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investments are one of the most
effective ways of putting world
economies – including the UK’s – on a
rapid and durable path towards long-
term economic recovery.”
WHAT DOES THE LEVELLING UP PAPER SAY
ABOUT THE UK’S TRANSITION TO NET ZERO?
The UK government has put into law a
net zero emissions target by 2050.
This structural shift could have large
and long-lasting effects on virtually every
aspect of the economy, including jobs and
skills, infrastructure and technology, and
investment and innovation.
The net zero transition could create
huge opportunities for many of the
UK’s left-behind places, but also poses
risks for them which, if unmanaged,
could be damaging.
Parts of the UK that need to undergo
the largest transition lie outside the
South East, often in some of the least
well-performing areas of the UK.
As home to the largest emitting
industrial sectors (manufacturing,
aviation and shipping), emissions
per capita are higher in the Midlands
and North of England, as well as
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
More than one in every two jobs in
carbon-intensive industries are in the
Midlands, the North and Scotland.

The net zero transition could
create huge opportunities for
many of the UK’s left-behind
places, but also poses risks for
them which, if unmanaged,
could be damaging

While the transition to net zero will
be disruptive for these places, it could
also be transformative. The white
paper states that the ‘Green Industrial
Revolution’ will require significant
investment in new infrastructure
and production processes using new
technologies.
This could average £50 to £60 billion
of capital investment per year by the
press release unveiling these 12 Writing for sustainability website late 2020s and into the 2030s.
new missions. Yet, accelerating this edie, a spokesperson for business This investment has the potential
transition and rapidly implementing alliance the Aldersgate Group said: to benefit disproportionately less
the government’s recently published “The Covid-19 crisis has led to a well-performing parts of the UK,
Net Zero Strategy is going to be key to significant body of economic evidence particularly those with a rich heritage of
achieving these ambitions. from the likes of the World Bank, manufacturing and engineering.
First, with close to half a million the International Energy Agency, the Analysis commissioned by the
people working in low-carbon London School of Economics and Department for Business, Energy and
businesses and their supply chains, Oxford University’s Smith School Industrial Strategy (BEIS) shows that
the green economy is already sizeable for Enterprise and the Environment, the North East stands to gain an extra
and is a key potential source of future all showing that ambitious climate 27,000 direct jobs by 2050.
economic prosperity. and environmental policies and Many other places, outside London

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