Government 'Green Day' - BCC reaction

While we cautiously welcome the Government’s long-awaited series of green policy announcements, or its ‘Green Day’, more time is needed to understand how it will work on a day-by-day, year-by-year basis, and the true impact that it will have on the UK ceramics industry.

As an energy-intensive foundation industry, we note the extension of the Industrial Energy Transformation Fund to progress energy efficiency and decarbonisation projects, especially as the UK ceramics manufacturers have already invested over £650million of their own money into the push for net zero.

We also welcome the long-awaited consultation on alternative measures to address carbon leakage as the current approach leaves UK ceramic manufacturers internationally uncompetitive and at risk of being flooded by cheap, high carbon imports.

There is also news that an energy advice service for SMEs is to be launched.

Decarbonisation needs to be a positive partnership between Government and the UK’s ceramic manufacturers, or it risks leading to the loss of UK competitiveness, jobs, and investment as well as increased global emissions.

The Government needs to increase its support for the UK’s ceramic industry so that any target-driven strategy can move at a pace that manufacturers can successfully match.

By achieving this, it will mean that in 2050, the UK will not only have met its climate targets, but it will still have a strong, vibrant and internationally competitive UK ceramics industry.

UK ceramics is critical to UK manufacturing, construction, and net zero. Government needs to support it.