Tackle climate emergency with same urgency as Covid, experts urge PM

Business, academic and civil society leaders have jointly written to the Prime Minister to highlight the need to rapidly catalyse green innovation, with solutions to climate change needing to be rolled out with the same focus and urgency as the development of Covid vaccines. The letter, co-ordinated by the Green Alliance independent think tank, includes recommendations that stem from a two-year investigation by the UCL Green Innovation Policy Commission (GIPC), chaired by former CBI Director-General, John Cridland, as well as Commission Director and research lead Professor Paul Ekins, signatories to the letter. Published today, the GIPC's final report emphasises that the government must pay more attention to deploying proven technologies and solutions that are close to market, rather than focusing primarily on R&D, as well as targeting a broader range of technologies and sectors in its policymaking. Building on the findings of deep dive investigations into five sectors of the economy, analysing the drivers for green innovation, and what is holding it back, the report concludes that government action will be key to addressing a number of barriers and policy gaps. GIPC Director, Professor Paul Ekins (UCL Institute for Sustainable Resources), said: "The climate and Covid crises are very different - but they are both crises, and so far, the push for rapid scale-up of climate solutions has seen nothing like the scale of efforts that was put into developing a Covid vaccine. "Now is exactly the moment when government should be doubling down, making the most of public support for decarbonisation and the need for economic stimulus to futureproof our economy.