Innovation from our region plays a key role in the global shift to a zero carbon economy, shaping a greener future.
In the West of England, we’re already leading the way; carbon emissions have reduced by 17% less per person since 2019. Bristol & Bath is a hub of both the UK’s ‘nuclear renaissance’ and disruptive and zero carbon energy generation and supply.
With our strong capabilities in R&D across the aerospace and advanced engineering, digital and tech, coupled with our dynamic and collaborative ecosystems, our region is ready to lead the global transition to clean energy. And we're already being recognised for our expertise - Bristol was named European Green Capital in 2015 and the UK’s greenest city in 2019.
Our thriving Clean Tech & Energy sector is made up of 25,000 enterprises, with our zero carbon sector alone employing nearly 6,000 people. We're home to companies like Ovo Energy and Ecotricity. In addition, over a quarter of the UK’s major environmental research organisations have bases in the South West and South East Wales.
IAAPS will ultimately change the future of automotive travel through the combination of academic rigour with a commercial focus to accelerate the development of ultra-low emission vehicle technologies. Innovations developed here will fundamentally influence the future of industry, not just for the benefit of our residents but across the UK and beyond. IAAPS works with industry, inventors, researchers and academics to deliver rapid R&I that will accelerate the transition from zero carbon to zero carbon vehicles.
The region contains exemplar waste-to-energy and biomass projects from GENeco, Viridor and Suez Environnement’s Severnside plant, alongside investment in biogas and electric buses and infrastructure. First Group will have half its fleet as zero emission or carbon by 2020, the largest concentration of zero carbon buses Euro VI in the UK.
A combination of nuclear new build, nuclear generation, nuclear decommissioning, defence and academic research makes the South West the focal point of the rebirth of nuclear capability in the UK.
Hinkley Point C (HPC) nuclear power station is the first new nuclear power station in the UK for a generation.
The two new reactors at HPC mark the beginning of a significant programme of investment in nuclear power across the UK.
In the West of England this includes: