Multinational beverage company Diageo hosted the networking event at its headquarters near Oxford Circus, with around 50 Fellows gathering for the first time this year to share insights from across the sustainability profession.
The company’s global head of transformational partnerships, Andy Griffiths, welcomed the guests and highlighted how, despite significant geopolitical challenges, there remains a strong appetite among businesses to become sustainable, and said the event was a “real opportunity to explore, as Fellows, how we can catalyse that change.”
Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO of ISEP – soon to be renamed the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental Professionals (ISEP) – then gave on update on the appointment of Dr Shamir Ghumra as the new Chair of the Board, before introducing Trevor Hutchings, CEO of the Association For Renewable Energy and Clean Technology, for a keynote speech.
He highlighted the huge success the UK has had decarbonising while growing the economy since the 90s, and continued public support for the clean energy transition. However, among politicians, he said the “consensus on net zero is broken” and warned that the issue could become the “next Brexit referendum”.
“Public opinion on the clean energy transition is holding up pretty well, but we are talking about a populist, political debate that opposition parties have latched onto, and of course Donald Trump has added fuel to that fire,” he continued.
“We have to win the evidence argument on why this is a good thing. Economic arguments are irresistible now, when you talk to businesses it just makes economic sense. The energy security argument is also compelling, particularly with the geopolitical situation.
“We have got our people, our knowledge, our expertise, and if we harness that in the right way, we can influence and impact political decision-making, corporate decision-making, and public opinion.”
Hutchings went on to say that the “net-zero dividend” from cheap renewables is not finding its way through to bill payers because the UK’s energy market is dominated by gas prices.
“Gas is setting the price of our electricity for over 90% of the time, but if you look to other countries, that percentage is way lower than it is in the UK,” he explained.
“The underlying solution is to get more renewables onto the system, because the more you have on the system, the less we'll be relying on gas to make up the balance in demand, and so that's why we've got to just plow on with this.”
The discussion continued during a Q&A session, before Diana Lock, Chair of ISEP's Fellows Network Steering Group, gave an update on the group’s latest achievements, and its ambitions for the years ahead.
Fellows then took part in one-to-one ‘speed networking’ chats to discuss and share insights from across the sustainability profession, followed by informal talks as the event drew to a close.
For more information on how to join ISEP’s highest membership grade and become a Fellow, contact relationships and networking manager Eleanor Morris on e.morris@iema.net.
Chris Seekings is the Deputy Editor of ISEP’s Transform magazine, which is published biomonthly for ISEP members. Chris’s role involves writing sustainability-related news, features and interviews, as well as helping to plan and manage the magazine’s other day-to-day activities.
