The pioneering work conducted by the Manufacturing Technologies Association (MTA) in its quest to encourage manufacturers to decarbonise their production processes has attracted the interest of national broadcaster, ITN.

The broadcaster will highlight the association’s work in a new series appropriately named Sustainable Solutions Towards Net Zero, which is being broadcast on the eve of the COP28 environmental summit.

In the programme, James Selka DL, CEO of the MTA, outlines the association’s goals for a more sustainable future for manufacturing and highlights some of the important work being done by MTA members.

The programme also highlights the MTA’s industry-leading report, Decarbonisation – Future Growth for Manufacturing, which asserts that if the UK was committed to adopting green manufacturing then between £8-£20 billion could be added to UK GDP, as well as up to one million new jobs created.

The interview was filmed at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) and features a specially-adapted Caterham sports car which has been kitted out with the latest zero emissions technology. The car is a testbed for the type of technology which could be available for mass produced vehicles in the future.

“We have to make UK manufacturing more competitive so that we can increase exports, re-establish the UK as a sovereign manufacturer and reduce our carbon footprint,” said Mr Selka

“To have attracted such a high-profile platform to promote our work is extremely gratifying and underlines how important this work is. The programme is timely, not just to coincide with COP28 but also the launch of our Energy Efficiency Knowledge Hub, which will be one of the key attractions at MACH 2024.”

The AMRC, one of the High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres, also appears in the programme, outlining the work it is conducting to help manufacturers become more sustainable. This work includes the development of a calculator which looks at converting power monitoring data to show manufacturers where they should concentrate their power consumption to improve their sustainability.

The MACH 2024 Knowledge Hubs will focus on educating manufacturers in when and how to adopt new technologies.

The hubs, which will have dedicated stands within the various exhibition zones, will each focus on a particular type of technology:

  • Automation and Robotics
  • Data and Artificial Intelligence
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • Tooling

In recognition of the importance being placed on these hubs, each is being managed by one of the specialist centres from the High Value Manufacturing Catapult, such as the AMRC and the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC).

The programme also features Institute of Directors’ Chief Economist, Kitty Ussher, discussing ways the UK government can advance sustainability in the business sector, and Adam Berman from Energy UK, who addresses the road ahead to Net Zero. A special news item with The Trust for Sustainable Living, a global education charity, shows how its work at the Living Rainforest Centre in Berkshire and in schools worldwide is bridging the sustainability learning gap, empowering future generations to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Sustainable Solutions Towards Net Zero is available to view on the ITN Business Hub and the New Scientist platform from Wednesday (29th November).

To view the programme, visit https://business.itn.co.uk/programmes/sustainable-solutions-towards-net-zero/ or www.newscientist.com/sponsored/ITNBusiness/sustainable-solutions-towards-net-zero