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Opening Address by Stephen Tarr, Divisional CEO, Alliances and Joint Ventures at Balfour Beatty.
Net Zero Week 2026 opening address by Stephen Tarr, Divisional CEO, Alliances and Joint Ventures at Balfour Beatty. Balfour Beatty is the Principal Sponsor of Net Zero Week 2026. #NetZeroWeek #BalfourBeatty
The UK's net zero ambitions are clear. The question is no longer what needs to be done, but how we deliver infrastructure at the pace and scale required.
Net zero will be won or lost on infrastructure delivery, making this one of the defining challenges facing the UK today.
As Principal Sponsor of Net Zero Week 2026 (4–10 July), we brought together industry leaders to explore some of the most pressing questions facing the sector:
- How do we move from ambition to execution?
- What is needed to accelerate delivery while maintaining affordability, resilience and energy security?
- How can industry and government create the certainty needed to unlock long-term investment?
- What does credible, responsible net zero delivery look like in practice?
Drawing on our experience delivering critical infrastructure across the UK, we led discussions throughout the week on the opportunities, challenges and trade-offs involved in delivering the next generation of energy infrastructure at pace, at scale and with greater certainty.
Turning sustainability ambition into action
In this fireside chat, Jo Gilroy, Group Sustainability and Innovation Director at Balfour Beatty, shares her perspective on sustainability leadership, the challenges facing the infrastructure sector and the role organisations can play in delivering a lower-carbon, more resilient future.
Watch our webinars
We hosted two expert-led webinars exploring the practical action needed to accelerate net zero.
How to deliver net zero credibly
Net zero commitments must be backed by credible, measurable action. But what does credible net zero delivery look like? In this webinar we explored the realities of the journey ahead and what it will take to accelerate practical change.
Chair
- Jo Gilroy, Group Sustainability and Innovation Director, Balfour Beatty
Speakers
- Andrew Kidd, Director of Environmental Sustainability, Lower Thames Crossing Project, National Highways
- Dr Eoin Devane, Director, Climate Change Committee
- Julia Baker, Global Submarket Lead for Biodiversity & Nature, Mott McDonald
Net zero at system scale: delivering the next wave of energy infrastructure
The UK has moved beyond net zero ambition. The challenge now is delivery. In this webinar we explored what it will take to deliver major energy infrastructure programmes at pace and at system scale.
Chair
- Iain Smith, New Business and Strategy Director, Balfour Beatty
Speakers
- Louise Colley, New Business and Preconstruction Director, Balfour Beatty
- Ruth Todd, Operations and Supply Chain Director, Rolls-Royce SMR
- Matthew Cheadle, Managing Director of UK Operations, Technip Energies
Visit the Net Zero Week website to discover all the events and discussions that took place throughout the week.
View the Net Zero Week webiste →