This post first appeared on BusinessGreen.
The government’s Industrial Strategy consultation closed on Easter Monday. But before we had chance to draw breath, a snap election was called, moving the political agenda on again. Read more
This post is by Neal Mehta, managing consultant in the energy and climate team at ICF
For the past five months, colleagues and I have worked on a project for the UK government that was ultimately trying to answer the question: how is the UK best placed to contribute to, and benefit from, the global low carbon transition? Read more
Under its new industrial strategy, the government has committed £4.7 billion for science and innovation until 2020 and has announced the creation of a new Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund (ISCF). This will be modelled on the US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, known as DARPA. For seasoned innovation thinkers, this is very good news. But what’s so exciting about DARPA? Read more
This post is by Lyndsey Dodds, head of UK and EU marine policy at WWF.
Since the EU referendum, there has been much talk of the ‘sea of opportunity’ for fisheries but little detail on what it will look like in practice and how we can go further than the status quo, to become world leaders on sustainable fisheries management.
Theresa May recently launched the centrepiece of her domestic agenda: the UK’s industrial strategy. After six months of commentary on the parallels between the phenomena that led to the Brexit vote and US election result, it is useful to reflect on the differences that are starting to emerge. A quick read of the green paper appears to show that May is charting a very different course on industrial strategy from the one now being advocated on the other side of the Atlantic. Significant differences are the approach to resource productivity and the attitude to growing low carbon markets. Read more
This post is by Green Alliance’s Dustin Benton, head of energy and resources, and Jonny Hazell, senior policy adviser.
Forget the theory: the first test of Britain’s new industrial strategy will be how it handles the steel crisis. Steel used to be the sign of an advanced manufacturing nation, and it still provides the sort of skilled employment outside London that Theresa May has promised to protect. It’s at the heart of the debate about exporting carbon emissions and Brexit Britain’s industrial future. The world will inevitably draw lessons from how it is handled.
Industrial strategy is back. It featured in Theresa May’s Birmingham leadership speech as one of the economic reforms necessary “to get the whole economy firing”. As prime minister, May has followed through by elevating the former Department for Business Innovation and Skills’ competitiveness remit ‘to develop a long term industrial strategy’ to the title of the new Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS). Read more
This post is by Jenny Hawley, freelance consultant and the editor of Why women will save the planet.
Sexism and gender equality are hot topics in business, the media and politics, and women’s empowerment is widely recognised as critical to international development. So why don’t we hear more environmentalists talking about it?
This blog is by Alys Penfold, communications assistant at Green Alliance.
When my colleague Amy announced that she had helped to put together an event for women just starting out their careers in the sustainability sector, I was hesitant to apply. Despite fitting the bill as an applicant, I didn’t feel like I qualified, as I had only just started out in the sector and thought I wouldn’t have enough experience or knowledge to participate. By the end of the two days at ‘She is Sustainable’, I had completely changed my mind.
This post is by Paul Morling, principal economist for the RSPB.
UK and EU policy makers have increasingly favoured the use of voluntary approaches, like industry self regulation, as a low cost, more flexible alternative to binding regulations or market based instruments.
