Working closely with the UN in September and November

Tempus fugit. A dry spring, wet-ish summer – in the northern UK at least – and record heat could quickly become a cool autumn. Elsewhere, floods, droughts, and wildfires are causing global mayhem. Climate change will top the agenda when a RedCAT trade mission visits COP30. Before then, RedCAT will be a UN Climate Technology Centre and Network advisory board member in Bonn.

News (see below) –

From November 10^th to 21^st nations of the world – with the potential absence of the US this year – will gather in the Amazonian city of Belém in Brazil for COP 30 to urgently rekindle the unity that created the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement. ♦ We look at the reasons why RedCAT will be going to Brazil and the COP process is so important.

♦ Before that, following a first meeting in April 2025, September will see a RedCAT team again supporting the UN in Bonn as an Advisory Board member of the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) to help speed up the transfer of green climate-tech to developing nations in crisis. ♦ Meanwhile, Paul Addison, Great British Energy’s Director of Policy and External Affairs, will be at October’s RedCAT Network meeting to discuss support for green energy generating technologies. ♦ He will also join a roundtable discussion with network members working in GBE areas of interest.

♦ As part of our introduction to RedCAT experts and specialists we also profile RedCAT CEO Prof Miranda Barker OBE DL.

– Fortunately, green-tech innovation offers essential solutions

How time flies! It is now barely two months to COP 30 – 2025’s annual UN Climate Change Conference – where political and business leaders, UN agencies, NGOs, scientists, activists from more than 190 countries – and importantly a team of RedCAT climate-tech innovators – will gather off the beaten track at Belém, Brazil, to try to resolve unfinished business from November 2024’s COP 29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The COP30 challenge will be to progress tentative COP29 agreements on a new climate finance goal (NCQG), international carbon markets rules, and resolve the sticky issues of both a “transition away from fossil fuels” and updated climate plans – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs 3.0) – to close the gap between current commitments and those needed to reach net-zero emissions

RedCAT in Brazil and Bonn

September, meanwhile, will also see the UN Environment Programme’s Climate Technology Centre and Network  advisory board meeting in Bonn to help accelerate the transfer of low carbon and climate resilient technologies to developing nations.

As explained below, RedCAT and East Lancs Chamber CEO Prof. Miranda Barker OBE DL and Chamber Director of Sustainability Stephen Sykes attend advisory board meetings on behalf of RedCAT – an excellent opportunity to hear at firsthand what the technical needs of the UN are.

RedCAT – with its mission to help develop, commercialise, and introduce green climate-tech innovations to UK and global markets – then introduces RedCAT network members to climate challenges as they are posted by the UN.

Both events will provide valuable insights into what new technologies are needed.

Tipping points

Meanwhile, multiple climate tipping points, including the collapse of the Amazon rainforest as well as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) are becoming increasingly likely as global warming continues.

– How the Northwest and Lancashire can help the world

The good news is that the commercialisation methodology developed by RedCAT can help the UN to take much-needed green technologies to developing countries.

This is because the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) – of which RedCAT is an advisory board attendee – has recognised the RedCAT system as a great example of its natural default ‘101’ model.

CTCN, the implementation arm of the Technology Mechanism of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change hosted by UNEP, has a mission to accelerate the transfer of ‘environmentally sound technologies for low carbon and climate resilient development’ as requested by individual developing countries.

This is RedCAT’s forte!

The CTCN provides support for technology solutions, capacity building, and policy, legal and regulatory framework advice to individual countries to encourage the development of solutions from its global network of technology companies and institutions.

From 15^th to 17^th September RedCAT’s team will join an advisory board meeting in Bonn to hear about the challenges most developing nations have for new climate solutions and how we can then help our RedCAT network members to put forward expressions of interest that meet these.

– COP30 needs to catch up with and recover lost ground

Ten years ago in December 2015, 168 nations managed at a time when global temperatures were on course to rise by 4°C to 5°C to commit to joint action to keep real rises to no more than 2°C, and 1.5°C if possible. The present prediction is closer to 2.5°C to 3°C. This is both a success and a failure.

The target subsequently led to a global stocktake and goal of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency by 2030 enroute to net-zero emissions by 2050. This has also slipped.

A combination of factors can be blamed. Many nations have faced unprecedented energy and economic pressures in recent years. President Trump’s pro-fossil-fuel policies have also been used as an excuse by businesses and states to wind back their earlier green ambitions.

Brazil must not be a cop out

However, some of the sternest criticism had been pointed at the existing COP process itself with calls for a major overhaul of how targets are set, questions of sovereignty and domestic politics, implementation, monitoring, and penalties.

Is the multilateral system based on unsurmountable imperfections? And can it evolve successfully in a scenario where stakeholders mistrust each other, growing workloads are too heavy, and compromise draft agreements that move away from the science appear at the eleventh hour?

While COP30 organisers are keen the event should be a platform to view the riches of and damage to the Amazon rainforest at first hand, the venue’s remoteness, travel difficulties, and sky-high accommodation costs – plus increasing scepticism – have deterred many participants.

