Local Zero

What role do energy network operators - or DNOs - have in developing smart local energy systems? Becky - along with guest co-host Dr Jeff Hardy - lead an EnergyREV panel discussion with:Maxine Frerk, director at Grid Edge PolicyAdam Bell, head of policy at StonehavenMelanie Bryce, SSEN Oxfordshire programme director on Project LEO (Local Energy Oxfordshire)Doug Cook, deputy director at OFGEM responsible for digitalisation and decentralisation

What is the role of energy-smart places and smart local energy approaches in securing a just transition? In this Local Zero Live, recorded at EnergyREV's final summit in central London, Becky and Fraser welcome a panel of guests to explore how tech innovations and energy policy can work fairly, and for citizens and communities. Guests in this episode: Karen Barass of Climate InsightsDonal Brown, University of Sussex research fellowJoanne Wade from the Association for Decentralised Energy and the UK Energy Research CentreSyed Ahmed from Community Energy London

Fraser has finally completed his PhD ... but what was it about? This episode is dedicated to the themes of Fraser's thesis, exploring social inequalities in uptake of low carbon technologies like solar pv and heat pumps, and uncovers ways to rectify those inequalities at local and community levels. Congratulations Fraser! Some elements of Fraser's PhD work are already publicly available - here:https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301421521003827https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030142152200057X 

Concluding our four-part mini-series focusing on the work of Innovate UK's Prospering From the Energy Revolution (PFER) Programme, Matt and Fraser chat with Eva Goudouneix from Repowering London and Jamie Rea from the Electric Storage Company. This week: how to engage the public with energy projects and technology. 

This penultimate instalment of our month-long Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) series focuses on Skills and the Supply Chain. Matt, Becky and Fraser chat acronyms, and a personal experience of issues faced by those trying to find work in the energy sector, before being joined by Louise Alter from Equans and Melanie Bryce from SSEN. 

This February, the Local Zero team are bringing you weekly podcasts focused on the work of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) funding innovation. This week the focus is on finance. Joining us for the second of these special episodes are Cheryl Hiles, Director of Energy Capital (West Midlands Combined Authority) and Tim Rose, Programme Manager of Energy Superhub Oxford. But before all that, the team celebrate the submission of a certain PhD...

This February, the Local Zero team are bringing you a new podcast every single week! These special episodes are all focused on the work of the Prospering from the Energy Revolution (PFER) innovation funding. First up, a focus on policy and regulation to unleash smart, local energy systems (SLES). This one features Chris Dunham from Carbon Descent, and Merlin Hyman, Chief Executive of Regen. 

How well do our local councils perform when it comes to tackling the climate crisis? One not-for-profit organisation - Climate Emergency UK - makes it its business to rate and measure the performance and progress of local authorities, with their innovative Council Climate Action Scorecards. For our first episode of 2023, Becky and Matt are joined by Hannah Jewell, the group's Campaigns and Policy Officer.

Joining the usual team for a look back at 2022 in energy (with festive drinks and mince pies in hand) are Strathclyde University's Dr Jen Roberts and Manish Joshi. Together, they unpack an eventful (!) year, discuss key learning points from the energy crisis, and look for reasons to be cheerful. There is also the long-awaited return of Future or Fiction.

How are communities benefitting financially from commercial suppliers paying them for playing host to wind farms? Matt chats to Ian Leaver, Chief Officer of Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston Community Company, and SSE Renewables' Lindsay Dougan, to explore the benefits of these schemes, using Fort Augustus and Glenmoriston as an example.

Scottish Power's Robin Cathcart and Owen Black on the company's role in helping Scotland and the UK to decarbonise. Scottish Power is part of the Iberdrola Group, which recently announced a target to be net zero in all scopes by 2040 - 10 years sooner than had been previously aimed for.

Are there reasons to be cheerful about climate change? What are the most data-driven changes we can make to really move the dial on carbon emissions? Dr Hannah Ritchie is Head of Research at Our World In Data, an online platform hosted by Oxford University which aims to 'make progress against the world’s largest problems'. Matt speaks with Hannah about how the data she sees and collates tells a surprisingly optimistic story - and how numbers can be a powerful tool to hold governments and policy-makers to account. https://ourworldindata.org/

A year since Glasgow hosted COP26, the team reflect on the event's legacy for the city, and particularly for Strathclyde University. Matt, Becky and Fraser are joined by Dr Roddy Yarr, Strathclyde's Executive Lead for Sustainability, and Manish Joshi, CEO of the Students Union.

Ahead of COP 27 in Sharm El-Sheikh, Matt and Becky are joined by Professor Jim Skea, Co-Chair of Working Group III of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change) to discuss the benefits, practicalities and obstacles standing in the way of a just transition.Jim is also a Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College, and Chair of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission.

