Governments must take action to support climate-sensitive infrastructure investment

£1.4trn investment required

The COP26 summit sent a clear signal to the world that governments and the private sector must do more to meet net-zero targets. It is time to turn our words into action, with investment in the infrastructure required to underpin the transition – facilitated by a policy backdrop to support that investment.

The investment required is substantial, to say the least; £1.4tn, according to the UK Government's independent climate advisor, the Climate Change Committee. Indeed, the Global Infrastructure Investor Association estimates that in the next decade alone, we'll have to double current rates of investment to £40bn to stay on track to reach net-zero targets.  The energy transition often seems to be defined solely in the context of renewables generation, such as wind and solar, aimed at decarbonising the electricity supply. This is just one, albeit essential, component of the holistic approach...