Source: aicep Portugal global

The county has already established itself as the home of carbon reducing energy innovation. The low carbon energy sector generates £1.15bn a year, or 7% of economic output, making a significant contribution to Oxfordshire’s economy.

ThisEnergy Strategy, published in 2019, aims for zero carbon growth by 2050 and also reflects the UK government’s emphasis on innovation in the run-up to COP26 in November.

Today, in partnership with Oxfordshire Greentech, we have launched Energy Pathfinders: 2050 (EP:50), a competition to find the county’s leading projects. This will shine a light on a wide range of projects in the categories of Built Environment & Communities, Transport & Infrastructure, and Energy Efficiency & Demand Reduction. A further award will be made to a project which demonstrates exemplary standards of diversity and inclusion and embodies key aspects of the Energy Strategy.

EP:50 is backed by academic, local authority and business organisations. The judging panel is made up of experts from the University of Oxford, Oxford Brookes University, Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council, Cherwell District Council, the Science and Technology Facilities Council, Taylor Vinters, Pivot Power, and Flexible Funding.

EP:50 is open to all organisations with a relevant project in Oxfordshire, such as green energy generation, reducing usage or sustainable transport. Projects will be assessed for their impact, scope for scale-up and economic importance to the county. Credit will also be given to organisations demonstrating creation of wider social value, for instance through paying the living wage and offering apprenticeships. EP:50 will welcome and recognise projects in urban, rural and growth locations and particularly those representing diverse communities. It will also seek to recognise projects and organisations of differing sizes across start-ups, community groups, SMEs and corporates.

We will create an international showcase for the year’s top projects by highlighting them to the Department for International Trade and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, as well as to potential international investors and customers. Local schools will also be invited to explore the innovations.