The sad and inconvenient truth remains however that global surface and atmospheric temperatures are rising rapidly with intense rainfall and flooding but also record heatwaves and droughts experienced around the world once again in 2025. In the UK, summer 2025 has now been confirmed as the hottest on record to date.

– Leading a transition from the wrong to the right side of history

It is tempting to think that the COP concept has outlived its usefulness and should be replaced. Miranda disagrees.

Dismantling the present system would be no guarantee that a better and fairer one will take its place, she says, particularly if it includes measures to override the national authority of governments.

“COP might have drawbacks,” she explains, “…  but it’s the only game in town. There is no other environment process or programme in which most countries of the world are trying to pull together.”

“I’d also love to see much more cross-topic working,” says Miranda. “Too many key issues are siloed and if we are going to create real climate solutions the different strands and answers have to talk to each other.”

RedCAT at past, present, and future COPs

“As at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, COP28 in Dubai, and COP29 in Azerbaijan, a RedCAT and East Lancs Chamber trade mission – including representatives of our local innovative companies – will travel to South America to make contacts and extend relationships with global customers and supply chains.

“Previous COPs have proved to be fantastic business, finance and future customer meeting opportunities. As an example, Carbonbit was able to sign a £10 million MOU with the Azerbaijan Investment Company at COP29.”

Making friends and influencing people

“Another crucial part of RedCAT’s remit in promoting clean-tech as a powerful global solution to our multiple environmental crises is not only meeting and discussing policy ideas with the people who have power to make radical changes but also achieving real outputs,” says Miranda.

“Many of the governmental, business, and academic contacts we talk to routinely will also at COP30 which will be a further opportunity to influence the outcome of critical issues mentioned above.

“RedCAT delegates will also attend the UN negotiation sessions focusing specifically on low carbon technology deploy globally and how to achieve it.

“The key point is that Belém must reach global solidarity on the clean energy transition to resolve the climate emergency, safeguard energy security, and support competitiveness and prosperity.

Optimistic note

UN secretary general António Guterres^[ recently described the world as “… on the cusp of a new era … The sun is rising on a clean energy age.” With onshore wind and solar costs falling and the threat of high future gas-prices, he wants technology companies to use 100% low-carbon electricity by 2030.

Many of the breakthrough solutions needed will come from innovative SMEs!

RedCAT at past, present, and future COPs

“As at COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh, COP28 in Dubai, and COP29 in Azerbaijan, a RedCAT and East Lancs Chamber trade mission – including representatives of our local innovative companies – will travel to South America to make contacts and extend relationships with global customers and supply chains.

“Previous COPs have proved to be fantastic business, finance and future customer meeting opportunities. As an example, Carbonbit was able to sign a £10 million MOU with the Azerbaijan Investment Company at COP29.”

Making friends and influencing people

“Another crucial part of RedCAT’s remit in promoting clean-tech as a powerful global solution to our multiple environmental crises is not only meeting and discussing policy ideas with the people who have power to make radical changes but also achieving real outputs,” says Miranda.

“Many of the governmental, business, and academic contacts we talk to routinely will also at COP30 which will be a further opportunity to influence the outcome of critical issues mentioned above.

“RedCAT delegates will also attend the UN negotiation sessions focusing specifically on low carbon technology deploy globally and how to achieve it.

“The key point is that Belém must reach global solidarity on the clean energy transition to resolve the climate emergency, safeguard energy security, and support competitiveness and prosperity.

Optimistic note

UN secretary general António Guterres^[ recently described the world as “… on the cusp of a new era … The sun is rising on a clean energy age.” With onshore wind and solar costs falling and the threat of high future gas-prices, he wants technology companies to use 100% low-carbon electricity by 2030.

Many of the breakthrough solutions needed will come from innovative SMEs!

– Difficult issues and important opportunities

The original Rumble in the Jungle reference drew attention to the famous 1974 heavyweight championship boxing match in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo when Muhammad Ali as underdog knocked out George Foreman to win the world title.

Belém has similarly been chosen to focus attention on major natural assets. This time the underdog is the rainforest – although the construction of a four-lane highway to Belém through protected parts of the Amazon ecosystem is controversial even though the state government describes it as “sustainable”

Problems and issues

COP30 faces significant logistical and operational hurdles in Brazil’s complex political landscape. From a climate change viewpoint, a major issue carried over from COP29 will be sourcing increased climate finance that can actually be delivered, particularly for adaptation in developing countries.

Additional concerns as climate scepticism gains ground with more popular governments is the potential spread of climate disinformation, the possibility of negotiation deadlock on key issues like the Global Stocktake (GST) which fingers individual nations, and a just low-carbon transition.

Meeting Belém’s goals

Brazil’s geography and politics create a series of unique challenges COP30 must overcome: –

♦ Belém provides a powerful symbolic natural backdrop, but has accommodation and transport limitations for an expected 50,000 attendees, many from lower-income countries. There are also security fears of opportunistic crime, plus disruption from activist groups.

♦ Brazil’s complex geopolitical situation, including its relationship with the Amazon rainforest and stance on fossil fuel extraction, could cause problems. The loss of strong US leadership also leaves a gap other nations must fill. However, many seem keen to rise to the challenge.

