DeCarbScotland Conference & Dinner 2024 marked the second annual conference of NECCUS – Scotland’s trade body working to reduce carbon output from industrial processes – and took place at Scottish Gas Murrayfield on February 1st, 2024. This large-scale event set the stage for collaborative talks amongst government and industry decision makers, and reflected the sector’s critical role in Scotland’s journey to net zero.

Following the success of our involvement in the inaugural DeCarbScotland event, we were honoured to be entrusted once again with assisting NECCUS in taking the conference to new heights. Our responsibilities encompassed a full spectrum of pre-event design and marketing communications, as well as managing the event’s complex logistics spanning plenary sessions, breakout sessions, lunch and refreshments, an awards ceremony, and a formal dinner.

In the lead up to the event, our team made a concerted effort to boost ticket sales from the previous year, leveraging social media and email campaigns to generate anticipation and excitement. The conference featured a line-up of esteemed speakers, including:

• Business leader Susan Rice DBE FRSE, who is chaired the event.

• Neil Gray MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, who delivered an address and presented the NECCUS Young Professionals Award.

• Lord Callanan, Minister for Energy Efficiency and Green Finance.

• Ben Burggraaf, CEO of Net Zero Industry Wales, who spoke as part of the conference’s Maritime Opportunity breakout session – encouraging mutually beneficial knowledge sharing between devolved nations.

An exciting addition to this year's conference was the introduction of the NECCUS Young Professionals Award – sponsored by ESS Recruit – which aimed to recognise the rising stars who excel in communicating the net zero challenge. This initiative added an element of intrigue and further enriched the event's packed agenda.

With a larger turnout than the previous year, the conference garnered support from prominent corporations and government entities. Headline sponsor Peterhead Carbon Capture Power Station was joined by other sponsors including the Crown Estate and Crown Estate Scotland, Shell, Xodus, DNV, Glacier Energy, and IDRIC.

Against the backdrop of a rapidly evolving decarbonisation landscape, the 2024 conference was particularly significant, hot on the heels of the UK Government's unprecedented announcement of a £20 billion investment for CCS clusters. This underscored the industry's remarkable growth trajectory and the urgency for accelerated development. We take immense pride in our role in facilitating sustainable collaboration and contributing to Scotland's net zero goals.