The pivotal role technology can play in saving the planet - Helen Morgan

The progressive discussions that took place about the future of the city’s digital and technology sector shone a light on the thriving tech scene we have here in Yorkshire.

It also served to showcase what a pivotal role technology plays in tackling some of the biggest issues our planet is facing, particularly when it comes to fighting the global climate crisis.

As governments, councils, businesses and individuals question what the society of tomorrow looks like, I believe that in our cities, like Leeds, lies the answer to how we can build solutions for a sustainable future.

Cities across the world are the frontline for limiting global warming to well below 2°C, as more than half of the global population lives in them. In the UK, 45 per cent of CO2 emissions are driven by cities and when we look at cities globally, they consume more than 78 per cent of the world’s primary energy and generate 70 per cent of the total carbon emissions.

Leeds City Council recognised this issue back in 2019 when it declared a climate emergency. The Council has since committed to making Leeds carbon neutral by 2030.

As part of Leeds Digital Festival, Accenture ran an interactive Net Zero City Sprint (NZCS) workshop to look at ways in which public and private sector organisations can work together to aid our transition to a Net Zero future.

The NZCS workshops were born out of the Net Zero Carbon Cities (NZCC) program, which we created in partnership with the World Economic Forum. It is a cross-sectoral initiative with the goal of creating an enabling environment for clean electrification and circularity, resulting in urban decarbonisation and resilience.

At the NZCS workshop, we were delighted to welcome Polly Cook, Chief Officer, Sustainable Energy and Air Quality at Leeds City Council. Polly outlined the Council’s plans and aims in this area before a discussion amongst attendees produced a number of issues they felt that Leeds is facing in its climate crisis. Possible solutions were then voiced and collaboratively built upon by attendees, highlighting the collective enthusiasm for change we are seeing in Leeds.

Improving the low levels of grid digitalisation in the city and taking advantage of a number of untapped solar generating opportunities were cited as a means of significantly lowering the emission levels in the city. Improvement of air quality and health, while also stimulating jobs creation and economic impact, were also referenced as top priorities amongst our community here in Leeds.

It is clear that in Leeds there is a collective enthusiasm and passion for making change that will benefit us all. Leeds is a city filled with passionate Net Zero champions and working together is the key to our success.

The way we think about impact is also changing and as the world awakens to the urgent need for responsible, sustainable growth, new ideas and new ways of thinking are absolutely vital. It has never been more important to combine human ingenuity and the power of technology. By doing so, we can create solutions that drive lasting positive change.

But the time is now. We must execute change that accelerates decarbonisation opportunities across our cities by using mechanisms like the NZCS workshops.

To deliver these solutions to completion, we need to consider how we create the conditions for a more agile, reusable and accessible means for delivering decarbonisation projects in our local regions. This means forming public-private relationships to galvanise legislation, investment and resource to enable projects to be set up quickly and effectively.

As Accenture’s Yorkshire lead, I am thrilled to be driving our growth in the region and I am proud to be working for an organisation that is truly at the forefront of sustainability and Net Zero. The work of our partners in supporting the transition to a zero-carbon future, balancing environmental, social and economic outcomes, is inspiring and leaves me with the belief that together we can build a brighter tomorrow that protects the future of the younger generations.

I feel positive and excited about what we can achieve through our Leeds NZCS next year.

To learn more about our Net Zero City Sprint, visit www.accenture.com.

Helen Morgan, Leeds City Region Lead for Accenture.