The UK government published their Net Zero strategy on the 19th October 2021, setting out their long-term plan for how the UK will reach net zero carbon emissions in 2050.
You can read the strategy document in full here.
The strategy sets out four key principles:
- Working with the grain of consumer choice
- Ensuring the biggest polluters pay the most for the transition
- Ensuring that the most vulnerable are protected through Government support
- Working with businesses to deliver cost reductions in low carbon tech
It acknowledges that:
“The net zero journey must be a joint one and will be affected by how engaged and supported the public are.”
We’ve broken down the strategy into some takeaway points for our business partners.
If you have any questions on this strategy or would like to talk to a Sustainability Consultant about what your business can do next to help reach the UK 2050 net zero target, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Stand out points from the UK government’s Net Zero Strategy:
- Transport: End the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030; from 2035, all new cars and vans must be zero emission at the tailpipe.
- Energy: a commitment to fully decarbonise our power system by 2035, subject to security of supply
- Green jobs: Supporting 175,000 green skilled jobs by 2030 and 240,000 by 2035, with a focus on areas that need investment the most.
- Education: Introduce a sustainability and climate change strategy for education and children’s services. Including a focus on equipping children and young people with the knowledge and skills they need to contribute to the green economy.
- Skills: Commitment to reform the skills system – ensure that training providers, employers and learners are incentivised and equipped to play their part in delivering the transition to net zero. This will include legislating for new skills to be considered in the development of new local skills plans, such as jobs supporting climate change action and other environmental goals.
- Awareness: Increase awareness of net zero and greener choices, such as exploring environmental impact labelling of products, goods and services.
- Support: Continue supporting businesses, exploring a government-led advice service.
- Regulation: Working with businesses and industry to set strong regulatory signals and collaborating to reduce costs while increasing quality – making green choices affordable and easy.
- Green Infrastructure: Upcoming launch of National Framework of Green Infrastructure Standards coming in 2022 to support local areas and regions to deliver well-designed green infrastructure where it is most needed.
The strategy set out is both extensive and ambitious, and commitment to it marks a step forward for UK climate policy.
It recognises the importance of working in partnership with local government, businesses and consumers to implement effective and achievable change.
The strategy outlines some of the steps already taken to meet the outlined goals, and we look forward to seeing further expansion and development of these during the transition to Net Zero.
