We are thrilled to announce the establishment of the ‘Council for the Future’. Co-founded by CEE Director Professor Mette High and Greener Vision CEO Claire Haigh, the vision for the council is to provide a high-level inter-sectional advisory board for parliamentarians on issues around climate, energy and sustainability.
We are at a critical point in our struggle to tackle the climate and nature crises. The 10 hottest years in measured history have been in the last decade. Seven out of nine planetary boundaries have been breached. The window to avoid irreversible climate impacts and biodiversity loss is rapidly closing.
At the same time, the growth in renewables has repeatedly surpassed expectations, often by record-breaking margins in terms of capacity and speed. The green economy is the fastest growing sector globally behind only the tech sector. We have all the solutions we need to tackle the climate crisis. Moreover, the clean energy transition has the potential to bring many wide-ranging social, economic and environmental benefits.
The UK has a strong track record on climate leadership. UK emissions have halved since 1990 whilst the economy grew by 80%. But progress has been largely due to decarbonising the power sector. As attention turns to the hard-to-abate sectors, and where progress will increasingly require people to make changes in their own lives, the once-strong cross- party -political consensus on net zero is at risk of fracturing.
Last year, the Climate and Nature Crisis Caucus launched in the UK Parliament with the specific goal of rebuilding the cross-party consensus on net zero and climate action. To support the strengthening the UK consensus, the business community, academia, and key stakeholders also need to play their part in ensuring that the rationale for policies is well-informed and communicated clearly.
This is why the Centre for Energy Ethics and Greener Vision are convening a new Council for the Future as an independent high-level forum to explore new approaches to tackling anthropogenic climate change. The aim is to provide a neutral non-partisan space to discuss some of the tough political choices in relation to implementing climate policies and the difficult choices involved.
The Council for the Future builds on the CEE’s and Greener Vision’s work together last year with the Tabula Project. The exhibition event included a roundtable discussion series which highlighted a range of governance and institutional issues, policy priorities and tactics for engaging with the public on tackling climate change. Public concern about climate change is consistently high but analysis shows that the British media is increasingly divorcing net zero from climate change. The Council’s focus in 2026 will include putting a spotlight on the debate surrounding net zero.
We are delighted to confirm that the Council for the Future is to be chaired by The Rt Hon Lord Deben, former UK Environment Secretary and Chair of the Climate Change Committee (2012-2023). Membership of the Council will comprise leading figures from the world of politics, business and academia. A formal announcement of further council representatives will be made following the elections in May across England, Scotland and Wales.
