Exciting Times for a Sustainable North East Economy

Recently the North East has been an exciting place to be. The transition years, from the once flourishing traditional industrial base of shipbuilding and mining, seems to be coming to an end, and is being replaced with shiny new technology-based industries.

Shiny and new they are too. When ships were regularly being launched on the Tyne, Wear and Tees, electric cars were science fiction and carbon capture wasn’t even …. ‘a thing!’

Now the North East is at the crest of a global wave in developing and delivering the technologies that will turbo charge pride in the region. To name but a few; several offshore windfarm projects are underway in the North Sea significantly increasing our national renewable energy contribution. Bioenergy and Carbon Capture plants are being designed and built moving us closer to our net zero aspirations and a giant battery plant is being created to furnish the plug-in car revolution and much more beyond. 

Projects such as these catch the headlines but it is the consequential business that this mega investment brings that will really affect local people’s lives. The supply chain opportunities are immense and shared commitment to source locally where possible is inspiring. From civil engineers to consultancies - all will benefit, and all have a common socially motivated goal. How so?

Years ago, Corporate Social Governance (CSR) was a seldom used standard aimed at driving an organisations social/community engagement alongside its profit. CSR has now given ground to a new acronym; ESG. ESG is Environmental, Social and Governance and it include all matters green. Environmental needs are now entwined with the success of the organisation and far from being a cost to doing business – it often is the business. This coming together of separate parts of the jigsaw is beautiful to watch and the passion that North East companies are seizing the opportunity is impressive.

There is a caveat, greenwashing. This is when organisations make unfounded environmental claims for marketing advantage, and it has been too commonplace. As expected, greenwashing undermines the cause and belittles those involved but more importantly it’s becoming redundant. Sustainable actions resonate, sustainable talk sounds hollow.

Organisations, employers, employees, investors and local people all want to see the socially guided, environmentally sustainable and profitable industrial growth that is now within grasp – beautiful indeed.