A green and digital future (2023)

The IET has responded to Labour’s National Policy Forum Consultation, 2023. We have outlined that a green and digital future can make the UK the fastest growing economy in the G7. To achieve this however, the next government must provide businesses with the stability of a long-term strategy, with systems-thinking ingrained at the household, community, and national levels. Our response below outlines how sustainable and digital technologies can deliver growth as part of a broader science and technology strategy that focuses on skills, infrastructure, and local policies.

Our five priorities for a Green and Digital Future:

• We need a paradigm shift towards lifelong upskilling and reskilling underpinned by flexible government support. For example, allowing employers to repurpose unspent Apprenticeship Levy funds for upskilling and reskilling.
• The transition to Clean Power by 2030 must be managed through a whole system approach, which considers generation and transmission infrastructure, energy demand, regulation, skills, and the future effects of climate change.
• Retrofitting the UK’s homes should be a national priority. We should be targeting an EPC-A rating for as many homes as possible – this requires a long-term policy commitment to deep (whole-house) retrofit millions of homes.
• A National Institute for artificial intelligence (AI) and ageing research would boost innovation and help propel the UK to the forefront of this emerging sector.
• A prosperous Digital Future is a safe one. New legislation is required that balances a pro-innovation approach to emerging digital technologies, like AI and virtual reality, with appropriate safeguards.