Government urged to back digital climatetech sector

A new report from techUK is calling on government to back the UK’s emerging digital climatetech sector.

The report, How to make the UK a digital clean tech leader, has been launched during London Tech Week, and argues that further, and deeper, carbon emission reductions enabled by digital technologies are in reach.

New research reveals digital technologies already in the field could deliver a 15 per cent increase in UK carbon emissions abatement by 2030 whilst adding £13.7 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) to the UK.

With the right business environment, the report argues, the UK can not only cut emissions more efficiently but win a slice of the growing climate tech market.

In the recommendations techUK calls for government to: put a focus on ‘data for decarbonisation’ within the forthcoming National Data Strategy; pivot innovation to net zero to test not just the new technologies, but to also test the underlying value propositions, market, commercial viability, and business models; begin Climate ‘crowd-sourcing’ of innovative tech solutions to policy challenges; set out an urgent call for evidence on market incentives for net zero to strengthen the investment case and unlock private investment in decarbonisation; and create a new Net Zero Tech Taskforce to unlock regulatory barriers and identify outdated standards that are holding the UK back from deploying clean technologies in energy and business.

Julian David, CEO of techUK, said: “We are seeing the growth of a new digital tech sector, one whose focus is to cut carbon emissions and support other sectors in their transition to net zero. But digitalisation doesn’t just happen. We need to work with government to unlock the full potential of tech in helping UK businesses become smarter, more efficient and cleaner.”