Winning the global green race: Lessons for the UK from the US' Inflation Reduction Act

Article

The UK is in urgent need of renewal. The country faces a series of challenges: stagnation and inequality, risks to national and energy security, and the climate and nature crises.

In response to similar threats faced in the United States, the Biden administration has passed the Inflation Reduction Act, and while the EU is contesting various measures on fair trade grounds, it’s also preparing to respond in kind via its proposed Green Deal Industrial Plan. The UK risks being squeezed by its two largest trading partners.

It’s not possible for the UK to just replicate the measures in the IRA, but there are lessons to learn if the UK is to respond effectively and reap the benefits of the green transition and accelerate its pathway to net zero. Failure to do so will see the UK not just falling behind in the global green race, but falling out of it altogether with disastrous consequences for its economy and the environmental agenda.

Related items

  1. A young woman with a long ponytail sits looking out of a bus window

    State of the North 2025 - The kids aren't alright: How to deliver for young people in the North

    This year’s State of the North report highlights how regional inequality exacerbates the growing challenges facing many young northerners. 
  2. An illustration of an ideal public transport system: a smiling family cross a road near a green bus with houses and trees in the background

    The transport challenge for low-income households

    Many people living on low incomes in the UK are limited in their ability to access the building blocks of a good life because of poor transport provision.

  3. Towards universal opportunity for young people

    Outlining a vision for young people which could increase social mobility while also reducing inequality and disadvantage, so that every young person has the opportunity to build a decent life.