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Roundtable on Climate Innovation in West Yorkshire

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Blog
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Roundtable on Climate Innovation in West Yorkshire

This week, we brought together regional stakeholders — including representatives from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (WYCA), academics from the University of Leeds, investors, and entrepreneurs — for a roundtable on Climate Innovation in West Yorkshire. The session explored how collaboration across sectors can accelerate the development and scaling of climate technologies in the North.

Objectives:

  • Share regional perspectives on the current innovation landscape and how to build a strong pipeline of climate ventures.
  • Identify barriers and enablers for scaling climate technologies and discuss the specific support required.

Key Questions:

  1. From local to global impact: How can EarthScale play a catalytic role in building a Climate Innovation Hub in the North that attracts investment, talent, and shapes global solutions?
  2. Rethinking academia’s role: What steps are needed for universities to shift from traditional research outputs toward an entrepreneurial culture that drives climate innovation?
  3. From ideas to scalable impact: How can the region create the right conditions — policy, finance, and talent — to accelerate early-stage innovations into scalable solutions?

Presentations:

The discussion began with Callum Whittaker from the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, who outlined the Green Economy Cluster Action Plan, part of the region’s broader Local Growth Plan and its ambition to reach net zero by 2038.

The plan focuses on driving a just transition through innovation and collaboration, highlighting five strategic sectors:

  • Circular Economy and Waste Management
  • Clean Energy, Cleantech, and ClimateTech
  • Engineering and Technical Consulting
  • Construction and Modular Construction
  • Green Finance

West Yorkshire’s green technologies and services sector is already valued at £8.1 billion, with nearly 3,000 businesses and 53,000 jobs, and projected to grow by 37% by 2025/26. The region’s strong manufacturing base, major infrastructure projects, and high-quality research institutions position it well for leadership in the green economy.

However, key challenges remain: lower-than-average innovation levels, barriers for early-stage climate tech firms, and the need for more targeted accelerator and incubator programmes. WYCA aims to strengthen this ecosystem by connecting universities, investors, and entrepreneurs through mission-led initiatives.

Next, Chelsea Boothroyd presented the Priestley Centre for Climate Futures strategy, emphasizing the importance of supporting climate startups as a way for universities to expand their impact and accelerate climate solutions. She also outlined a growing pipeline of initiatives, including EarthScale and the Regional Climate Tech Acceleration programme.

Finally, Alyssa Gilbert from Imperial College London introduced EarthScale, a collaborative programme involving six universities working together to support high-potential climate scaleups. The initiative aims to bridge research, entrepreneurship, and investment to amplify climate impact.

Discussion Highlights:

Participants agreed that the region is still in the early stages of building a climate innovation ecosystem, but momentum is growing. Some key insights included:

  • Balancing deep tech and early-stage innovation: While West Yorkshire may not yet have the density of deep-tech ventures seen elsewhere, there is strong potential to nurture early-stage solutions and develop the building blocks for a robust climate cluster.
  • Academic engagement: Encouraging academics to participate in climate entrepreneurship requires clear incentives and support structures. Many successful examples involve academics with industry experience and cross-faculty collaboration.
  • Business–university collaboration: Companies engage with universities for expertise, independent validation, and their convening role. Bringing experienced entrepreneurs to mentor startups adds significant value.
  • Measuring impact: Key indicators for success include letters of intent with clients, partnerships with manufacturers, jobs created, and funds raised.
  • Corporate involvement: Engaging corporates early to support scaleups and align challenges with innovative solutions is critical for long-term success.

Conclusion:

The roundtable reinforced a shared commitment to making West Yorkshire a leading climate innovation hub, combining regional strengths in research, entrepreneurship, and manufacturing with a collaborative approach to sustainability. The discussions provided valuable insights into how EarthScale and regional partners can work together to turn climate ambition into tangible impact — both locally and globally.

If you are a corporate with climate challenges or if you are a business/startup that would like to hear more about regional efforts to support you, or would like to hear more about Earthscale, please get in touch - [email protected]