Public affairs
Environment news: 3rd July

Greenhouse Public Affairs provides a weekly public affairs environment news round-up across sectors including energy, transport and the environment. Sign up to our public affairs weekly round-up here.

Environment & COP26

The Climate Coalition has organised the world’s first ever virtual lobby of MPs to call for a green recovery. Thousands of people across the UK signed up to take part in the event, calling on local MPs and government to prioritise policies and investment to build a resilient economy that is green and fair, protecting the most vulnerable in the UK and around the world. The lobby comes as statistics showed 70% of people want the government to undertake stronger climate action. Almost three quarters also believe we have a once in a lifetime opportunity to tackle climate change. Read more about the lobby here.

Ministers including Alok Sharma, Kwasi Kwarteng and Lord Goldsmith have spoken this week at events forming part of London Climate Action Week. The series of over 60 virtual events has been developed to drive collaboration and policy solutions, as governments, NGOs, private finance and institutional investors all have a crucial role to play in delivering a low-carbon economic recovery. Find out more about the week’s events here.

Chairs of the BEIS Committee and the Environmental Audit Committee, Darren Jones and Phillip Dunne, have warned the Chancellor that time is running out to ‘avert an even greater future global crisis caused by climate change’. They stress that the UK’s post-COVID economic recovery package should be used as an opportunity to accelerate investment on climate adaptation and cutting emissions to net zero. The EAC has launched a new inquiry into a green recovery, which will compliment BEIS’ evidence session for their Net Zero inquiry concerning the CCC’s report published last Thursday. Read their full letter here.

Economy

As part of the Prime Minister’s ‘New Deal for Britain’, the government has made some promises on promoting a clean, green economic recovery. The announcement states that the government will deliver a stronger, cleaner, more sustainable economy after the COVID-19 pandemic, with further measures to come in run up to COP26 in November 2021. Amongst initiatives securing new funding are EV infrastructure and battery production, a 75,000-acre reforesting project, and research and development of direct air capture. Read the full announcement here.

The Green Alliance has published a new report offering its blueprint for a resilient economy in the wake of COVID-19. It states that the government has the chance to set a new path creating greater health, prosperity and security for the UK, protecting against future crises. It proposes five building blocks, including investing in net-zero infrastructure, restoring nature, stopping the waste of valuable resources, ensuring clean air, and making the recovery fair to all. Read their full report here.

A new report by Greenpeace has asserted that a green economic recovery package totalling £100 billion could create 1.8 million new green jobs. The report states that the new jobs in industries such as energy, transport and housing would help to cut Britain’s climate-heating emissions. It finds that £48bn should go towards cleaning up our transport system, creating 890,000 new jobs in EV manufacturing, expanding the public transport network and creating new walking & cycling infrastructure. It also calls for £25bn in smart power and renewable energy, and £17bn in energy efficiency and home retrofitting. Read more about the report here.

A new report by the Institution of Civil Engineers has examined the contribution of the UK’s infrastructure systems to achieving net-zero by 2050. The report emphasises a sense of urgency amongst engineers in transitioning infrastructure to a net-zero footing. It calls for strengthened policymaking, developed green infrastructure, greater opportunity for businesses to respond to plans, public engagement, and greater skills provision. Access the full report here.

Housing

The government has announced nearly £80 million of investment to help cut carbon emissions from homes and energy intensive businesses. The funding will be invested in a wide range of programmes, including pioneering heat network trials and an innovative new programme to bring down the cost of retrofitting residential properties with the latest energy efficiency technologies. The package includes £30m to support energy-intensive manufacturers cut their carbon footprint, £25m for improved heat networks, and £24 million for innovative projects to help develop energy efficient homes. Read more about the announcement here.

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