With the energy crisis showing no signs of slowing, and UK government policy changing and changing again seemingly by the hour, we return to the pressing issue of fuel poverty. Joining Matt and Fraser are Jessica Cook from National Energy Action (NEA) and Aimee Ambrose, Professor of Energy Policy at Sheffield Hallam University. 

Can a smart-meter really change your life? This is the fiftieth full-length episode of Local Zero - Matt, Becky and Fraser reflect on being half a century old, EVs, and the recent energy cap announcement -- before being joined by guest Jeremy Yapp. Jeremy is Head of Flexible Energy Systems at BEAMA (the UK Trade Association for Manufacturers and Providers of Energy Infrastructure Technologies and Systems). Jeremy outlines how just how crucial Smart Meters can be for household budgeting, and what we need to succeed in a smart energy transition. 

Recorded at EnergyREV's central London summit on smart local energy, the team explore what a smarter, more local energy system might look like, and how it could drive the push to net zero and tackle the energy crisis. Matt and Becky are joined by EnergyREV's Rob Saunders, Teodora Kaneva from Tech UK, UK100's Karen Barrass, and Professor Jeff Hardy, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute.Links: https://www.energyrev.org.uk/https://www.techuk.org/https://www.uk100.org/https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/

Disabled people and their households are among those most likely to be impacted by the energy crisis and associated rise in living costs. Until now, impacts on disabled consumers seem all too often to have been overlooked by both policy makers and media. For this special episode, the team are joined by Gemma Hope, director of policy at Leonard Cheshire, and Lizzie Green, campaigns manager at Sense.

The Local Electricity Bill could - if enacted - open up local supply of electricity to nearby communities. Supporters claim it could bring to market some of the most affordable forms of renewable power, like onshore wind and solar. The bill has support from around 300 MPs, and is currently moving through the Westminster parliament. Fraser, Matt and Becky are joined by Power for People's Steve Shaw, to explore what the proposed change could mean, particularly for energy bills. Steve also has great tips for successful lobbying of MPs and others.

The UK Government has committed to installing 50GW of offshore wind energy by 2030. What are the impacts of offshore wind on communities, and how can we ensure they benefit? Fraser, Becky and (newly minted Professor!) Matt are joined by Grace Millman, Energy Analyst at Regen, and Dr Claire Haggett, Senior Lecturer of Sustainability at the University of Edinburgh. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

As many of us gear up for a summer break, often jetting off to the sun, just how culpable are flight emissions in the context of the climate emergency? Who is most responsible? And is guilt-free flying ever likely to be possible? Joining the LZ team for this chat are Anna Hughes, CEO of Flight Free UK, and Abhilasha Fullonton, a Research Associate at Tyndall Manchester. Find us at www.localzeropod.com.

How can we shift our demand for energy in the home, perhaps by shaping and flexing our domestic routines to match periods of peak 'clean' energy production? Does our relationship with technology have to change in order to reduce demand and therefore cut emissions?This episode continues our focus on the role of demand in delivering net zero - specifically focusing on one key area of energy consumption - in our homes. Joining Matt and Becky this time are: Sarah Darby, Associate Professor in the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford, and Phil Steele, Future Technologies Evangelist (what a title!) at Octopus Energy. 

What is the impact of our own behaviours and attitudes, as households and consumers, on carbon emissions? The latest IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report contains, for the first time ever, a chapter specifically focusing on how the choices we each make impact emissions. To discuss this, the team are joined by Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh from the University of Bath, director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), and Oxford Professor Nick Eyre, director of the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS).

The phenomenon of so-called 'Green Lairds' buying up land for carbon offsetting is increasingly a phenomenon that Scotland is having to reckon with. Magnus Davidson from the University of the Highlands and Islands, who is also a board member of Community Land Scotland, joins Matt and Fraser to review a recent panel event held jointly between the University of Edinburgh's Business School and the British Institute for Energy Economics (BIEE).An unedited recorded of the panel discussion, chaired by Charles Hendry, Honorary Professor and President of BIEE, is adjacent to this episode in the Local Zero feed. Find Local Zero online at www.localzeropod.com.

