Energy

The Stern report, published in 2006, predicted that the cost of delaying action on climate change could be as much as 20 per cent of the world’s GDP. Since then, there has been a market shift in the opinions on the issues of energy and environmental technologies. The NWDA aims to facilitate sustainable economic growth in the Northwest to protect the environment and seek the answers to energy issues that will be at the forefront of future government policies.

Not only a vital factor for business continuity and everyday life, the energy and environment sector makes an important contribution to the Northwest’s economy, contributing AUD13 billion, and employing over 50,000 people. With approximately 3,000 companies within the supply-chain, England’s Northwest has world-class skills in a range of key energy technologies.

Nuclear power generation is one of the region’s strengths, employing over 25,000 people – about half the total employment of the UK’s nuclear sector. All the aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle (enrichment, fabrication and reprocessing) are carried out in the region, alongside the UK’s most comprehensive research capability.

The Northwest Energy Council has been established by NoE to promote and develop the region’s energy region. The council will consist of high-level private and public sector representatives bringing a wealth of expertise from their field.

The Northwest is also home to the Joule Centre for Energy Research, which is based at the University of Manchester. Launched in 2006, this project is the region’s first centre for the development of sustainable energy technologies including low-carbon technologies for the home and industry such as wave, tidal and micro-hydro technology.

Environmental Technologies

The Northwest region has an estimated 1,500 companies working in the environmental technologies and services sector, employing over 53,000 people and producing over AUD$7 billion. The Energy Innovation Centre at Capenhurst helps start-up businesses to develop new ideas into commercially viable projects.

The resources available to environment businesses residing in the Northwest region are second to none. Envirolink Northwest is the representative body established to lead the environmental technologies cluster in the region by improving the skills base and encouraging innovation through the sector.

Lancaster University’s Environment Centre is the UK’s main integrated research, teaching and knowledge facility for environmental science.

Also unique to the Northwest region is the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Minimisation Programme (BREW), developed by the Department for Food and Rural Affairs to use landfill taxes to help businesses improve their resource efficiency and waste management practices.