Net zero· Living standards Turning up the heat How to quicken Britain’s heat pumps roll-out and hit our net zero targets Thursday 10 April 2025 Our homes are now the second biggest contributor the UK’s carbon footprint, and efforts to address this rely on the widespread replacement of gas boilers with electric heat pumps. But the rollout of heat pumps is slow and behind schedule, despite generous grants on offer, and particularly so among low-to-middle income families and those living in urban areas. Home heating is one of the most visible parts of the net zero transition to households, and a policy shift is required to get more fitted into homes and ensure that all families ultimately benefit via lower energy bills. But these shifts are neither free, nor straightforward. READ MORE
Net zero Getting the green light How can we fairly share the costs of decarbonising transport? Thursday 17 October 2024 The next big hurdle on Britain’s path towards a green economy is decarbonising every-day travel. Emissions from getting around – from cars, vans, buses, trains and planes – make up the greatest share of the country’s carbon footprint, and have hardly shrunk in the past decade. So, if we want to go green, we need to overhaul the ways in which families get from A to B. Moving from polluting petrol to cheaper electric vehicles (EVs), ensuring lower income families can access EVs or affordable public transport, and that flying pays its way, are vital if the transition is to achieve widespread public consent and support. READ MORE
Net zero Net zeroing in on investment Can the Government deliver a fair transition? Monday 22 July 2024 Register to attend in person or to receive an access link for online viewers. The new Labour Government says it wants clean energy – and wider action on climate change – at the heart of its new economic strategy, pledging to go further and faster on decarbonising electricity, insulating homes, and shifting to electric vehicles … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Living standards· Public spending· Prices & consumption· Productivity & industrial strategy Powering Britain Can we decarbonise electricity without disadvantaging poorer families? Monday 22 April 2024 The UK’s transition towards a net zero economy requires a complete overhaul of our power sector. We don’t just need electricity generation that has been decarbonised, but a huge amount more of it as we switch away from heating our homes with gas and powering our cars with petrol. This will require a huge step … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030· Demographics· Firms· Living standards· Productivity & industrial strategy· Brexit & trade· Cities and regions· Economic growth· Tax· Macroeconomic policy Ending Stagnation A New Economic Strategy for Britain Monday 4 December 2023 The final report of The Economy 2030 Inquiry The UK has great strengths, but is a decade and a half into a period of stagnation. The combination of slow growth and high inequality is proving toxic for low- and middle-income Britain. The result is a country falling behind its peers, where taxes, rather than wages, … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030 Living in a material world How resources shape our past, present and future Monday 19 June 2023 Materials matter. They have been critical in shaping the path of human history, from the innovations we create to the relationships between nations. This has always been true from iron in the 19th Century to lithium that powers our smartphones today. But changing international dynamics – driven by shifting geopolitics, the recent energy crisis and … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030 Running out of road? How to avoid (net) zero car taxation Thursday 1 June 2023 The UK is decarbonising its stock of cars quicker than most people expected – last year there were over a million Electric Vehicles (EVs) on our roads. This is great news for both people and the planet, as EVs are cheaper and cleaner to drive. But this transition presents challenges too – not least to … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030 Getting warmth up and bills down How can the UK insulate its housing stock? Monday 12 December 2022 The current energy crisis has highlighted the disaster that is Britain’s poorly insulated housing stock – costing millions of households hundreds of pounds this winter alone. And it is about time, with drastically improving the energy efficiency of our homes the biggest net zero challenge of the 2020s. But progress has been far too slow … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030· Firms· Productivity & industrial strategy· Brexit & trade· Economic growth Stagnation Nation? The Economy 2030 Inquiry conference Wednesday 13 July 2022 The UK is facing a decisive decade of economic change, as we emerge from the pandemic, adjust to Brexit, and urgently transition towards a net zero future. Some hope these changes will help us overcome the stagnation that has seen the UK enter the 2020s with low growth and high inequality – be that via … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Net zero The net zero job How will decarbonisation affect the world of work? Monday 20 June 2022 The net zero transition has changed debates about the future of the labour market, with new jobs – like wind energy engineering – growing year-on-year and worries about rapid declines in carbon-intensive industries like steel production. But the main effect of the net zero transition will be to change our jobs, as firms adapt to … Continued READ MORE
Economy 2030· Net zero· Firms· Productivity & industrial strategy Green growth: miracle or mirage? How might cutting down carbon give the UK economy a cutting-edge? Monday 23 May 2022 The UK’s net zero transition represents a major challenge for the UK, but also a major opportunity if we get it right. Many argue it could see the UK utilising its existing economic strengths to lead the way in cutting edge clean technology – creating jobs and new export opportunities. But with other countries holding … Continued READ MORE
Net zero· Economy 2030 The carbon crunch? Delivering the next phase of the Net Zero transition Thursday 30 September 2021 Over the course of the 2020s, the UK will embark on the crucial next phase of the transition toward a Net Zero economy. This will touch our lives and livelihoods like never before, as we decarbonise how we travel and heat our homes. And with COP 26 starting in Glasgow in little over a months’ … Continued READ MORE
