Humber Industry Summit Highlights Urgency for Action on Net Zero and Industrial Competitiveness

The opening session of the Humber Industry Summit on June 11 set a powerful tone as regional leaders, government advisors, and industrial heavyweights came together to confront the harsh realities of industrial decarbonisation and economic resilience. As Jonathan Oxley of the CBI and Humber Energy Board put it, “We are just as well known in Wyoming as we are in Whitehall — and that needs to change.”

Oxley highlighted the strategic importance of the Humber, home to the UK's largest power station and key industrial assets, including the world’s largest offshore wind farm. Yet, he warned, national recognition and investment continue to lag behind.

Michael Lord from the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC) presented stark projections. “Industrial emissions must fall by 80% by 2040 to stay on track for net zero,” he said, cautioning that recent declines in emissions have largely come from a shrinking industrial base — “not a success story.”

Lord called for urgent policy reform: “We need to make industrial electricity cheaper relative to gas and competitors. UK firms pay some of the highest electricity prices in Europe.” He also advocated for new business models to support electrification, pointing out, “It’s an anomaly that we have support mechanisms for hydrogen and CCS, but not for electrification.”

Arjan Geveke, Director of the Energy Intensive Users Group, painted a grim picture of industrial output. “The decline in energy-intensive industries isn’t temporary — it’s structural,” he warned. “We’ve lost entire sectors, from ceramics to fertilisers. And unless electricity prices come down and policy uncertainty is addressed, more closures are coming.”

Jenny Sutcliffe of Phillips 66, which operates the Humber Refinery, echoed the urgency. “We are the UK’s only large-scale producer of sustainable aviation fuel — yet we pay tens of millions in carbon costs annually,” she said. “This isn’t sustainable without protection from international competition.”

Sutcliffe called for the UK government to implement a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to level the playing field with global competitors. “The threat of carbon leakage is real. If we can’t compete, we’ll shut down, and those emissions will just be offshored.”

Harry Baross, representing local government efforts, emphasised public-private cooperation: “Local and regional authorities have a role to play — from coordinating energy planning to securing investment from the National Wealth Fund and Great British Energy.”

Asked why so many of the needed reforms haven’t materialised, Geveke didn’t mince words. “Treasury is simply unwilling to put up the finances required for net zero. They keep offloading costs onto levies, which drive up electricity prices and kill competitiveness.”

Michael Lord added, “There’s a view in Treasury that we can afford to lose industrial production — that finance or services will fill the gap. But we need to make the case for foundational industries more clearly. It's about resilience, jobs, and national security.”

With the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review being announced on the same day, many in the room waited anxiously to see whether their concerns would be reflected in policy.

Jonathan Oxley summarised the stakes best: “Net zero isn’t just about climate — it’s about whether we want a thriving industrial future in the UK or not. And right now, that future is very much in question.”