Delivering the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge: geographical considerations for decarbonisation

ABSTRACT

The UK Government has identified six industrial locations with the highest concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂) production to be part of the Industrial Decarbonisation Challenge (IDC) and labelled them ‘Industrial Clusters’. To achieve net zero by 2050, heavy industry across the UK must move away from fossil fuels as a power source. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) and low-carbon hydrogen in the UK have the prospect of removing upwards of 40MtCO₂ per year and producing more than 25GW of hydrogen power. This article introduces the IDC and Industrial Clusters. It then explores the geographical sense of place, place attachment and acceptance considerations that the clusters should be making on their energy transitions as a means to understanding the geography of sustainability transitions.

Notes

1 BEIS existed until 2023 when it was split to form the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Eleanor Lewis

Eleanor Lewis (corresponding author) is a PhD student and research assistant in the Chester Business School, University of Chester, UK.

Reace Edwards

Reace Edwards is a PhD student in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Chester, UK (email: [email protected]).

Joe Howe

Professor Joe Howe is in the Chester Business School, University of Chester, UK.**Professor Howe became Net Zero Humber Academic Cluster Lead at the University of Lincoln, UK, in spring 2023.