As the Chair of Cheshire & Warrington LEP and Acting Chair of NP11, Clare Hayward brings over 30 years of global leadership experience to the table, nurturing sustainability, and inclusive growth. Her expertise lies in navigating organisations towards creating a positive impact on the world.

In her current roles, Clare is dedicated to steering Cheshire and Warrington towards becoming the healthiest, most sustainable, inclusive, and growing region in the UK. This commitment drives a strategic focus on decarbonising the industrial cluster, presenting a monumental opportunity not just for the region but for the entire North West.

Exciting Developments in the Region

Collaborating with partners like HyNet, which has invested significantly in engineering design work for this initiative, Clare emphasises the region's potential to lead as the UK's first decarbonised industrial cluster: “Decarbonising Cheshire and Warrington is a huge opportunity, not just for our specific cluster, but for the entire North West."

Through ambitious projects identified by UKRI, involving hydrogen, carbon capture, nuclear, and renewables, over £30 billion of investment is earmarked to achieve net zero.

The Cheshire and Warrington Sustainable and Inclusive Growth Commission was set up by the Subregional Leaders’ Board in 2020, with a view to build on progress and help realise Cheshire & Warrington’s ambition of becoming the most sustainable and inclusive subregion in the UK. After much research and engagement, a final report is available with a set of recommendations, including initiatives such as the decarbonisation of dairy, full decarbonisation of transport by 2035, and building the UK’s first net zero industrial cluster around the area’s large hydrogen and net zero projects, amongst many more.

Clare also highlights the relaunch of the Cheshire Science Corridor, facilitating the faster emergence of innovative technologies. Additionally, she champions collaboration across the North, uniting industrial clusters and investment zones to harness collective potential.

Green Skills

A key challenge is debunking the myth that 'green skills' are limited to technical roles. Clare told us: "Green skills don’t mean you have to be an engineer in green technology. You could be anything!"

She advocates that every skill, from PR to project management, contributes to the green agenda, aiming to inspire and engage a diverse group, especially young individuals, towards these opportunities.

Obstacles

However, Clare identifies policy coherence and pace as obstacles hindering rapid progress, "We need to partner with the government closely and help the cross-department piece for faster policy implementation."

Urging government partnership for policy clarity and funding certainty, she emphasises that action is needed today to leverage existing technologies and drive sustainable change:

“The North West's uniqueness in geography, assets like nuclear, hydrogen, tidal, and a committed vision for hydrogen delivery, alongside integrated strategies, positions it for success. With the right governmental support, the North West aims to excel in delivering net zero, leveraging its business drive and investor interest.”

Milestones achieved since the formation of the cluster group, especially the establishment of NZNW, showcase the region's cohesive response and HyNet's track 1 funding in October 2021. Clare stresses the importance of maintaining momentum and removing obstacles to sustain progress.