John Sargent lecture: the UK's net zero journey - a marine perspective

Overview

Dating back more than 260 years, The Crown Estate is a unique business with a diverse portfolio of assets, which it manages to create lasting and shared prosperity for the nation.

The Crown Estate Act of 1961 established the organisation as an independent commercial business and over the last decade it has generated £3 billion for the benefit of the nation’s finances.

As the manager of the seabed, and half the foreshore, around England, Wales and Northern Ireland, it plays a key role in responding to the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss by enabling the UK’s offshore wind industry, and facilitating the development of sectors such as cables, pipelines, CO2 storage, and marine minerals. It works in partnership with its customers and stakeholders to help the country optimise the economic, environmental and social potential of the marine environment, supporting its long-term sustainable development.

As Managing Director of The Crown Estate’s marine business, Huub will outline the UK’s achievements to date in developing what is one of the world’s largest offshore wind markets. He will share his perspective on the journey that the UK is taking towards achieving its 2050 net zero target, and he will outline some of the existing and future challenges and opportunities that this journey presents, for policy and planning, technology and supply chain, habitat and environment.