Post: UK Business Leaders Call for Increased Implementation of Green Technologies

UK Business Leaders Call for Increased Implementation of Green Technologies

Pressure on the government to tackle carbon emissions is increasing from industrial and commercial businesses.

Just recently, the Aldersgate Group, a membership organisation composed of some of the largest businesses in the UK, published a green policy manifesto. The manifesto, titled ‘Building a competitive, net-zero emissions and climate-ready economy’, calls for the UK government to introduce targeted environmental regulations that incentivises the uptake of new energy technologies, and remove market barriers that stand in the way of the transition to a carbon-free economy. The group’s declarations include pushing the government for:

• Introduction of  ‘Clean Growth Strategy Plus’ – a package of policies and incentives that will accelerate private sector investment in new technological solutions, increase their efficiencies, and support decarbonisation of the UK’s economy
• Introduction of an ambitious Environment Bill that will set legally and timely binding targets for environmental improvements
• Development and implementation of the ‘Resources and Waste Strategy’ that will drive efficiencies and cut waste across all sectors
• Turning the Green Finance Strategy, announced by the government earlier this year, into a concrete and actionable plan.

The Aldersgate Group leaders wrote:

“The short timescale for achieving net-zero means we need to use existing technologies in a smarter way and go ahead with large scale trials of critical technologies that are still at an early stage of development.

“It is clear from Aldersgate Group engagement with a wide range of industry sectors that the UK’s innovation policy needs to move beyond the fear of failure and be based on the recognition that successful and unsuccessful trials offer equally important lessons for good policy-making (…).

“A more ambitious innovation policy should be developed hand in hand with market mechanisms that grow the demand for new ultra-low carbon goods and services.

Michael Phelan, Chief Executive at GridBeyond commented: 

“We have reached the point at which politicians, scientists, public and now also business leaders are in agreement about the need for urgent action to address the climate emergency.

“We are pleased to see the recent manifesto issued by the Aldersgate Group, consisting of some of the largest companies across the UK and globally. GridBeyond supports their declarations and their request for new business-friendly regulations and increased investment in new energy decarbonisation technologies.

Read the Aldersgate Group’s recommendation report in full.