Skip to main content

Briefing Note: Sustainability Provisions in The King’s Speech 2024

Briefing Note: Sustainability Provisions in The King’s Speech 2024

Date: 17 July 2024

Author: Prime Minister’s Office, 10 Downing Street, London, SW1A 2AA

Purpose

This briefing note provides an analysis of the sustainability-related provisions outlined in His Majesty’s Most Gracious Speech to both Houses of Parliament for 2024. It focuses on legislative initiatives aimed at promoting environmental sustainability, advancing clean energy, and addressing climate change.

Key Legislative Proposals

Great British Energy Bill

  • Objective: To establish a publicly owned clean power company and accelerate investment in renewable energy.
  • Key Measures:
    • Great British Energy: Establishes Great British Energy, a publicly owned company to spearhead renewable energy projects, particularly offshore wind.
    • Renewable Investment: Provides funding and support for renewable energy initiatives to enhance the UK's clean energy infrastructure.
    • Energy Independence: Aims to achieve energy independence by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and increasing renewable energy production.

The Crown Estate Bill

  • Objective: To enhance the management and sustainability of The Crown Estate’s assets.
  • Key Measures:
    • Sustainable Management: Implements sustainable management practices for The Crown Estate’s land and marine assets.
    • Renewable Projects: Facilitates the development of renewable energy projects on Crown Estate lands, particularly offshore wind farms.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Support Mechanism) Bill

  • Objective: To support the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
  • Key Measures:
    • Revenue Support: Introduces a revenue support mechanism to incentivise the production and adoption of SAF.
    • Reduction in Emissions: Aims to reduce carbon emissions from the aviation sector by promoting the use of SAF.

Water (Special Measures) Bill

  • Objective: To improve water quality and management.
  • Key Measures:
    • Water Quality Standards: Strengthens the regulatory framework to improve water quality and protect water resources.
    • Sustainable Water Management: Implements measures for sustainable water management and conservation.

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

  • Objective: To accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing while ensuring sustainability.
  • Key Measures:
    • Streamlined Planning: Reforms the planning system to expedite the approval and construction of sustainable infrastructure projects.
    • Nature Recovery: Uses development to fund nature recovery, ensuring economic growth and environmental sustainability go hand in hand.

Product Safety and Metrology Bill

  • Objective: To ensure the UK’s product safety and metrology framework supports sustainability.
  • Key Measures:
    • Addressing New Risks: Regulates products with modern-day safety and environmental concerns, such as e-bikes and lithium-ion batteries.
    • Technological Progress: Updates the legal metrology framework to support net-zero aims and infrastructure, ensuring energy meters and other devices are accurate.

Strategic Goals

The legislative measures related to sustainability aim to:

  • Promote Renewable Energy: Increase investment in renewable energy projects to reduce carbon emissions and achieve energy independence.
  • Enhance Environmental Management: Implement sustainable management practices for land and marine resources, particularly those under The Crown Estate.
  • Support Sustainable Aviation: Encourage the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel to reduce the aviation sector’s carbon footprint.
  • Improve Water Quality: Strengthen water quality standards and promote sustainable water management practices.
  • Streamline Sustainable Development: Reform the planning system to expedite sustainable infrastructure projects while promoting nature recovery.
  • Modernise Product Safety: Ensure product regulations keep pace with technological advancements and environmental concerns.

The table below summarises the key legislative proposals and measures related to sustainability as outlined in the King’s Speech 2024.

Bill

Objective

Key Measures

Great British Energy Bill

Establish a publicly owned clean power company and accelerate investment in renewable energy

Great British Energy, Renewable Investment, Energy Independence

The Crown Estate Bill

Enhance the management and sustainability of The Crown Estate’s assets

Sustainable Management, Renewable Projects

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (Revenue Support Mechanism) Bill

Support the production and use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF)

Revenue Support, Reduction in Emissions

Water (Special Measures) Bill

Improve water quality and management

Water Quality Standards, Sustainable Water Management

Planning and Infrastructure Bill

Accelerate the delivery of high-quality infrastructure and housing while ensuring sustainability

Streamlined Planning, Nature Recovery

Product Safety and Metrology Bill

Ensure the UK’s product safety and metrology framework supports sustainability

Addressing New Risks, Technological Progress

Conclusion

The King’s Speech 2024 outlines significant legislative initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability and addressing climate change. The proposed bills reflect the government’s commitment to enhancing renewable energy, improving environmental management, supporting sustainable aviation, and ensuring sustainable development and product safety.

Authoring Tools: Blog Bunny

An advanced AI developed by OpenAI, GPT content is designed to simplify and explain complex concepts with authority and clarity. Specialising in transforming intricate topics into engaging, easy-to-understand articles, Blog Bunny employs its vast database and research capabilities to ensure factual accuracy and depth. Dedicated to enhancing the educational aspect of blog posts, a source for insightful, well-researched and expertly written content that resonates with readers across various domains. Blog Bunny can be accessed at https://chat.openai.com/g/g-8I5hFRY8p-blog-bunny

Disclaimer:

Please note that parts of this post were assisted by an Artificial Intelligence (AI) tool. The AI has been used to generate certain content and provide information synthesis. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, the AI's contributions are based on its training data and algorithms and should be considered as supplementary information.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forging Future Forces: The Imperative for the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP)

In an era defined by rapid technological advancements and shifting geopolitical landscapes, the nature of warfare has evolved dramatically. Traditional battlefields have expanded into cyber realms and urban environments, while threats have diversified from state actors to non-state entities wielding sophisticated digital arsenals. Against this backdrop, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence and its partners, has been working for decades lay the foundations, with programs such as Output 3f Training for Combat Readiness, Common Simulator Service ( CSS ), Future Family of Collective Training Capabilities ( FFCTC) (damn! that’s an old one) which turned into  DOT C before becoming NET-C and not for getting the ever-present FCAST! (have they actual finished that yet!) as response to prepare its armed forces for the complexities of modern and future combat: the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP) the next in a protracted line of acronyms. CTTP has the potential
Post a Comment
Read more

The Future of KYC and KYB: Efficiency Meets Accuracy

The landscape of Know Your Customer (KYC) and Know Your Business (KYB) processes is rapidly evolving, driven by technological advancements and the increasing demand for more efficient and accurate compliance solutions. As we move into the future, several key trends have emerged, indicating a significant shift towards digital compliance and the integration of innovative technologies. Drawing insights from leading experts in the field, this post explores the future of KYC and KYB, emphasising the trends that are set to redefine these crucial processes. The Rise of Digital Identity Verification In an expert roundtable hosted by Sumsub in 2024, top KYC trends were discussed, highlighting the pivotal role of digital identity verification technologies. As traditional manual verification methods become increasingly untenable due to their time-consuming nature and potential for human error, digital solutions offer a more efficient alternative. These technologies leverage advanced algorithms
Post a Comment
Read more

Sustainable Operations and Supply Chain Management for SMEs

Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly recognising the importance of sustainability in their operations and supply chains. It is not just about reducing environmental impact but also about enhancing efficiency, fostering innovation and building resilience against global challenges. This blog post provides SMEs with a practical guide on embedding sustainability into daily operations and throughout the supply chain, ensuring a more sustainable and profitable future. Embracing Sustainable Operations Sustainable operations for SMEs involve the conscious effort to minimise negative impacts on the environment while maintaining efficiency and productivity. It is about making sustainability a core aspect of business operations, from energy use to waste management. Energy Efficiency One of the most impactful steps an SME can take is improving energy efficiency. This can be achieved through simple measures like upgrading to LED lighting, implementing smart thermostats and
Post a Comment
Read more