By Nicholas Earl
The government has appointed Natwest boss Dame Alison Rose to spearhead its new energy efficiency task-force.
Alison Rose has been named co-chair of the body, which was set up as part of the government’s drive to slash the country’s energy consumption and cut household bills – helping to push down inflation.
She will work alongside fellow co-chair Lord Callanan, the long-standing Tory peer and a minister at the department for energy security and net zero.
Rose has extensive experience in financing energy efficiency, with Natwest Group committed to providing £100bn of energy efficiency funding between July 2021 and the end of 2025 – to help families buy energy-efficient homes and create green jobs.
The taskforce aims to accelerate household insulation, boiler upgrades and business energy efficiency measures to help cut national energy consumption by 15 per cent over the next seven years.
It will devise a work-plan to help reduce total UK energy demand by 15 per cent from 2021 levels by 2030 across domestic and commercial buildings and industrial process.
The Chancellor Jeremy Hunt will confirm the appointment at a meeting with nearly 100 representatives from the UK’s top green firms today.
To bolster its efforts, Hunt has set side £6bn of government funding, which will be available from 2025, to strengthen UK supply chains, in addition to the £6.6bn allocated this parliament – taking the total to £12.6bn this decade.
Hunt said: “Our green industry is a key growth sector set to be worth £1tn by the end of the decade. It will bring high-paid jobs, brand new manufacturers and huge export opportunities – but needs extra attention now to make sure British companies and our people can fully share in the sector’s success and grow the economy.”
Commenting on her new role, Rose said: “Addressing the climate crisis is a team sport, and building vital partnerships between the public and private sector is the key to tackling this challenge at pace. Improving energy efficiency will not only drive a lower carbon environment, but also deliver greater economic security through lower bills for people, families, and businesses right across the UK.”
Membership of the taskforce’s steering group will be announced in due course.
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