Business

UK Business Minister Scully celebrates Catagen’s renewable energy commitment

Catagen chief executive Andrew Woods pledging the firm’s commitment to achieving net zero with UK Business Minister Paul Scully
Catagen chief executive Andrew Woods pledging the firm’s commitment to achieving net zero with UK Business Minister Paul Scully Catagen chief executive Andrew Woods pledging the firm’s commitment to achieving net zero with UK Business Minister Paul Scully

BELFAST clear air specialist Catagen has formally signed the SME Climate Commitment, which the UK government is encouraging businesses to join in the run up to COP26, the United Nations climate change conference taking place in Glasgow in November.

The commitment, part of the government's 'Together For Our Planet' campaign, encourages businesses and individuals to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and achieve net zero by 2050, while disclosing progress on an annual basis.

Catagen is already powered by 100 per cent renewable energy and is exploring new technologies that will support the UK’s climate change target to cut emissions by 78 per cent by 2035 and impact global targets.

The core of the firm's business is “to clean and decarbonise the air”, borne out of chief executive Dr Andrew Woods’ PhD research at Queen's University to help the automotive industry reduce tailpipe emissions from vehicles.

Since 2017, this technology has displaced more than 1,100 tonnes of carbon from the automotive sector to date, through its energy efficient patented technology.

“We would encourage other SMEs to pledge their commitment to achieve Net Zero and create a better future for the next generation,” Dr Woods said yesterday.

He was speaking as Catagen welcomed UK Business Minister Paul Scully to its Titanic Quarter headquarters in Belfast to showcase the company’s commitment to achieving net zero emissions.

Minister Scully said: “Innovative businesses like Catagen have a key role to play as we build back better and greener from the pandemic and I congratulate them for going even further by signing up to the SME Climate Commitment, which will allow them to inspire even more businesses to be greener than ever.

“I encourage smaller businesses across the country to sign up to the SME Climate Commitment and show their support for creating a greener, cleaner future for our planet.”

Catagen is now entering a new phase of growth, utilising its current technologies to develop new products to have real global impact on the road to net zero emissions.