Aldersgate Group welcomes new government and urges low carbon economy growth

Following the majority won by the Conservative Party at the General Election, the Aldersgate Group urged the new government to build on the work done in the last five years and support the continued growth of the UK’s thriving environmental and low carbon economy.

The Aldersgate Group, whose business members represent a wide range of economic sectors and a collective turnover in excess of £300bn, urged the new government to recognise the importance of the UK’s environmental and low carbon goods sector as part of the UK’s continued economic recovery. Ambitious, stable policies to tackle climate change and protect the natural environment will make the UK economy more competitive and resilient, whilst delivering important environmental and social benefits.

During the period of the last government, the UK’s low carbon sector grew to employ nearly half a million people with its turnover increasing by nearly 25% between 2010 and 2013, reaching £122bn in 2013. With the sector’s annual gross valued added already equivalent to that of the foods and drinks industry, it is clear that investing in the low carbon economy should form an important part of the new government’s economic plan.

The Aldersgate Group also pointed out that with nearly 2% of Scotland’s jobs already in the low carbon economy, the continued growth of the sector should remain an important priority for the SNP.

Nick Molho, Executive Director of the Aldersgate Group said: “The low carbon sector has continued to thrive in the last five years and we look forward to working with the Conservative government to build upon it. We welcome in particular the Conservative Party’s commitments in its manifesto to improve the state of the UK’s natural environment, support the UK’s Climate Change Act and to continue reducing the UK’s emissions cost-effectively. Achieving these objectives will require ambitious and stable policies and a pragmatic approach to the role that energy efficient and low carbon technologies, including onshore wind, can play in the future.”