Yesterday marked 6 months until COP26 - the 2021 United Nations annual climate change conference in Glasgow.
Therefore I was pleased to help Keele University welcome the Climate Change Minister, Lord Callanan, to the campus to see their sector-leading work on sustainability and developing new green energy solutions.
We heard about the work taking place at the university’s Institute for Sustainable Futures to pioneer long-term sustainability, and saw for ourselves their world-class Smart Energy Network Demonstrator (SEND) – a European first ‘at scale living laboratory’ that enables the testing, development and evaluation of new and evolving low carbon energy technologies.
We also toured the site where two wind turbines and 12,500 solar panels are presently being installed as part of the university’s Low Carbon Energy Generation Project. This pledges to make the university carbon neutral by 2030, with 50% of the campus electricity being generated by these renewable sources once fully operational.
Lord Callanan, Minister for Climate Change, said: "Climate change is a big threat facing us globally, which is why with 6 months to the COP26 climate summit in November it is fantastic to be here meeting the facility and future leaders who are driving green growth in our industrial heartlands.
"As well as transforming its campus to produce 50% of its own electricity from renewable sources such as wind and solar, Keele’s pioneering green energy research can be rolled out nationally and globally, showing how the University is truly leading the way to a low carbon, energy efficient future."