How to reconcile natural capital, net-zero and just transition priorities? In this unedited recording, an expert panel discuss the trends for large-scale land purchases for carbon offsetting in Scotland. What is driving these trends, and what the future holds?The discussion was a joint event between the University of Edinburgh's Business School and the British Institute for Energy Economics (BIEE)Chair: Charles Hendry, Honorary Professor and President of BIEEPanellists: Dave Reay, Professor of Carbon Management, University of Edinburgh; Executive Director for Edinburgh Climate Change Institute; Director of Policy at ClimateXChangeKirsten Jenkins, Lecturer in Energy, Environment and Society, University of EdinburghAilsa Raeburn, Chairperson for Community Land Scotland; Chair of the Isle of Eigg Heritage TrustStephen Young, Head of Policy at Scottish Land and Estateshttps://www.business-school.ed.ac.uk/event/green-lairds

Making homes both more sustainable and more affordable: these are two of the most pressing challenges facing society today. In this episode, the team explore solutions presented by community-led cohousing, and community-owned micro-grid energy. In particular, we look at what exciting possibilities can be unlocked when both systems can be integrated together onto one site. We hear from Andy O’Brien from the Bristol Energy Cooperative, and Monica King from Bridport Cohousing in Dorset. Follow us on Twitter @LocalZeroPod and email [email protected] to get involved in the discussion.

As the energy crisis bites and price cap rises against a backdrop of climate change, energy advocacy services are becoming crucial to supporting people in need, and local net zero action. In this episode we ask: what is the role of energy advocacy services? What issues are they facing, and how can they support a fair and just net-zero transition for communities? Matt and Fraser are joined by Frazer Scott, CEO Energy Action Scotland, Dr Danielle Butler from National Energy Action and Energy Advisors, Agnes Berner and Poppy Ives, from Glasgow’s South Seeds.Follow us on Twitter @LocalZeroPod and email [email protected] to have your say.

Climate action can deliver a huge variety of co-benefits, alongside carbon reduction: improving health from active travel, reducing fuel poverty through better insulation, and creating better jobs and more resilient communities, to name just a few. Matt and Becky are joined by PwC's Dom Boyle, to discuss how keeping it local can accelerate net zero, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and bring huge social benefits across the UK. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

Cutting carbon from future infrastructure projects is a massive and costly long-term challenge. It is also a critical part of the path to net zero. So how can bridges, roads, hospitals, power stations, railway networks, and all the big-ticket items we rely on for the proper functioning of our society and economy be decarbonised? Becky and Matt are joined by:Alan Hendry, Director of Sustainability at Mott MacDonaldSarah Thiam, Chief Executive of the Scottish Council for Development and Industry. Kit England, Green Economy Manager at Glasgow City Councilwww.localzeropod.com

Radical changes are needed to our infrastructure if we want to deliver a Just Energy Transition and meet our net-zero goals. But it’s not that simple.Matt and Becky are joined by Dr Jo Patterson to discuss the stagnant costs of clean heating and making our homes more energy efficient. The incentive is just not there for most homeowners, our finance and policy instruments are outdated and ineffective. What we need now is something innovative incredibly local, as we hear from Rufus Grantham of Bankers Without Boundaries. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

Community-led energy projects offer a way forward as energy bills spiral and carbon emissions need to be cut. However, community energy in the UK is struggling. How can government unleash its potential?Matt and Becky are joined by experts Kayla Ente, Founder of Brighton & Hove Energy Services Co-operative and Nigel Cornwall, Director at Hydrogen East, Net Zero East and New Anglia Energy. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

Aberdeen has been the epicentre of UK oil and gas - and prospered as a result - since the 1970s. How can a community so steeped in fossil fuels engage successfully with a just transition? Becky and Matt are joined by Prof Tavis Potts from the University of Aberdeen, and Aberdeen Climate Action's Alison Stuart. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

As concern grows over spiking energy bills and its impact on poorer households, what challenges lie ahead for net-zero and a just transition? As ever, we explore how local action can have a positive impact. Matt and Becky are joined by Dr Jen Roberts, Chancellor's Fellow in Energy at the University of Strathclyde, and Dr Jeff Hardy, Senior Research Fellow in Climate Change and the Environment at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute. Find us and explore more episodes at www.localzeropod.com

We managed an actual face-to-face catch-up in Fraser's flat! (squeezed in before the ramping up of COVID-19 measures). There *may* have been alcohol, as we reflected on personal, professional and podcasting highlights from an extraordinary year. Huge thanks for being with us in 2021. The whole LZ team wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. X

Prof David Reay, director of the Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, gives his verdict on COP26. The commitment to 1.5 degrees of warming is, he says, 'on life support'. David also talks about plans for his climate-friendly farm on the beautiful Mull of Kintyre. Tweet us @LocalZeroPod or email [email protected]

Post COP26, an extremely tired Local Zero team gather their initial thoughts and responses. We return to fortnightly Local Zero episodes, every other Thursday from today. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

Matt and Becky finally manage a catch-up, swapping stories and insights from their experiences of COP26. Matt also visits Sunny G community radio in Glasgow's Govan neighbourhood, and takes part in a panel discussion by the 'liberal conservatism' pressure group Bright Blue. We are back to 'business as usual' fortnightly episodes from next week. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

In the COP26 Blue Zone, Matt reflects on global uptake of electric vehicles, bumps into California Democrat Congressional candidate Shrina Kurani, and learns about the surprising climate consequences of working from home. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

At COP26, Becky and Matt chat with Gavin Slater, Glasgow City Council's Head of Sustainability. Gavin outlines action being taken to reach net zero goals on heating, transport and technology, and how COP26 has energised the movement.