♦ COP30 will also need to close the gap between the current climate finance levels and the projected $1.3 trillion needed annually for climate action, particularly for adaptation in developing countries.

♦ A major challenge here will be to scale up adaptation finance from $300 billion to $1.3 trillion by 2035, as outlined in the “Baku to Belém Roadmap” with a focus on mixed investments.

♦ Overcoming barriers to private and blended investment in adaptation and resilience funding such as by harmonising standards and setting clear economic incentives will be critical.

♦ The spread of climate disinformation, particularly through digital platforms, is a public trust and climate action threat that needs strategies to combat misinformation and reinforce trust in science.

♦ Negotiation deadlocks at COP29 on issues like the Global Stocktake, a just transition, and adaptation finance highlight the need for goodwill compromise and collaboration at COP30.

♦ COP30 must also integrate local needs in the context of the Amazon region and incorporate issues like water access, sanitation, and real climate change impacts on local communities.

We would like you to meet our specialists as they work to make the difficult, often expensive and unfamiliar commercialisation trek from post-prototype design to final end-user hands swifter, smoother, less costly and less painful.

Prof Miranda Barker OBE DL

The development of RedCAT’s unique commercialisation philosophy

As the RedCAT Group’s co-founder, CEO, and leading environmental consultant, Miranda believes that low carbon innovations developed by forward-looking SMEs are vital for two reasons – new green technologies have a crucial role in mitigating, halting or minimising the growing impacts of global warming; they can also help us to adapt to effects it is already too late to change.

Green-tech commercialisation focus

Successful commercialisation is the key she says. This includes being able to pro-actively cross the notorious ‘Valley of Death’ funding gap or chasm.

Before taking up her current dual-role as CEO of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce & Industry and RedCAT, Miranda ran her own successful international environmental consultancy business for 16 years when the deep-seated problem of commercialisation and a new solution began to come clear.

Extensive public and private sector plus international business experience, with her leadership of many successful overseas trade missions added, led to the radical RedCAT’s commercialisation methodology developed with co-founder Ged Heffernan.

Old problem and new solution

Miranda and Ged identified a lack of consistent focussed business support – from post-prototype models through to finished products on retailers ‘shelves’ – as the primary reason why many UK innovations and talented innovators never reach their full potential.

Their response and solution to boost the UK’s national and regional economies, while providing workable low-cost solutions for rapidly accelerating global warming problems and deep-seated social challenges in the Global South, is RedCAT’s novel, unique, and now well-proven approach.

Uniquely RedCAT

Under their guidance, the RedCAT commercialisation journey comprises five dynamic stages supported by an energetic team of highly-experienced specialists. They progressively cover: –

– Innovation – providing active support from post-prototype to demonstration, launch, full-scale manufacturing and beyond.

– Ventures – bringing together innovators and investors to forge funding success.

– Scale – securing the buy in of local authority contacts, other landlords, and building supply chains.

– Advocacy – introducing innovations to people and organisations who can put them into practice.

– Network – a physical and online meeting place for innovators to meet their ideal suppliers, customers and funders, share problems, and find solutions.

An early result was an initial £3 million of grant funding transformed through RedCAT grants to nine firms of £20,000 to £300,000 into £30 million of new sales and investment, plus 300 jobs and 45+ Lancashire-made products. More are expected to follow.

Career and low carbon progression

Miranda’s professional environmental qualifications, academic background, plus management, business, commercial and industrial experience, have all contributed to her work in reducing greenhouse gas emissions enroute to net zero and effective support for environmental innovations.

Having managed Northwest public sector-funded business community sustainability and decarbonisation advice support programmes worth more than £30 million since 1997, she became East Lancashire Chamber CEO in 2017.

In 2017, Miranda also designed the £6 million Chamber Low Carbon decarbonisation programme which has helped more than 1,400 SMEs to reduce their CO₂ emissions by more than 17,000 tonnes as they move towards net zero.

Supporting UK innovation overseas

Miranda supports British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and British and international Chambers technology and innovation-led trade missions to COP global climate summits; as BCC’s climate change lead. She works with cross-party MPs in the DBT, DESNZ, MHCLG, and Treasury, appearing before Select Committees exploring the effectiveness of decarbonisation business support.

United Nations

As an UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) observer, she represents East Lancs Chamber of Commerce and BINGO (business and industry non-governmental organisations) as the International Chambers of Commerce UNFCCC representative at the Climate Technology Centre and Network Advisory Board of the UN.

Awards and honorary posts

Miranda was awarded the OBE in 2022 for services to business and the Lancashire Community, work during the Covid pandemic, and stimulating low carbon innovation commercialisation in Lancashire.

In 2024, she became an honorary Professor attached to the University of Central Lancashire’s business school and was also appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Lancashire.

Representation, lobbying and partnerships

Miranda acts as a representative on climate matters for the global British Chambers of Commerce – co-chairing their Climate Challenge Group, sitting on the Government’s Net Zero Council delivery and public participation groups, and leading the annual British Chambers of Commerce international delegation to COP with a strong delegation from East Lancashire.