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Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy: government and business working together is a new government publication setting out what the transition to a green economy means for businesses.
Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy looks ahead to 2020 and maps out planned Government action across areas including climate change, resource efficiency, waste prevention, carbon capture and storage, offshore wind generation, and the Green Deal.
Publishing the document, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman stressed the opportunities for business and the link between environmental and economic advances:
“The government’s objective of reducing the deficit and strengthening the economy goes hand in hand with our ambition to be the greenest government ever.
“Moving to a green economy presents huge opportunities for British businesses not only to reduce their environmental impact, but also to transform products and services, develop cleaner technologies, and capture new international markets.”
Clarity on environmental policy
Developed by Defra, BIS, and DECC, the publication meets requests from the private sector for greater clarity on what Government means by a “green economy”, the policies being put in place to achieve this and how they come together. It will form the basis for continuing dialogue between government, business and communities, to ensure that the UK remains competitive and seizes business opportunities as it moves to a green economy.
Business Secretary Vince Cable said:
“Businesses need to prepare for a low carbon future; and minimise the risks in the fossil fuel economy; and maximise the opportunities arising from green technologies.
“We have produced Enabling the Transition to a Green Economy in response to businesses who have told us that they needed greater clarity on what environmental policy means for them.”
Helping business make a success of the green economy
It also sets out commitments from government on actions it will take to support businesses and help establish the clarity needed to underpin private sector investment. These include promoting international action; attracting investment in infrastructure; proportionate environmental regulation which minimises the burdens on business; voluntary agreements as an alternative to regulation; and equipping the work force with the right skills.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne said:
“British businesses hold the key to making a success of the green economy and the Coalition wants to do everything it can to dismantle the barriers to making that happen.
“In the end game, British business will be better off from the more stable and secure economy that will come from reducing our dependence on fossil fuels.”
Commitments to support a green economy
The document summarises the government’s commitments and ways business can support the transition to a green economy:
| Government will… | Business could… |
|---|---|
Develop a green policy framework which:
|
Work with Government to:
|
| Promote the UK as a global leader in green exports and encourage green inward investment. | Help Government publicise the skills and expertise of UK-based business. |
| Provide accessible advice and support to enable businesses to increase their resource efficiency, resource security and resilience to climate change. | Become increasingly resource efficient and build risks of energy/resource security and climate change into future business planning. |
| Ensure that Government ‘green’ policies take into account the competitiveness of UK-based companies, including Energy Intensive Industries and develop measures to support businesses most hit by transitional costs. | Continue to explore production processes and business models which reduce use of resources and carbon emissions. |
| Ensure the skills system responds to the demand for skills created by shift to green economy. | Help articulate skills demand through involvement in LEPs, and Sector Skills Councils. |
| Support the development of greener products, services, and technologies, though continued support for R&D and innovation. | Design, develop and promote greener products and services, including enabling technologies. |
| Encourage investment in infrastructure and ensure that infrastructure supports the green economy, including through the Green Investment Bank. | Invest in infrastructure that will support the green economy. |
| Enable UK-based businesses to compete in green, low carbon supply chains where the UK has expertise. | Work together, where possible, to help build UK-based supply chains. |
| Procure products that meet cost-effective sustainability standards. | Adopt sustainability standards for their procurement. |
| Help businesses understand the value of and their impact on the natural environment. | Consider the value of the natural environment to their business. |
Further information
The full suite of information, available to download from Business Link’s Green economy for business webpage, includes:
- The government’s vision for a green economy;
- Timeline of key policies and investments;
- Guide for small businesses: a document for SMEs on what the transition means for them;
- 3 case studies highlighting how the chemicals, food and drink and automotive sectors are responding to the issues of moving to a green economy.
Business Link has also launched a set of online guides on aspects of the transition to a green economy: