NatWest collaborates with Supply Chain Sustainability School to boost UK construction sector
N atWest are joining forces with the Supply Chain Sustainability School to become their first partner within the finance sector , with a shared ambition of addressing climate change through building the skills the construction industry needs to retrofit the UK ’ s existing housing stock and nonresidential buildings .
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Supply Chain Sustainability School ’ s retrofit programme , sponsored by NatWest Group , was unveiled through a virtual conference that took place in November 2023 . Introducing CPD-accredited virtual training encompassing e-learning modules , online assessments , conferences , workshops and webinars running until Autumn 2024 . These valuable resources will be freely accessible to professionals in the built environment , including NatWest Group ’ s clients and School members .
James Close , Head of Climate , NatWest Group , said : “ As one of the largest lenders in the UK , we have a key role to play in supporting consumers and businesses in transitioning to more energy efficient homes and buildings that are warmer , cheaper to heat and generate lower emissions .”
The first five Australian ClimateTech startups to receive Climate 10x Accelerator support are announced
A ustralian climate tech VC , Virescent Ventures , and the University of New South Wales have revealed the first cohort of five climate tech startups in their Climate 10x Accelerator , as well as AU $ 580,000 of total funding .
The Climate 10x Accelerator was established as part of the $ 280 million Trailblazer for Recycling and Clean Energy ( TraCE ) collaboration between the Commonwealth Government , industry , UNSW and the University of Newcastle .
It supports early-stage climate tech startups whose innovations significantly impact emissions reductions or improve the resilience and adaptability of existing infrastructure , to allow for a faster transition to renewable energy :
1 . SoNiA Green Tech has discovered a novel way to manufacture polymermodified bitumen to significantly reduce energy usage and incorporate waste plastic
2 . WorkbenchX links companies with manufacturing capability to those without , bringing down the cost of production for startups and manufacturers and enabling sovereign manufacturing .
3 . DeCarice uses specialised hardware to decarbonise existing diesel engines to run on up to 90 % hydrogen , enabling a 70 %+ reduction in carbon dioxide output
4 . Powour tracks , promotes , and incentivises active transportation activities , reducing environmental impact and improving public health
5 . Green Dynamics uses AI to automate advanced materials research , speeding up research and production cycles
Blair Pritchard , Partner of Virescent Ventures , said : “ Climate change is the challenge and opportunity of our generation . We need to find , fund and champion a diverse range of solutions to meet the scale and urgency of the problem . The transition to net zero emissions impacts every part of the economy . As a result , the investment opportunity is huge .”
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