A STRONG global agreement to tackle climate change is vital to the development of long term, sustainable industries and jobs in Teesside and across the UK economy.

This was the message from Teesside Collective in advance of the world’s 176 governments arriving in Paris two weeks of crucial climate change talks.

The cluster of leading industries working to establish Europe’s first CCS equipped industrial zone in Teesside is backing calls from industry organisations across the EU for the international conference, known as COP21, to deliver a strong outcome.

Neil Kenley, Director of Business Investment at Tees Valley Unlimited, said: "Paris is about securing a global agreement aimed at limiting global temperate increases to within 2C of pre-industrial levels. This is vital if we’re to avoid the most dangerous impacts of climate change.

“The UK and the EU have taken a lead on climate change but our members face tough international competition making it hard to deal with the additional cost of carbon pricing and other climate change policies.

“To remain competitive, and to underpin our business case for a shared CCS network, we need to see a level playing field in which all regions of the global economy are taking responsibility for climate change.

“We need a Paris agreement that works for the planet and that works for our industrial base in Teesside.”

Industries in Teesside employ in the region of 10,000 people and make a vital contribution to the wider UK economy. The area is responsible for 58 per cent of the UK’s chemical industry. It produces polyester resin for 15 billion recyclable drinks bottles a year. North-East process industries as a whole contribute £26 billion to the UK economy.

But these industries are also large emitters and face increasing costs associated with climate change policies. Teesside Industries are responsible for around 5 per cent of industrial emissions in the UK. Regional emissions per person are almost three times the UK average. The costs of CO2 permits in Europe is expected to quadruple by 2030.

CCS will be a key component in the global effort to tackle climate change, helping reduce emissions from the burning of fossil fuels in power station and industrial processes. A shared industrial CCS network in Teesside would be capable of reducing carbon emissions by between 5 and 15 million tonnes of CO2 a year from the mid-2020s, a crucial contribution to keeping the UK on track to meeting its target of reducing emissions by 80 per cent by 2050. It will help sustain the existing industrial base in Teesside and attract new investment from firms keen to plug into the infrastructure.