We are working with a number of businesses and organisations to create resources and activities focusing on sustainability, environmental issues and the circular economy.
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We have two Sustainability Challenges at the moment, and we are currently developing a teaching resource pack which will be available soon.
Keep checking back for updates and take a look at the Challenges below...
Inspire Sustainability
Business Challenge with
Solve The Problem
Learn about the sustainability issues real businesses are facing and help them to find a solution
How Does it Work?
In an Apprentice style bid, students will be given a choice of several different challenges from which they will need to decide which one they would like to work on
Who Can Enter?
This Challenge is ideal for students from Secondary up to 6th Form. Available to all students across the East of England. You can enter as a team of not more than 6 students and can be supported by a teacher or other responsible adult
MiBIN Recycling Challenge
Rubbish is a huge problem for our environment. Every week we dispose of around 3kg of rubbish, per person! The more we waste, the more natural resources we use and the more we increase pollution across our world.
Did you know that about 10% of the world's plastic ends up in the ocean? Over 1 million seabirds and 100,000 marine mammals die every year from trying to eat these plastics which they mistake for food.
How Can Recycling Help?
Recycling decreases the use of resources, reduces pollution, and reduces the amount of rubbish ending up in our oceans and in landfill sites. We need people to REDUCE, REUSE, REPAIR and RECYCLE
The Challenge
MiBIN Ltd have created a new compartmentalised wheelie bin to try and overcome the problem of multiple bins in households. Have you got a better idea?
We want you to design a new wheelie bin or other method of waste collection
The Rules
Your product MUST be made from sustainable materials. You can use bright colours but the materials you use must be readily available and not too expensive. You MUST have a Unique Selling Point. What does your product do that others don't? Finally, your product must be easy to use and store
How to Enter
We have created an entry pack where you can design your product, create a business name and logo and put all of your ideas together. All entries will be judged by Bob O Connell - the Managing Director of MiBIN Ltd. As long as you can see this article you can still send an entry for submission
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10 STEPS TO NET ZERO CARBON IN THE UK
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Critical source of renewable energy.
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By 2030, the UK will have quadrupled its offshore wind capacity, producing 40GW of offshore wind in the windiest parts of our seas.
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New jobs and growth for ports and coastal areas.
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The UK is home to the world's first two floating offshore windfarms.
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One blade turn of a wind turbine generates enough electricity to power a house for over 24 hours.
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£160 million being spent to modernise ports and manufacturing.
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The Energy White Paper will focus on smart systems which connect offshore wind to our homes.
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60,000 new jobs expected by 2030
OFFSHORE
WIND
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Hydrogen is the lightest, simplest, most abundant chemical in the universe, and can provide clean fuel for transport and industry as well as clean fuel for our homes.
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Trials are being planned for hydrogen heating, hydrogen neighbourhoods, and even hydrogen towns by 2025.
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8000 new jobs to be created.
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Electric heat pump market to expand, providing low carbon heating options.
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Industrial 'Superplaces' to be created - hubs where renewable energy, carbon capture, utilisation and storage units and hydrogen come together.
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ITM Power in Sheffield are manufacturing proton exchange member electrolysers - generating hydrogen from water.
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LOW CARBON
HYDROGEN
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Nuclear power is a reliable source of low carbon electricity.
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The UK is investing in Small Modular Reactors and Advanced Modular Reactors, employing around 60000 people.
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£385 million will be spent to develop smaller-scale, domestic power plants.
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Advanced Modular Reactors operate at over 800 degrees centigrade. The high grade heat produces hydrogen and synthetic fuels.
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Each GW of nuclear power generated is enough to power 2 million homes with clean electricity.
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Hinkley Point C in Somerset will create 25000 jobs during construction and will be operational for 60 years with a staff team of 900.
NEW/ADVANCED
NUCLEAR POWER
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Sales of petrol and diesel cars and vans will end from 2030.
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The Nissan Leaf was the 3rd highest selling electric vehicle in Europe in 2019.
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There are over 100 models of electric vehicles on the market right now.
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Cars and vans make up nearly one fifth of ALL emissions.
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Gigafactories are being built to produce vehicle batteries.
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Rapid charge points will be installed on motorways and major roads, with on-street charging points near homes and workplaces.
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Freight trials are happening now to test hydrogen and zero emission lorries.
ZERO EMISSION
VEHICLES
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Cycle lanes are being created in all towns and cities, as well as electrified railway lines and integrated bus and train networks.
- 'Superbus' networks being developed.
- Plans are being made for two 'All Electric Bus Towns' and the first fully zero emission city centre.
- Smart ticketing and more on-demand rural services.
- National programme of support to encourage people to buy electric bikes.
- By 2025 we will have over 1000 miles of cycling and walking networks, and every school child and adult will be offered voluntary cycle training.
GREEN
TRANSPORT
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Sustainable aviation fuels and the development of zero emission aircraft will see greener fuels blended into kerosene.
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In September 2020 the first commercial aircraft powered by a hydrogen fuel cell took off in Cranfield.
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Airport upgrades to handle battery and hydrogen aircraft.
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Clean Maritime Demonstration Programme is developing clean maritime technology.
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Hydrogen ferry trials are planned for Orkney.
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Teesside will be the home of a hydrogen refuelling plant.
- Jet Zero Council
JET ZERO AND
GREEN SHIPS
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The UK will be moving away from fossil fuel boilers over the next 15 years towards hydrogen heating and electrified heating systems.
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The energy efficiency standards of household products and appliances will be improved so that they use less energy and materials.
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Zero Carbon Ready homes will lower carbon dioxide emissions by 75-80%
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1.5 million homes will see increased efficiency standards by 2030.
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All new homes will have to reach the 'Future Home Standard', showing high levels of energy efficiency and having low carbon heating installations.
GREENER
BUILDINGS
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By capturing the carbon we emit, we can save the equivalent of 4 million cars worth of annual emissions.
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Carbon capture and storage units will be established in 'SuperPlaces' in the North East, Humberside, North West, Scotland and Wales. CCUs capture carbon dioxide and store it deep underground where it can't enter the atmosphere.
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The North Sea is being used to store captured carbon under the seabed.
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Tata Chemicals Europe is constructing the UK's first CCU demo plant in Northwich to manufacture high purity sodium bicarbonate.
CARBON CAPTURE,
USAGE AND STORAGE
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Safeguarding landscapes, restoring wildlife habitats and biodiversity.
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New National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
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Creating green jobs working on nature conservation and restoration projects.
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Restoring natural ecosystems and restoring wilder landscapes.
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Tree planting and parkland restoration.
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Productivity grants for farmers to invest in modern technology.
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Flood and coastal defences.
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10 new Landscape Recovery projects - the equivalent of 30000 football pitches of wildlife rich habitat.
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2000 flood schemes protecting over 336000 homes.
NATURAL
ENVIRONMENT
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Greenhouse gas removal including direct air capture.
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Energy storage.
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Fusion energy technology.
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Building the world's first commercially viable fusion power plant by 2040.
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Transport innovation.
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Trials of zero emission HGVs.
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Financing sustainable projects, infrastructure and green jobs.
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Green Jobs Taskforce identifying the support needed for people in transitioning industries.
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Green Finance Institute.
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Green Finance Education Charter.