Becky joins the Moving for Climate NOW Bike Ride, cycling across Scotland and into Glasgow. Becky talks to the other cyclists about turning targets into action and making sure vulnerable people are included in the transition to Net Zero. She cycles past wind farms, along cycle paths and dashes white-knuckled through rush hour traffic to reach COP26 with the group's manifesto.

On his first visit to the COP26 Blue Zone, Matt narrowly misses Barack Obama, hears warnings that carbon offsetting is merely 'an accounting trick', and dips into a session about an initiative in India to help women tackle heat stress. He also compares notes with Fraser as the pair get set for the legendary Carbon Brief quiz. Find us at www.localzeropod.com

What does a just transition to net zero look like and how can it be delivered? Our #LocalZeroLive COP26 panel show, recorded with a capacity audience at Glasgow's Lighthouse, features:Richard Lochhead – Scottish Government Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair WorkProf. Jim Skea CBE - Centre for Environmental Policy Imperial College; Co-chair of Working Group III of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC); Chair of Scottish Government’s Just Transition CommissionMiriam Brett - Director of Research & Advocacy Common Wealth.Katie Gallogly Swan - Policy Coordinator UN Conference on Trade and Development and the Global Development Policy Center, Boston University.Scott Mathieson - Director of Network Planning and Regulation at Scottish Power Energy Networks.Alison Stuart - Co-founder and Director of Aberdeen Climate Action.With thanks to the Lighthouse, Scottish Government and Visit Scotland for hosting the event, and to Cameron Events for PA support.

Fraser Stewart reflects on sharing a stage with Greta Thunberg, Vanessa Nakate and indigenous peoples from around the world - after giving a climate justice speech at the Fridays For Future rally in Glasgow's George Square. "From Dundee to Dhaka, this is our fight". Fraser and Matt chair Local Zero Live, a panel discussion at Glasgow's Lighthouse from 4.45pm today. The event is sold out but you can stream it here: https://visitscotland.eventsair.com/scotlands-climate-ambition-zone/public-programme

COP26 day 6 saw thousands of young people marching through the streets of Glasgow - with Becky, Matt, and Matt's family all among them.

Becky hits the Green Zone and plays 'How Bad Are Bananas?' Matt is talking heat innovation and geoenergy at a showcase run jointly by the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise. Contributors:Prof Malcolm McCulloch, Oxford University Energy and Power GroupDr Mauricio Zaglio, Hank Torbet, Victor Aguilera and Andrew Bissell from East Lothian based East Lothian heat battery innovator SunampNicole Figueiredo de Oliviera from Brazilian climate change campaign group ArayaraDavid Townsend of TownRock EnergyJodie Evans from Future We Want

Matt's first foray into COP26 was into the Green Zone on Finance Day. This mini-episode gives a flavour of talks he attended, and the atmosphere around Glasgow. There's also a chat with Amanda Carpenter from the excellent www.theplanetpod.com

COP26 is here! We look ahead to a whirlwind two weeks, get excited, and sketch out plans. Sign up now if you want to be at Local Zero Live on Saturday 6th Nov, and make sure you subscribe to the podcast feed, as we switch to 'breaking-news' style ad-hoc content drops across the fortnight whenever we have them available. Follow us on twitter: @LocalZeroPod.

Leo Hickman of the Carbon Brief looks ahead to COP26. We also invite back a selection of guests from across Local Zero's first year, to hear their hopes and fears ahead of this historic climate summit getting underway in Glasgow.

Concern over energy prices has dominated headlines in recent weeks - but what does the energy 'crisis' mean for consumers, communities and the road to net zero? The team are joined by Clem Cowton from Octopus Energy, Dhara Vyas from Citizens Advice, and Dr Jeff Hardy, of Imperial College London.

What jobs, skills and training are needed to deliver smart zero-carbon home heating? How big is the skills-gap? (Spoiler: It's quite big). Matt and Becky are joined by Cardiff University's Dr Jo Patterson, and Adam Chapman, director of Heat Geek, while Fraser's been chatting about retrofitting and the just transition with Carbon Co-op co-founder Jonathan Atkinson. Tweet us @LocalZeroPod, or email [email protected] - we always love to hear from you.