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Push and pull is needed to green our economy

Posted on 25 October, 2019 by Angela Francis Leave a comment

This post is by Angela Francis, chief advisor on economics and economic development at WWF and GIPC commissioner. The post was first published on Business Green.

Innovation has been a big part of the government’s efforts to shift the dial on the UK’s woeful productivity performance over the past ten years. It will invest £80 billion in R&D by 2027 to catalyse further private sector investment, with the target is to bring overall R&D levels up to 2.4 per cent of GDP (from 1.7 per cent in 2016). But spending on research is not the end government is seeking. Read more

Green economy

How to make green tech work for blue collar workers across the country

Posted on 25 September, 2018 by Angela Francis Leave a comment

Green Alliance launched the new Tech Task Force earlier this month at an evening reception addressed by Claire Perry MP and the members of the Task Force: HVM Catapult, Innovate UK, Gambica, Schneider Electric and Ramboll. With it, we are setting out to make sure digital technologies help to close the north-south divide and make the UK a greener and more prosperous place for everyone. That optimistic vision runs counter to recent headlines suggesting robots and artificial intelligence software will make us all obsolete. Read more

How a green economy can promote growth

Posted on 17 April, 2018 by Dustin Benton Leave a comment

This blog was first published by the Environmental Journal.

The UK’s economy grew by 1.7 per cent in 2017, buoyed up by the first synchronised bout of global growth since the financial crisis. Favourable global economic conditions have raised the UK’s economic output, and, although the UK is the slowest growing economy in the G7, relative economic stability has blunted some of the debate over why people feel the economy is no longer working for them. Read more

Low carbon development is a chance to rebalance our economy

Posted on 7 April, 2017 by Green Alliance blog Leave a comment

This post is by Paul Nowak, deputy general secretary of the TUC.

Climate change is the biggest challenge facing the planet. But, for many working people, it can seem a remote issue; one not directly related to their everyday lives. That’s why the TUC is keen to draw the links between tackling climate change and some of the other major themes of our campaign work: rebalancing our economy; investing in the UK’s physical and social infrastructure; and ensuring working people are not asked to pay the price for Brexit.

No more nudges – only an entrepreneurial state can give us a green revolution

Posted on 8 December, 2015 by Green Alliance blog 4 comments

This post is by Mariana Mazzucato, RM Phillips professor in the economics of innovation, SPRU, University of Sussex, author of The entrepreneurial state: debunking public vs private sector myths and Green Alliance trustee.

Speaking at the start of the COP21 meeting in Paris, President Obama told delegates:

“We have proved that strong economic growth and a safer environment no longer have to conflict with one another; they can work in concert with one another.”

He’s right that a green economy need not come at the expense of growth. Policy makers must also now recognise that we cannot rely on the private sector to bring about the kind of radical reshaping of the economy that is required. As Bill Gates recently acknowledged, only the state can provide the kind of patient finance and direction required to make a decisive shift.

What should be the state’s role in developing a green economy?

Posted on 9 September, 2014 by Julian Morgan 3 comments

Many of us believe that the development of a vibrant green economy is vital to Britain’s economic as well as environmental future. But how should we best foster the green economy and is there a role for government intervention? Should the state try to actively stimulate green innovation and industrial development? Or should the ‘bumbling bureaucrats’ simply get out of the way and leave it to the dynamic venture capitalists and entrepreneurs? Read more

Stop worrying about mystery lobbyists, the green economy is winning

Posted on 8 April, 2013 by Alastair Harper One comment

This post first appeared on Business Green.

On Friday afternoon, a spoof twitter account sent the great and the good of the energy world into a frenzy of speculation. It was the climax of an odd week, during which everyone seemed to be asking each other “Who are Power Line?”. At one point, a senior banking employee called and asked me if I knew. He’d been asked by one of his clients, a major building company, who had, in turn, been asked to find out by their major trade association. Read more

Green economy

Why we need low carbon infrastructure, not “shovel ready” zombie roads

Posted on 20 March, 2013 by Alastair Harper Leave a comment

This post was first published on the New Statesman blog.

After three years of vigorous disagreement the political and economic commentariat seem to have found common ground. Infrastructure. Left and right now agree that it’s vital for the UK’s economic renewal, requires much greater infrastructure investment, and the Chancellor looks set to move it closer to the centre stage in the Budget. Read more

How to make City Deals greener

Posted on 14 February, 2013 by Green Alliance blog Leave a comment

This is a guest post by Andy Nolan, Director of Sustainable Development at Sheffield City Council.

Eight core English cities including my own have now signed City Deals to boost their economies[1]. Work is already underway on putting the deals into practice, but there are many ways we can strengthen and build on what has been achieved so far.

The low carbon emphasis of the deals, for example, would be be much stronger if a number of things were to change: Read more

Conference diary: making the papers

Posted on 9 October, 2012 by Green Alliance blog Leave a comment

Alastair Harper is Green Alliance’s senior policy adviser on Political Leadership and roving party conference diarist.

Here his is first posting from the Conservative’s party conference in Birmingham, first published on Business Green.

Minutes after they read it on the cover of The Times yesterday morning, a private round table brought together MPs, ministers, businesses and NGOs to discuss the role of green in the recovery.

Two different letters, one leaked, one written openly, may just have changed everything. The letters said that those that want to invest into this country, cannot without greater certainty from government on the green agenda. Read more

Political leadership

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