BEIS puts low carbon transition at the heart of Britain's industrial strategy

Mon 23 January 2017 View all news

The Government has announced a wide-ranging industrial strategy which seeks to maximise the economic potential of the low carbon transition and which it says will address the long-term challenges to the UK economy. The strategy, issued in the form of a green paper or consultation document, is open for comments until April 17.

The green paper sets out the Government's vision for a modern industrial strategy and includes some early actions that the Government has committed to take. 

The strategy highlights the importance that the Government places on technologies such as smart, flexible power grids, electric vehicles, demand response and energy storage which it says will drive cost reductions and produce export opportunities for Britain.

The strategy document outlines 10 key 'strategic pillars':

  • Investing in science, research and innovation
  • Developing skills
  • Upgrading infrastructure
  • Supporting business to start and grow
  • Improving government procurement
  • Encouraging trade and inward investment
  • Delivering affordable energy and clean growth
  • Cultivating world-leading sectors
  • Driving growth across the whole country
  • Creating the right institutions to bring together sectors and places

The plan notes the need to: “use strategic government procurement to drive innovation and enable the development of UK supply chains” and “secure the economic benefits of the transition to a low-carbon economy”.

Speaking at the green paper launch, the Prime Minister Theresa May said: “The Modern Industrial Strategy will back Britain for the long-term: creating the conditions where successful businesses can emerge and grow, and backing them to invest in the long-term future of our country." 

The Industrial Strategy seeks to draw inspiration from the automotive and aerospace sectors; whereby individual firms grasp the initiative to shape sectors for the future. The Government announced a first set of 'champions' for sectors with strong growth potential, including former Ford chief technical officer Richard Parry-Jones - who is tasked with the low emission transition in transport. 

The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Secretary Greg Clark said: “A modern British Industrial Strategy must build on the UK’s strengths and extend excellence into the future; close the gap between the UK’s most productive companies, industries, places and people and the rest; and ensure we are one of the most competitive places in the world to start and grow a business.”

Commenting on the green paper, the LowCVP's Managing Director Andy Eastlake said: "We welcome and support the focus on the development and deployment of low carbon and low emission technologies in the Government's industrial strategy.

"Low carbon energy and vehicles in transport and their associated technologies are highlighted as major strategic opportunities for UK Plc. The LowCVP has long identified the economic opportunity as well as the environmental imperative of driving the low carbon transport transition and stands ready to redouble its efforts to make this vision a reality."    

The consultation document 'Building our Industrial Strategy' is available here. Responses must be submitted by April 17, 2017.

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