Presentations

Abstract

The Carbon Trust together with twelve offshore wind (OSW) developers, established a developer-led collaboration platform in 2023, the Sustainability Joint Industry Programme (SUS JIP). Under SUS JIP Phase 1 (2023-2024), we initiated a pilot project to standardise lifecycle carbon footprinting for OSW developments. This involved numerous stakeholder workshops, an industry consultation, and an extensive review of existing lifecycle assessments and carbon footprinting standards. The pilot project has helped create a hierarchy of data for carbon footprinting, a clear breakdown of activities in OSW, and a transparent and comparable approach to calculating the footprint; all part of public guidance that was released in September 2024. Since the release of the public guidance, our findings highlight significant challenges with the accuracy and comparability of data across different asset classes. Discrepancies in supplier data, such as practitioners undertaking varying foundation calculations, hinder effective environmental decision-making. Despite these challenges with the current landscape of limited data availability on carbon emissions of OSW components, the adoption of the guidance underscores the need for ongoing collaboration in data collection and management within the supply chain to improve decision-making in environmental management. Key findings emphasise that meaningful environmental management and decision-making depend on the experience and best available data from the supply chain. Supplier engagement is essential for identifying decarbonisation opportunities, which will drive improvements in circularity and recyclability. To promote the use of the best available data, we emphasise the importance of bridging the gap between data suppliers and decision-makers to improve environmental outcomes. By discussing case studies and the positive impact of harmonised data, we demonstrate how standardised metrics can inform decision-making for more positive environmental outcomes. The presentation will provide delegates with practical insights into overcoming data challenges and enhancing environmental performance through collaborative efforts, ultimately contributing to more circular and low-carbon OSW developments.