#SustyTalk Live: ADBA’s Chris Huhne and Aldersgate Group’s Signe Norberg on fixing UK green policy

Launched during the Covid-19 lockdowns, #SustyTalk is an ongoing series of video conversations that keeps edie’s audience connected to the inspirational business leaders who are continuing to drive sustainability and climate action.

Each SustyTalk Live video was recorded at the flagship edie 23 event in London on 1/2 March and the sessions that you’re watching are sponsored by Persefoni. An evolution of the multi-award-winning Sustainability Leaders Forum, edie 23 is the premier annual event dedicated to achieving environmental and social transformations through courageous business leadership.

This is the fifth episode in the SustyTalk Live series from edie 23.

Watch episode one here

Watch episode two here.

Watch episode three here.

Watch episode four here.

For the fifth episode, edie is joined by the former Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and now the chair of the Anaerobic Digestion & Bioresources Association (ADBA) Chris Huhne and Signe Norberg, head of public affairs and Communications, Aldersgate Group.

The two discuss whether green policy has been deprioritised by the current Government and watch needs to be done to enable the net-zero transition.

During the discussion, Huhne states that the Government has “some extraordinary own goals”, by failing to prioritise green policy changes to respond to the energy cost crisis.

“The reality is that 2022 was a complete mess for the UK Government and it went backwards on a lot of fronts,” Huhne says, referencing the various leadership changes. “After we had Brexit, we’ve had Covid and a self-inflicted political crisis, we’ve had a long period where the Government has focused on other things.

“The Government has been through a very bad patch and it can only get better.”

Later on, Norberg outlines her policy wishlist on green issues, stating that an office for Net-Zero Delivery would be key to creating “coherency and consisteny”.

“One of the things we’re really keen to underpin is from the Skidmore Review and that is just what an economic opportunity net-zero can be if it is embraced completely and rapidly implemented,” Norberg said.

“We want a comprehensive response, to help us remain on track to meeting our 2050 targets and tackling our policy priorities. We want a clear signal of intent of what is coming down the line.”

Click here to see our catalogue of #SustyTalk interviews.

Want to be featured on a future episode of #SustyTalk? Email newsdesk@fav-house.com. Please bear in mind that our interview calendar is typically booked several weeks in advance. We are now booked for the remainder of March.