Commenting on the formal start of the COP 30 UN climate summit in Brazil, and its implications for jobs and opportunity closer to home, Dr Marie Macklin CBE said: 

“The latest UN climate summit in Brazil comes at a point when the global path to Net Zero appears stalled, and at a time when many people are questioning the value of such gatherings.

“However, the fact that the COP summits appear to have slipped down the agenda in terms of their perceived importance to some governments should not be taken as evidence that the journey to a sustainable future is not a necessary one.

“Instead, it should be seen as a wake-up call to governments and decision makers everywhere that they need to do more to make the path to Net Zero a more attractive one for businesses, organisations and, above all, for ordinary people.

“We cannot expect communities, companies and individuals to embrace the changes needed unless we are able to show that sustainability can be achieved fairly.  That means promoting opportunity at every stage, so that the transition to Net Zero brings jobs, growth and other tangible benefits.

“In 2021, the COP 26 summit in Glasgow saw the creation of the GFANZ initiative, which brought together many of the world’s leading financial institutions in an alliance aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation agenda. But, four years on, many bodies have withdrawn from GFANZ as a result of overly restrictive requirements.

“That experience should serve as a lesson, as it demonstrates that trying to go too far, too quickly can be counterproductive.

“Instead, at a time when the goal of a fair transition seems as far away as ever to many, we need to ensure the benefits of the Net Zero journey are as widely shared as possible.

“COP 30 will only be a success if it sees a wholesale recommitment to that aim of securing fairness and opportunity.  And with estimates that the market for renewables and clean energy will grow from around £500 billion to around £1.74 trillion within the next decade, the scale of opportunity is vast.

“In the meantime, our own UK and Scottish Governments need to properly harness that potential, and show – through their climate and energy policy actions as well as words – that they can deliver the jobs, opportunity and hope that is so badly needed.”