It’s time to double down on net-zero
3 min read
As global competition for clean investment intensifies, the UK stands at a critical crossroads. Alex Sobel MP, Chair of the Net Zero APPG, underscores the need for urgent action, not only to meet net-zero targets, but to seize the economic opportunities of a green future
For years, there has been welcome cross-party recognition that net-zero is not just essential to tackling the climate crisis – it is also one of the most powerful tools we have to build a fairer, cleaner and more prosperous economy.
That consensus must not be allowed to unravel.
The reality is clear: net-zero is a catalyst, not a cost. According to recent CBI analysis, the UK’s net-zero economy supported nearly a million jobs last year and added more than £80bn to our national output. These are good jobs – 40 per cent more productive and paying 15 per cent more than the UK average.1
This isn’t abstract growth. It’s real opportunity, rooted in place. From offshore wind in Yorkshire and the Humber, to green steel in Wales, battery manufacturing in the West Midlands and tidal power in Scotland, the benefits of clean industry are reaching across our country. In Scotland alone, one in every 25 workers is already in a net-zero role.1
Clean growth isn’t just good for the climate, it’s good for people’s pockets. It means lower bills, warmer homes, better jobs, cleaner air and greater energy independence. From infrastructure to industry, transport to housing, the transition to net-zero can deliver real improvements in people’s lives while strengthening our national resilience.
But those benefits must be better communicated and more widely felt. In the face of misinformation and short-term thinking, we need to renew the political consensus behind net-zero and focus on delivery that reaches every part of the country. That means embedding it as a central, cross-cutting mission across government with practical action that supports communities, workers and businesses.
In Parliament, there is a clear appetite to get on with this. As chair of the Net Zero APPG, I’ve seen how cross-party collaboration can help forge agreement on the steps we need to take and how maintaining momentum depends on political clarity and public trust.
We must also win the argument beyond Westminster. Too often, net-zero is being framed as a burden. That’s short-sighted and self-defeating. The transition offers cleaner air, better jobs, more reliable transport and a fairer economy. And we must not lose sight of its core purpose: to protect our planet. Environmental action isn’t just necessary, it’s popular.
"Too often, net-zero is being framed as a burden. That’s short-sighted and self-defeating”
We’ve led before. The UK was the first major economy to legislate for net-zero, and we’ve decarbonised faster than any other G7 country. But if we’re to retain that leadership and seize the opportunities on offer, we need to match past ambition with present urgency. With global competition for clean investment intensifying, this is no longer just about hitting climate targets. It’s about securing the jobs, industries and technologies of the future.
We know what to do. We have the tools. Now is the moment to double down.
References
1.CBI; Growth and innovation in the UK’s net zero economy. https://www.cbi.org.uk/articles/growth-and-innovation-in-the-uk-s-net-zero-economy/
