Utility Week

8 | NOVEMBER 2021 | UTILITY WEEK Countdown to COP Analysis Will COP26 deliver? Ahead of the launch of the UN climate conference on 31 October, Utility Week gauges the hopes and fears of senior sector leaders. What do you want hear from COP26? "COP26 will be a major moment for the UK in terms of climate diplomacy and a significant milestone for other interna- tional players – in particular, for the new US administration. If we are to tackle the climate crisis, many believe it will be the world's last best chance to get climate change under control. "It's crucial that a global commitment to net zero by mid-century is agreed, to keep that target within reach. We also need to agree a timeline to phase out the use of coal in power generation, as well as mobilising investment in vital climate-saving green technologies." Will Gardiner, CEO, Drax Group "I'd really like to see global rec- ognition of the size of the issue and a real will from global leaders to get to net zero. There is still too much playing around with the numbers at the moment, but COP26 has the potential to be a tipping point for global policy." Liz Barber, CEO, Yorkshire Water What should the legacy of COP26 be? "COP26 needs to be remembered as the beginning of a renewed focus on action, not somewhere ambitions were discussed. This could be the conference where we share the learning from sectors like water – what we have achieved and what we have laid out in our 2030 Routemap – to demon- strate the art of the possible. It's challenging but we can do this, if we start taking those actions now." Heidi Mottram, CEO, Northumbrian Water "COP26 should be the inflec- tion point, when we look back from 2050, we should see the impact COP26 made. It should be the UK's opportunity to clarify our policies, enabling the private sector to mobilise behind this com- mon pathway." Suleman Alli, director of customer service, strategy, regulation and information services "If Paris 2015 was the year nations finally gained consen- sus to reduce global warming to 2 degrees, Glasgow 2021 must be the year we agree on the tangible actions nations must take to stick to our 2 degree goal. COP26 should be the turning point in the cli- mate crisis which the world has been waiting for. The public is aware that world leaders oŽen pledge impressive green targets, and tease new environmental legislation, how- ever these rarely come to fruition in the way we'd hope. COP26 must be the time to act." Dr Rebecca Heaton, director of sustainability at Ovo Energy Has the UK done enough this year to position itself as a world leader on climate change? "We're among the leaders, but we should not think that there is enough competition for leadership positions among larger emitters. The bar is low at the moment." Colin Skellett, CEO, Wessex Water "The UK can't position itself as a world leader in nine months, this takes years of effort and it isn't a PR stunt. The UK has succeeded in some areas and can consider itself a world leader in the decarbonisation of elec- tricity generation and the development of flexible energy networks. But, we are behind in other areas such as the decarbonisation of heat, efficient building standards and elec- tric vehicle rollout." Peter Emery, CEO, Electricity North West

• Cover