Reacting to the Government’s announcements on its updated climate and energy strategies, Alex Veitch, Director of Policy at the BCC, which Business West is a key member of, said:
“The government has grasped the scale of the climate challenge with a wide-ranging plan to boost green energy production.
“Policies the Chamber Network have campaigned for have been brought into play; amending planning rules to make it easier to develop renewable energy; boosting British nuclear power; upgrading our electricity grid; unlocking private investment for Net Zero and a £10 billion boost for Export Finance to support the UK’s burgeoning green export trade.
“But there is a gap around business energy use. To meet the UK’s ambitious 15% energy efficiency target, firms will need to install vital measures such as insulation, energy management systems and renewables.
“Many smaller firms will struggle with the capital costs, so support should be provided where necessary, as has been pledged for households.
“There also appears to be a mismatch between good ideas, such as UK-wide insulation, heat pumps and electric vehicle charging points, and the availability of a skilled workforce to make them happen.
“Alongside the investment in infrastructure and manufacturing must come further investment and policy changes in training to make these plans a reality.
“Allowing apprenticeship levy funds to be used for all forms of accredited workplace training would be a simple step to help deliver the green jobs needed for Net Zero.
“The Government has taken a big step forward with these announcements, but it now needs to plug the gaps in its strategy to ensure it does not lose momentum in the years ahead.”
Get started on your sustainability journey
We run a series of lunch and learn webinars every other month, focussing on different topics within Net Zero, to help businesses on their Net Zero journey. Our next webinar will be covering Waste and the Circular Economy on the 14th June.
If your business is looking to start or advance it's Net Zero journey, we run a series of Aiming for Net Zero workshops, which include an introductory course where you'll learn more about the climate crisis and how to develop your carbon footprint. You might also be interested in joining our additional workshops on communicating your sustainability ambitions and tackling your scope 3 emissions.
If you'd like to find out more about our Aiming for Net Zero workshops and free Lunch and Learn webinars, please visit our events page.
You can also get in touch with the Net Zero team by emailing: netzero@businesswest.co.uk
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Trading to Net Zero
How business acts now will shape our planet and communities for centuries to come. Business West is commited to safeguarding the environment and addressing the climate crisis.