive into a sequence of maps which are readable by any stakeholder, enabling us to develop a longer-term view of how healthy peatlands function and when and how current peatlands began to deteriorate. This will enable us to make well informed recommendations for management for the long term health of peatlands and safety of their carbon sinks.”
RESPECT will collate data through novel interdisciplinary collection, modelling and engagement methods. These data will establish the capacity of land and land users to contribute to the net zero target, as well as generate other social and environmental cobenefits, balanced against conflicting land use demands, within the context of climate change.
Professor Jill Robbie, Project Investigator in the School of Law at the University of Glasgow, leading the project, said: “The UKRI funding comes at a crucial moment in the UK’s transition to net zero, and I am excited to coordinate the research in order to deliver useful and accessible tools to reduce emissions from land use.”
RESPECT will work closely with separately funded UKRI initiative, the Land Use for Net Zero Hub: Lunzhub.com. Established in November 2023, the LUNZ Hub is working to provide all four UK administrations with the rapid evidence they need to develop policies that will drive the UK land transformation required to achieve Net Zero by 2050, alongside other environmental targets.
University of Hull’s Logistics Institute and Lampada provide winning rail solutions
Research from the University of Hull’s Logistics Institute is providing a range of rail solutions to improve efficiency, reduce emissions and allow the rail industry to compete effectively with the less environmentally friendly but more dynamic road freight industry.
The University of Hull owned subsidiary Lampada Digital Solutions has managed all the software-related services for the new rail solutions since 2022, including software development and licensing. Together with Network Rail, the company has now won the ‘Rail Team of the Year’ category at the annual Rail Staff Awards in recognition of work to develop the latest product, the Digital Freight Load Books (DFLB). This prestigious award is recognition that Lampada, as a relatively small company, can deliver world class projects with major customers, on time, on budget and exceeding expectations.
The Logistic Institute started developing the first rail solution, NR+ – a digital platform for rail planning information in 2017. It received funding from the Department of Transport in 2019 to further develop the platform. In 2021, the Institute received funding to develop the Railfreight Energy and Emissions Calculator (REEC), working with Freightliner, one of the largest rail freight operating companies in the UK and Aether, a technical specialist in emissions analysis.
Rail freight
In 2022, the rail solutions built in the Logistics Institute were moved to Lampada to be further commercialised and developed. Then in 2023, Lampada won a Network Rail tender to develop a digital platform to maintain and use the Digital Freight Loads Books, known as DFLB. This is a formal source that determines the maximum weight and length of specific freight train configurations at any point on the rail network. DFLB represents a major step forward in modernising the way that Network Rail manages data required for
rail freight planning. There are currently 600 active users of DFLB in Network Rail and across the freight operating companies.
Our rail solutions have been recognised across several partner awards during recent months. At the Rail Freight Group Awards, Freightliner won the ‘Sustainability and Safety’ award in recognition of working in partnership with the Logistics Institute to develop the REEC solution and the ‘Rail Freight Project of the Year’ award for a major timetable restructuring project, using REEC to perform the required analysis.
Jeremy Hartley, Chief Finance Officer at the University of Hull, said: “I am delighted that we’ve been recognised as a Bronze level Carbon Literate Educator by The Carbon Literacy Project.
“This award acknowledges the efforts of our colleagues who have developed, facilitated, and completed our accredited Carbon Literacy training course over the last year.
“It also highlights the University’s commitment to reducing emissions to help tackle climate change.”
Carbon Literacy is defined as: “an awareness of the carbon dioxide costs and impacts of everyday activities, and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and Institutional basis”. It revolves around a day’s worth of learning and action on climate change.
The University first engaged with Carbon Literacy through our sustainability research and a shared passion of how to embed this in education to make a cultural change and raise climate change awareness.
The University developed a Carbon Management course which is a comprehensive 1-day workshop designed to meet the emerging needs of businesses and individuals to better understand their carbon footprint and how to manage its reduction. This course is accredited by The Carbon Literacy Project.
