27/10/2021

Media invitation - RenewableUK unveils programme of events at COP26 Energy Transition Hub - Glasgow

27 October 2021 - RenewableUK press release



  • 25 events streaming live from our Energy Transition Hub in Glasgow during COP26

  • Our CEO Dan McGrail and Deputy CEO Melanie Onn available for interview in Glasgow


RenewableUK is holding a series of events in Glasgow during COP26 next month to highlight the policies and technologies the UK needs to reach net zero as fast as possible and to showcase our achievements in decarbonisation so far to the rest of the world.


We will be streaming over 25 live debates, speeches and presentations live from our COP26 Energy Transition Hub in Glasgow from Monday 1st to Friday 12thNovember, working with our member companies and our partners Energy UK and other trade associations.


The themes to be covered include offshore wind deployment beyond 2030, the expansion of floating wind and ramping up onshore wind, solar, marine and renewable hydrogen as well as the role of nuclear power on our low-carbon energy system. We will also examine upgrading the grid to offer greater flexibility, smart metering and progress on decarbonising the heating sector. 


Other topics will include growing our UK-based renewable energy supply chain, ensuring that Contracts for Difference continue to deliver new capacity at the lowest cost to consumers, upskilling the workforce we need to deliver net zero by attracting as wide a range of people as possible from diverse backgrounds, maintaining a high level of sustainability in the way we build projects, and examining how the UK has maintained a high level of public and political support for the transition to renewable energy.


Our CEO Dan McGrail will be in Glasgow from 2nd to 9th Nov and our Deputy CEO Melanie Onn from 3rd to 5th November – both will be available for media interviews during these dates.


Dan McGrail took up his role of Chief Executive of RenewableUK in May this year. He is a strong advocate for increasing the speed and scale of the UK’s Green Industrial Revolution.  Previously he worked for Siemens in a variety of roles for 17 years. Between 2010 and 2014 he led Siemens plans to develop and invest in offshore wind turbine manufacturing in the UK, securing the world-class offshore wind turbine blade factory and port facility in Hull, negotiating with the UK government and overseeing one of the company’s most significant factory investments in its recent history.



Melanie Onn joined RenewableUK in March 2020 as Deputy Chief Executive. Her role includes helping RenewableUK's supply chain members to grow, and developing the skilled workforce the industry needs, including opening up wider areas of the sector to more women. She was elected twice as Labour MP for Great Grimsby, serving from May 2015 to November 2019, including periods as Shadow Minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government and Shadow Deputy Leader of the House of Commons.


More details on our COP26 Energy Transition Hub are available here.


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Notes


RenewableUK’s members are building our future energy system, powered by clean electricity. We bring them together to deliver that future faster; a future which is better for industry, billpayers, and the environment. We support over 400 member companies to ensure increasing amounts of renewable electricity are deployed across the UK and to access export markets all over the world. Our members are business leaders, technology innovators, and expert thinkers from right across industry.


The COP25 Energy Transition Hub will be at RES Offices, Third Floor - STV, Pacific           Quay, Glasgow, G51 1PQ.


Sessions will be streamed live through RenewableUK and Energy UK’s YouTube, Facebook and LinkedIn Channels, as well as the RenewableUK website. 
All sessions will then be permanently available on RenewableUK and Energy UK’s YouTube channels. 


RenewableUK’s full events programme is available here.


For further information, contact