Clean growth strategy launched to guide the UK towards a sustainable future 

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The Government has launched a clean growth strategy that provides a strategy that will enable the UK to move towards a low carbon, resource efficient and sustainable future. 

This strategy was published by the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in order to illustrate the UK’s achievement in reducing carbon emission and driving economic growth. 

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Over £2.5 billion will be invested between 2015-2021 for low carbon innovation, and with 430,000 jobs already in this sector, more jobs with high earning potential and productivity could be created. 

Due to this, the economy could rise 11% per year between 2015-2030. 

The report sets out how the UK can profit from low carbon opportunities through new technology and business, creating new jobs and meeting the national targets in fighting climate change. 

It highlights that these strategies will support the UK in becoming a zero-avoidable waste country by 2050, with proposals to tackle food waste by 2030. 

With UK carbon emissions falling by 42% and the economy growing by 67%, the Government is aiming to continue a move towards decarbonisation. 

Figures in previous years have illustrated how the UK has accomplished decarbonisation rates. In 2016 the rate was 7.7% almost three times the global average. 

The Climate Change Act, first introduced into the UK, provided long-term targets and five-year caps on greenhouse gas emission up to 2050, and with the measures from the strategy report, the Government is still focused on achieving the fifth carbon budget (2028-2032). 

While the main focus of the report is energy efficiency and decarbonisation, the report outlined certain achievements made in natural resources: 

    • The UK has halved emissions from 1990 in livestock, land use and waste and now emissions in these sectors only account for 15% of the total for the UK. 
    • Waste sectors have decreased 73% due to taxing waste to landfill, higher recycling rate and a better infrastructure. 
    • Household recycling has improved from 11% to 44% between 2000/1- 2015/16.
    • A ‘Green Great Britain’ week will be established to show how we can be a greener country. 

Suggestions that materials should be handled in relation to its environmental impact will allow better targets for the future and with funding for innovation, including new technological solutions to control long term landfill emissions, the UK’s future is transitioning to a greener economy.  

Environmental Services Association executive director Jacob Hayler said: “The Government’s Clean Growth Strategy rightly recognises the impressive work of the waste and resource industry in helping the UK transition to a low carbon circular economy.” 

Environment Secretary Michael Gove added: “We are determined to be the first generation to leave the environment in a better state than we inherited it, and achieving clean growth is an integral part of our work to deliver a Green Brexit. 

Through our ambitious plans to tackle waste, better manage our precious natural resources and create a more environmentally-focused agricultural system, this government is taking the lead in creating a cleaner, greener Britain.”