The course, delivered by Hull University Business School, explores the key challenges and opportunities of our changing climate and offers practical solutions for employers and employees to help address carbon emissions and adapt to its effects.
The programme will see many more students, colleagues and organisations trained over the next 5 years to ensure students can graduate from the University, not only with their degree, but also being carbon literate.
Dr Sarah Shaw, Reader in Logistics and Supply Chain Management at Hull University Business School, said: “We are passionate about sustainability, it is embedded in our 2030 strategy.
“We are home to the pioneering UK Energy Estuary and the Humber Region has been identified by the UK government as one of the biggest emitters of carbon emission in the UK and second in Europe. Actions here are central to the UK government hitting net zero by 2050. This challenge is our biggest opportunity.
“This means, as a CL Educator, we have a huge role to play in upskilling and educating our students, our people, our community, and wider society about climate change facts and how they can make a difference individually and collectively.”
Carbon Literacy is underpinned by a motivation to reduce emissions, on an individual, community and Institutional basis.
Dave Coleman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of The Carbon Literacy Project, said: “Carbon Literacy is an essential skill for any student to be properly prepared for the world of work and to thrive in a twenty-first century society. By becoming a Bronze Carbon Literate Educator (CLE), the University of Hull has demonstrated a commitment to empowering its students through Carbon Literacy.
“But CLEs are not only great educators. CLEs run great organisations, taking responsibility for their own impacts, and are able to demonstrate their own efficiencies. CLEs connect themselves and their learners with all the other organisations on their own Carbon Literacy journeys all around them, to the benefit of everyone.
“This award recognises the University of Hull’s efforts and success in facilitating the cultural shift to a positive low carbon future for us all.”
CLE accreditation is a tiered system with Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum levels, requiring increasing levels of commitment to action on climate change and creating a lowcarbon culture.
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Fridge magnets, econometrics and a Nobel Prize
In the gift shop of the Nobel Prize museum it is possible to purchase kitchen magnets with quotes from famous Nobel Prize winners. There is one from Bob Dylan about staying young forever, one from Marie Curie about being less curious about people and more curious about ideas. Amongst the other fridge magnets, you will also be able to find one from University of Hull graduate Professor Guido Imbens (MSc Economics, 1986): ‘The really challenging thing is asking good questions.’
It’s a quietly understated quote, but as well as suggesting that the questions we ask are as important at the answers we seek, it also points to the understated genius of the contribution for which he received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2021 alongside his colleagues Joshua Angrist and David Card. Their work has helped researchers better understand cause-and-effect relationships in real-world economic situations, where it is not possible to set up controlled experiments.
We put the questions to Guido when he returned to Hull in July of 2024 to receive an Honorary Degree in recognition of his remarkable achievements and becoming the first ever Nobel Prize recipient in our community.
There were two things that we wanted to know from Guido on arriving back on campus: how did it feel to receive a Nobel Prize, and how did it feel to be back in Hull to receive an Honorary Degree?
Over time I’ve been much more willing to ask questions, make myself vulnerable and show that I don’t necessarily know all the answers.
Professor Guido Imbens
“It’s a very strange, very unreal experience,” Guido said of the moment when he discovered he was to receive a Nobel Prize.
“They make the decision around 11 in the morning in Stockholm, and call you at around 2 in the morning in California. I woke up with the telephone call and you have about half-an-hour to get ready because you are going to get lots of calls. You realise it’s going to be a very big
change. My wife and I woke up the kids, and they got very excited. It was a very special morning.”
His return to Hull was perhaps more nostalgic, and although he wasn’t able to bring his family on this occasion, it was something that he very much felt he wanted to do when he arrived at the train station and found the memories flooding back from the time he first arrived in Hull by ferry as a student from Rotterdam. Now, he was coming back as a Professor of Economics at Stanford Graduate School and the recipient of one of the most prestigious awards in the world.
