On 1 May 2008 the Government published its response to the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance (CEMEP): “Building a low carbon economy: Unlocking Innovation and Skills”. The final report from CEMEP, published in November 2007, provided an analysis of the scale of opportunities for the UK in moving to a low carbon, resource efficient and more sustainable economy. The Global Environmental Industries Sector, estimated to be worth £274 billion in 2005, is expected to grow to £342 billion by 2010 and just under £400 billion by 2015. But CEMEP also made it clear these opportunities will only be available to those countries and businesses with the foresight to seize them, and made a number of recommendations to business and Governments to do this.
The Government fully recognises the scale of these new opportunities and is working with partners to realise them, as outlined in “Building a low carbon economy.” The Government have set out four key challenges: the need for long-term, clear, consistent and credible policies to encourage the confidence for businesses to invest and enable the timely development of innovative products and services to speed the transition to a low-carbon economy; the need to create the conditions that allow innovation to flourish, by removing barriers and other disincentives and through support for research, development and demonstration; that we have to draw on the talent and creativity of the British people and ensure that the economy has the skills it needs to be successful; and the need for partnership working between all levels of Government and business.
The CEMEP reports are available on the DEFRA website.