ICE response to the Environmental Audit Committee call for evidence: Greening the post-Covid recovery

The Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on the UK’s economy. At the same time, the recovery represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to recalibrate the economy around greener growth. Infrastructure is a key enabler for achieving a range of economic, social and environmental goals. In addition, infrastructure investment can act as a stimulus for economic recovery in both the short and medium term, while also helping governments achieve their longer-term objectives.

This submission recommends greening the post-Covid recovery by:

• Ensuring the government’s immediate economic response to Covid-19 is driven by the UK’s existing long-term challenges, including population growth and meeting the 2050 net-zero emissions target and the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals
• Reforming the use of HM Treasury’s Green Book so infrastructure investment, focused on economic stimulus packages, aligns with net-zero outcomes
• Investing in new and improved infrastructure, such as accelerating the roll-out of both full-fibre and 5G communications infrastructure, and greater active travel (cycling and walking) provision
• Establishing a UK Investment Bank, with a sustainability mandate, to drive investment in net-zero-aligned infrastructure, as part of post-Covid recovery
• Developing an Infrastructure Skills Plan to inform the design of stimulus packages so the UK has a workforce capable of delivering the net-zero emissions target and so public investment delivers green infrastructure jobs throughout the country
• Digitalising infrastructure so existing assets can be operated more flexibly in response to changing conditions post-Covid and so new infrastructure assets can be delivered more efficiently and achieve cost and carbon savings.