When asked if there was a ‘causal relationship’ between coming to Hull and getting a Nobel Prize, Guido laughed, but admitted that it was only after coming to Hull that he thought about doing a PhD in Economics.
“Yes, there’s definitely a big influence there,” he admitted. “But it also got me thinking very differently about research.”
In the 1980s Guido came to Hull as part of an exchange programme with his university in Rotterdam. Thinking it would be as good a place to go as any for a year, he quickly found that the experience in Hull was very different to what he was used to.
“When I came here, I really enjoyed the year. It was much more of a campus University than Rotterdam.”
Guido was invited to stay for an extra year as a Research Assistant before being advised by his supervisor and mentor, the late Tony Lancaster, to pursue postgraduate work in the USA, which he did.
Tony’s influence was very important on Guido’s development in those early days.
“He was a very good mentor in terms of letting his students develop their own ideas, but kind of steering them in various directions,” Guido said. “That got me very interested in doing research.
”That early interest that found its spark here in Hull went on to develop into work that supported the research efforts of others.
“The methods that I developed together with Josh Angrist have made some of the research in economics much more credible,” Guido said. “When we started in the mid-80s there was something of a crisis in
economics where people felt that a lot of the empirical work that was being done wasn’t credible and people didn’t believe the results. We were at the beginning of a movement that tried to make the work more credible. Angrist later called it a credibility revolution where we developed a bunch of methods that became widely used that changed the way people did empirical work in economics and the way they thought about it.”
Guido humbly dismisses any suggestion that he might have known the significance of the work he was doing at the time.
“I do remember when I was working on it when I was really very happy with it, and I felt that we’d made a lot of progress and understood something that nobody else understood at that time. But I was thinking more at that time like ‘this is a very good idea by my standards’ and that I might be able to publish it in a good journal. That was the extent of my thought about it.”
And what might have made this work stand out as significant for all those who subsequently started engaging with it and giving it the traction that ultimately lead to its influence being recognised at such a level?
“There were a lot of factors and a lot of luck. It was also at a time when the profession was ready for this type of research.
”And this is where asking the right question becomes important. Because Guido’s research is about finding out the correct ways of looking at a problem and the information around it to ensure that the correct inferences can be taken from the results.
“Econometrics is about the study of data,” Guido said. “What I specialise in is trying to figure out methods for drawing causal inferences from observational data. In economics you typically can’t do experiments. You can’t randomly assign some people to college and keep others out, just to figure out what the causal effect is of going to college on labour market outcomes. So we tried to draw those causal inferences from observational data. One of the things I contributed to was developing methods for doing this in settings which are called natural experiments, where there is some idiosyncrasy in the data that helps
us uncover the causal effects even though we didn’t do a randomised experiment.”
Today, Guido’s research is still at the cutting edge, working with big tech companies such as Google and Facebook, all of whom have offices that are cyclable from his office at Stanford.
“One of the interesting things is that they’re doing much more complex experiments than have been traditionally done. Nowadays a lot of these companies are doing experiments in settings with multiple populations of interacting agents – maybe buyers and sellers or rental properties and customers. If you do experiments there whatever you do to one group it’s going to have an effect on the others and you have to take that into account to make sense of the results. There data science and economics come together in a very interesting way.”
We’re proud of Guido and his impact, and proud that by accepting an Honorary Degree he’s renewed his connection with the city and the University. We asked him about having the opportunity to speak to the next generation of students at the graduation ceremony, and his words of advice. He was reticent to offer advice, acknowledging the role that luck has played in his career, but he did, once again, come back to that most important subject that has been key to his work, and which has been immortalised on fridge magnets at the Nobel Prize Museum:
“The importance of being willing to ask questions and asking good questions. Over time I’ve been much more willing to ask questions, make myself vulnerable and show that I don’t necessarily know all the answers. But asking good questions is really important to improve things.”
Professor Guido Imbens was interviewed by David Simpson, Alumni Engagement Manager.
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