14 leading members of the Professional Bodies Action Charter have signed a joint letter calling for the new Prime Minister to maintain the UK’s commitment to delivering its net-zero by 2050 and adaptation targets.
Delivering the Net Zero Strategy could create hundreds of thousands of jobs, and prevent the next crisis from hitting families and communities hard.
The Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter represents 13 million professional members globally across a wide range of sectors from science and engineering, law, health, construction and the built environment, and finance and insurance.
In this cost of living and energy crisis, a managed transition to net zero by 2050 is the best way to shield UK citizens from future price shocks, create homes that are warm and cheap to heat, and unlock private investment at scale for the sustainable markets of tomorrow, the letter argues. Continued government commitment is essential for successful delivery.
Net zero is one of the biggest investment opportunities the UK has ever seen. The Net Zero Strategy is expected to create over 440,000 well-paying jobs and unlock £90 billion in private investment by 2030.
The letter urges the new Prime Minister to clearly commit to delivering the transition to unlock these opportunities nationwide.
“We are in a climate emergency, with the frequency of extreme heat and droughts across Europe likely to continue to increase without intervention” said Sarah Mukherjee MBE, CEO of Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA). “We must have a Prime Minister in place who is committed to delivering on the UK’s Net Zero Strategy whilst ensuring that we have a cleaner economy, underpinned by green skills and jobs, to enable the transition to a more sustainable future.”
Heather McKay, UK Sustainable Finance Policy Advisor at E3G, added that delivering the net zero transition is key for the UK’s economic future and that professionals across the country want more good jobs, warmer homes, and lower bills. This will not happen without a strong commitment to tackle climate change from the new Prime Minister.
The letter by the professional bodies reads as follows:
“To: Rishi Sunak MP; Penny Mordaunt, Minister of State for Trade; Liz Truss, Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs; Kemi Badenoch MP
Cc: Tom Tugendhat MP
Dear Conservative MPs,
The ongoing cost of living crisis and current heat wave have highlighted the acute risks if the UK Government does not proactively deliver a strategic approach to net zero. If the Climate Change Act and your party’s manifesto commitments are not delivered, future crises will surely follow.
As the Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter, we represent 13 million professional members globally across a wide range of sectors from science and engineering, law, health, construction and the built environment, and finance and insurance. Our members are deeply concerned that this government remains committed to delivering on the UK’s net-zero and adaptation targets.
We have already witnessed the significant benefits of investing in the net zero transition. For example, the low-carbon renewables sector has grown in value to over £200 bn, employing over 1.2 million people. This has been supported by government initiatives such as the Net Zero Strategy and the UK’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution. Delivering the Net Zero Strategy could create another 440,000 well-paying jobs and unlock £90 billion in private investment by 2030.
This will not happen without continued government commitment to delivery. Professionals need a stable policy framework, guidance and training to align their sectors with net zero and reap the opportunities granted by the global transition. This will be reliant on a wider economic transition to net zero, across a range of sectors, supported by a suite of policies, including strategic public investment and clear market signals from a coherent direction of travel.
As the Conservative Party prepares to welcome a new Prime Minister to lead the UK, it is important that MPs prioritise net zero in order to meet the ambition and demand of the private sector. Implementing a robust Net Zero Strategy is the UK’s best path to unlocking the numerous economic opportunities associated with the net zero transition, including shielding UK citizens from the ongoing energy price crisis, creating hundreds of thousands of high-quality jobs and unlocking private investment at scale for the sustainable markets of tomorrow.
We urge you to seize this opportunity to champion net zero, deliver energy security and maintain the UK’s international status as a green leader.
Yours Sincerely,
The Professional Bodies Climate Action Charter”
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