Transition Talks

In the latest episode of our Transition Talks podcast, we are joined by Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland and Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, to discuss the findings of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s report on the role of local government and its partners in financing and delivering a net-zero Scotland. 

Liam delves into the main barriers hindering local net zero delivery progress and points out effective solutions. He emphasises the need for best practices and knowledge sharing across local authorities and the imperative for cross-party collaboration in addressing the climate emergency.

This episode of TransitionTalks features Marc Fontaine, founder and CEO of InDHu, and Stephen Ashley, former Head of Offshore Energy 4.0 at NZTC. Together we discuss the Offshore Energy Digital Architecture (OEDA) project, which will enable controlled sharing and analysis of data across the offshore energy sector. 
  
 As a Chief Digital Officer at Airbus, Marc was responsible for the company’s digital transformation. He created and implemented Skywise, the first and most advanced to date industrial data sharing platform bringing together 140 aerospace companies. Marc shares with us his wealth of experience and lessons learned while leading digital transformation in the aviation industry. We also explore the coming impact of artificial intelligence tools in the industry. 

In our latest TransitionTalks podcast episode, we’re joined by Shiladitya Ghosh, PhD, Co-founder of Mission Zero Technologies, a start-up which graduated from the TechX Clean Energy Accelerator.  Driving the fight against climate change, the company is developing innovative direct air capture (DAC) technology.
 
Shil takes us through his start-up journey and shares his experiences and insights on what it takes to develop a game-changing technology. We dive into the potential impact of DAC technology, exploring its current stage of development, energy requirements, and challenges for scaling up.

In this episode we are joined by Elva Bannon, Research and Engineering Manager at Wave Energy Scotland, to discuss the potential of harnessing the power of waves to generate energy. We will hear about the current state of technology development and explore the key challenges faced by the industry. 

In this episode of Transition Talks, Andy Samuel PhD CBE reflects on his eight-year tenure as the North Sea Transition Authority’s Chief Executive. 
 
Tune in as we discuss how the energy landscape has changed in recent years, the regulator’s evolving role in the energy transition, and the vision for an integrated energy basin that could make a significant contribution toward the net zero targets through a mix of emissions-reducing technologies. 

In this episode, we talk to Professor John Underhill, Interdisciplinary Director for Energy Transition at the University of Aberdeen (UoA), about how universities’ expertise and resources can help industry and policymakers take informed decisions concerning our energy future. John shares his aspirations for the UoA’s Centre for Energy Transition and discusses how higher education institutions and research organisations can help maximise the benefits of the energy transition for the community and the region. 

In this episode, we are joined by Chris Stark, CEO of the UK Climate Change Committee (CCC), to talk about what the CCC is doing to support the UK Government in taking informed decisions on the actions required to deliver net zero. We discuss the need to tackle the demand side of the energy equation, the oil and gas industry’s response to climate change, and how the political debate on energy matters could be improved. We also take a look at the risk of compromising climate ambitions in the face of energy security concerns. 

In this episode, Graeme Rogerson from NZTC, Kenneth Cunningham from Sealand Projects and Mungo McLeish from Neptune Energy sat down to discuss the four potential pathways to electrification from offshore wind identified within the ‘Southern North Sea – Oil & Gas Asset Electrification Study’ and the technological and commercial challenges facing the industry to make electrification a viable alternative to traditional offshore power generation.

In this episode, we talk to Michael Shank, Ph.D., Director of Engagement for the Carbon Neutral Cities Alliance, looking at ways of engaging the communities in adopting local climate initiatives. We explore actions cities can take to mitigate emissions and discuss the importance of international collaboration and knowledge exchange in achieving global goals.

In this episode,  we are joined by Myrtle Dawes, NZTC Solution Centre Director, to discuss a system thinking approach to tackle sustainability challenges. It is widely recognised that the energy industry must take the lead in reducing emissions, but what role do individuals have to play in facilitating sustainability transition? 
 
Could wireless energy transfer be an answer to emerging infrastructure needs? And what are the prospects of achieving net zero by 2050? 
 
 Listen as we discuss these questions and more!