I've just finished a hectic round of meetings last night and this morning with European Commission officials in Brussels. I was passing through on my way to the Netherlands and I so it seemed like a good opportunity to stop off and talk about some of the ideas that we are playing with in Bristol at the moment around energy, peak oil, waste disposal and climate change.
Specifically, I was able to discuss funding opportunities around combined heat and power, district heating systems, climate adaptation, energy security and a possible hydrogen economy. The last topic is one that I have become very interested and involved in the last few months and I was lobbying the person who controls a £1bn EU fund for hydrogen-based research and development projects about whether they would allow applications for bids around water-based public transport. Encouragingly, the signs are good. I am a member of the BETS Hydrogen Strategy Board and I am looking forward to being able to report back on the opportunities.
It was great to be able to go into these meetings and be proud of Bristol's record. Our Green Capital status makes us a player on the European stage, even though there is much more to do. In a European context, the UK lags some way behind and there are hundreds of great ideas out there that we could and should be building on (i.e. stealing).
I'm off to Amsterdam on Sunday, including a trip to see their new hydrogen-powered ferry (plus some sightseeing), but in Dordrecht for the next few days at the European Quiz Championships.
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