Clean Growth Strategy: What is it and how will it work?

While British politics is at something of a sticking point it’s easy to forget that we have an obligation as a country to improve infrastructure and reduce our carbon footprint. That’s where The Clean Growth Strategy comes in. Haven’t heard of it? Then read on.

What is The Clean Growth Strategy?

As part of the Climate Change Act 2008, plans were created in 2017 and updated in 2018 titled The Clean Growth Strategy. This laid out the ways in which the government sees progress both environmentally and economically for the UK to help meet the 80% reduction of greenhouse gases against 1990 levels.

But what does this strategy involve and how might it impact the average household or business? We’ve taken a look at the 167-page document to bring you some of the key points.

What does The Clean Growth Strategy impact?

Thinking on investment and finance takes up a large portion of the document, with the government pointing out that private investment will be key to driving innovation and keeping the cost of new technology down. £2.5bn is earmarked for research and development in clean processes and technology for:

      • Waste disposal
      • Power generation
      • Transport
      • Business

Improvements to homes across the UK also plays an important part in the plan. With our homes accounting for 13% of the UK’s emissions, there is a big push to make houses more energy efficient.

 

How does The Clean Growth Strategy impact construction?

There are a number of ways in which the construction industry is impacted by The Clean Growth Strategy. It’s hard to tell at this stage whether these are largely positive or negative for the industry, but the following are proposed:

        • Good news for the construction industry is the focus on planting 11 million trees to increase the number of new forest networks, with a steady supply of timber for use in construction.
        • UK construction should benefit from exporting services such as construction for offshore wind generation.
        • With a focus on improving homes, new, innovative construction methods are needed. This gives those in the industry the chance to break old routines and improve sales through new construction projects and retrofits.
        • New power generation requires new buildings and grids, something which could boost the construction industry, with more contracts up for grabs.
        • With the change in focus comes a change in construction techniques and methods. This could include prefabricating homes or manufacturing off-site to get homes built quicker and in greater number for a smaller cost – all with improved energy efficiency built in.

While making processes cheaper might not seem like a great thing, with how stagnant the construction of new homes has been, it could open the floodgates for a lot more work, something which would be positive for the industry as well as the environment if done right.

At Elsons we provide a variety of timber for construction and DIY projects alike. To find out what timber we have in stock, as well as where it is sourced, simply contact our team today and we’ll be happy to help with your enquiry.