Meet the Scientist – On a Sustainable Path to Net Zero
Join James Ferguson, EMEC Research & Development Engineer, to discuss testing marine renewable energy technologies and combatting the climate crisis on Monday, 10th May at 19:00 BST.
The event is hosted by the Scottish Seabird Centre.
The European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) was set up in 2003 in the Orkney Islands to provide a plug-and-play environment to test and further develop marine renewable energy technologies, particularly wave and tidal converters. In parallel, the world has awakened to the climate reality, culminating in the 2015 Paris Agreement where 197 governments committed to limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 ˚C. Since then, major economies, including the UK, have made legal commitments to achieve Net Zero carbon emissions. Today, Orkney produces over 100% of its electricity demand from renewable energy, is developing a hydrogen economy and was recently awarded £100M Islands Deal funding with Shetland and the Outer Hebrides, pursuing decarbonisation through projects such as the Islands Centre for Net Zero.
Reaching the net zero target will require social engagement, behavioural transformation, land use change, and critically, new technology deployment. New technology, however, also carries potential risks. Whilst renewable energy is inherently cleaner than fossil fuels, developers must consider environmental impacts of their devices. The Orkney Islands host a wide variety of flora and fauna, and EMEC has developed important expertise in environmental monitoring and consenting practices throughout its years of testing devices in marine energy environments.
This is a 1 hour online session, with a 45 minute presentation and Q&A.
A Zoom link for the event, full joining instructions and information will be provided via email the day before the event.
This event is FREE, but numbers are limited.
Please register to attend and please consider making a donation via the Scottish Seabird’s Centre Just Giving page to support their conservation and education work.
