Hosted by º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ and sponsored by the State Committee on Work with Diaspora of the Republic of Azerbaijan and TriboDENS, the seminar brought together industry leaders, academic experts and government representatives to discuss effective strategies to advance Net Zero targets. 
Held ahead of the 2024 UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) where global leaders will address urgent climate challenges, the event - which took place on Wednesday 4 September - also welcomed representatives from Azerbaijan, the host country of COP29.
Guest speakers included Gunel Salimova, Ambassador’s Counsellor of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the United Kingdom, Professor Upul Wijayantha, Interim Director of Energy and Sustainability and Head of the Centre for Renewable and Low Carbon Energy at Cranfield University, and Amer Gaffar, Director of the Manchester Fuel Cell Innovation Centre.
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ academics involved in research as part of the University’s Climate Change and Net Zero strategic theme also took part, including Dr Mahdi Mohammad-Pour, Dr Nick Morris, Dr Kathryn North and Professor Tom Slatter.
Speakers and attendees explored a wide range of topics including the Net Zero supply chain and the incorporation of advanced engineering to achieve Net Zero targets.
Dr Kathryn North, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Associate Pro Vice-Chancellor for Climate Change and Net Zero, also spoke about the potential of hydrogen to enhance energy security and accelerate the transition to Net Zero.
º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ is already working with global, national and local partners in research, industry and policy to accelerate the production of hydrogen. The University is home to one of Europe's largest green hydrogen research groups and boasts a high concentration of internationally respected centres engaged in Net Zero research and innovation.
Professor Dan Parsons, º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation, said: “We were delighted to welcome representatives from Azerbaijan as host nation of COP29, as well as academic experts and industry leaders, to campus last week.
"At º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, we're proud to be leading the way in sustainable energy research, and we're fully committed to advancing affordable and clean energy solutions on a global scale. I was particularly pleased to share progress we have made in our green hydrogen, climate compatible growth and clean cooking programmes led by colleagues here at the University.
"This event highlighted the importance of international collaboration in driving innovation and provided a timely opportunity to share insights and to collectively explore and discuss solutions to accelerate Net Zero progress ahead of COP29.”