The State of UK Climate Tech

Welcome back to Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations for a special Good Friday edition focused on the ever-evolving landscape of climate tech in the UK and Europe, the impacts of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, and insights into the insurance and energy sectors amidst climate change. Host Richard Delevan delves into these topics with insights from industry experts and reporters.

Featured Guests:

• Ben Cooke, Earth Editor, The Times

• Freya Pratty, Climate Tech Reporter, Financial Times-backed Sifted.eu

• Neil McLoughlin, Startup Coalition

Segment Highlights:

1. Climate Tech in the UK and Europe: A discussion on the recent UK Climate Tech Index and the potential impact of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act on climate tech companies considering relocation for better subsidies and investor pressures. Insights from Ben Cooke on Parallel Carbon’s move to the US and Freya Pratty’s observations on the broader trends.

2. Direct Air Capture and the Inflation Reduction Act: Ben Cooke shares insights from his article on Parallel Carbon, a direct air capture company moving from Manchester to Jersey City, NJ, highlighting the lure of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act's subsidies.

3. The Impact of Energy Demand on Data Centers: Freya Pratty discusses her article on Oriole, which has just raised £10m and aims to dramatically reduce data center energy consumption using optical networks, shedding light on the significant energy demands of AI and data processing.

4. Sifted 100 Report: A look into the UK and Ireland's top 100 companies by revenue, showcasing fintech dominance and emerging climate tech ventures. Freya Pratty discusses the findings and the future of climate tech investment.

5. Climate Tech Index by Startup Coalition: Neil McLoughlin discusses the creation and purpose of their inaugural Climate Tech Index, its role in influencing policy, and the highlighted disparities and successes within the UK climate tech scene.

6. Insurance and Climate Change: Ben Cooke’s upcoming piece on the challenges and rising costs of flood insurance in the UK, reflecting on the broader implications of climate change on insurability and homeowner vulnerabilities.

7. Green Energy Tariffs and Corporate Practices: Freya Pratty teases an investigation into the transparency and impact of green electricity tariffs, aiming to demystify how companies label and benefit from "green" energy - and her hunt for climate tech founders who may have seller’s remorse for exiting to oil companies.

For more in-depth conversations on climate tech and to support our work, consider subscribing for an ad-free experience and access to exclusive content at wickedproblems.earth.

Credits:

• Host and Editor: Richard Delevan

• Production Assistance: Theodore Delevan

Wicked Problems - Climate Tech Conversations is a production of Wicked Problems Ltd. Thank you for tuning in, and don't forget to share and subscribe for more episodes on the forefront of the climate tech revolution.