This Industrial Decarbonisation for Northern Ireland (ID-NI) project is taking an innovative dual-approach to address carbon reduction in NI. While adopting best practice from other parts of GB and NI's industrial base, it will seek to explore how productivity improvements can also positively affect carbon reductions. ID-NI is very timely, as there is no standardised approach, in NI or the UK, designed specifically to help industry solve either their emissions or their productivity, yet the two are inextricably linked. How they are currently measured resonates more with economists and the financial sector, than industry.
Engagement is critical but thus far this has been largely overlooked. ID-NI will demonstrate a new way of looking at these issues and empower industry to respond to the challenge, by seeing it as an opportunity, not a penalty. ID-NI will provide the platform, tools, and metrics to enable NI industry to adopt this dual approach, using productivity to reduce emissions. This will benefit NI's citizens, the UK's levelling-up agenda and by 2030 accelerate NI's GHG reduction levels.
ID-NI will develop and demonstrate the relevant tools, enabling industry to benchmark their progress to decarbonisation, using a simplified approach aligned to the aims of the internationally recognised Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi) but without the cost.
Encouraging NI industry to lead, not follow, decarbonisation thinking, through ID-NI, will enhance the regions competitiveness, attract foreign investors, and enhance its reputation within the UK.