Northern Powergrid Net Zero for the North

Northern Powergrid held their fourth flagship Net Zero for the North Conference this month.

At Cargo, we are always proud to support Northern Powergrid when they host conferences by providing several branded assets and tools to be used throughout the event.

The 2025 edition of Northern Powergrid’s Net Zero for the North Conference was held at the Glasshouse International Centre for Music in Gateshead and focused on how energy transformation is driving economic growth and opportunities on a regional and national basis.

Joined by policy holders, decision makers, industry experts and decarbonisation-focused stakeholders, the Conference wasn’t just about future planning and looking ahead to 2030 onwards, but it was about focusing on what’s happening now, in today’s world. The event explored what energy experts at Northern Powergrid are currently doing and linking this to plans for the future.

Throughout the Conference, experts from the government, NESO and Flexitricity offered panel discussions and Q&A sessions, providing a whole range of expertise whilst answering questions from numerous delegates.

The 2025 Net Zero for the North Conference was important for those working in the energy space because it highlighted how the Net Zero transition needs to happen on a regional scale, with joined up thinking and coordination from all involved. The event is crucial in bringing together all regional stakeholders, offering them the opportunity to look at what energy transition means and what the industry is doing right now.

Amongst stakeholders and other delegates, there was a great degree of agreement and commonality of vision on what the industry is doing now, and its future trajectory.

The Conference provided insights into several different topics, all of which are crucial for the energy industry. It covered the national energy transition, with a specific regional focus on the areas Northern Powergrid operate in, such as the North East of England and Yorkshire.

Discussions also covered collaborative planning for Net Zero, enabling decarbonisation from a spatial planning phase all the way through to operational delivery and Northern Powergrid’s Open Data Portal and the insights it can bring. Another crucial aspect of discussions focused on flexibility and how flexibility services bring benefits to energy networks, but also to the economy as a whole, especially in frame of a just transition.

At Cargo, we work with Northern Powergrid on a variety of projects. We played a key role in the Net Zero for the North Conference by creating artwork for all the keynote presentations, delivering video assets for screens around the event and ensuring agendas are clear and all signage is printed. We produced lanyards with plantable paper, meaning delegates could take their lanyard home, plant it and grow wild flowers.

We also created a digital agenda through QR codes for the event and provided merchandise like tote bags and printed materials to distribute throughout the Conference.