A New Era for ClimateTech: Key Takeaways from the 2024 Anniversary Report

The ClimateTech Policy Coalition’s 2024 Anniversary Report marks a significant milestone in its mission to advance sustainable innovation. Comprising leading organisations from across the ClimateTech ecosystem, the Coalition drives collaboration between startups, policymakers, and investors.

This report responds to the UK’s evolving climate priorities under the Labour Government, addressing the need for scalable solutions in reducing emissions.

Highlights include:

  • Policy Recommendations: Streamlining funding and regulations to foster growth.
  • Emerging Technologies: Insights into scalable, high-impact innovations.
  • Case Studies: Real-world examples driving transformation.
  • Strategic Priorities: Sustaining momentum into 2025.

The series of recommendations of the Government to act on to create tangible opportunities include:

  • Waste Sandbox: Establish a regulatory sandbox for innovative waste reuse, integrating the circular economy. Leverage the newly created Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) for coordination.
  • Update Plastic Definitions: Amend the Finance Act 2021 to clarify “plastic” in the Plastic Packaging Tax, ensuring natural polymers are not disadvantaged. 3.
  • Retrofit Sandbox: Introduce a retrofit sandbox under RIO to help startups navigate regulatory barriers in deploying innovative technologies for domestic retrofits.
  • Support Voluntary Carbon Markets (VCM): Maintain timelines to consult on high-quality VCM standards in 2025, ensuring market integrity and distinguishing credit types.
  • Funding for Greenhouse Gas Removal: Define qualification criteria and robust monitoring standards to enable GHG removal credits under the UK ETS, incorporating industry best practices.
  • Novel Food Authorisation Reform: Streamline approval processes for cultivated meat and other novel foods post-Brexit to support sector growth, supported by RIO-led initiatives.
  • Agricultural Robotics Regulations: Reform regulations on agricultural automation as part of the Labour Government's 2025 Food Strategy, unlocking innovation to address labour shortages.

Read the full report here.

The ClimateTech Policy Coalition consists of the Startup Coalition, Undaunted, techUK, Tech Nation, Cleantech for UK, and Tech Zero. Together they represent entrepreneurs, inventors and innovators on the forefront of climate technology, or climate-tech.

Its mission is to help unlock the economy of the future: a low to no carbon future of green growth fuelled by British innovators and entrepreneurs.

Climate, Environment and Sustainability Programme activities

The techUK Climate Programme provides opportunities for members to present tech solutions that assist carbon emission reduction, circularity, and human rights goals. We also help our members with their own net zero transition, including measurement, implementation, compliance, and reporting. Visit the programme page here.

 

Upcoming events

Latest news and insights 

Learn more and get involved

 

 

Climate, Environment and Sustainability updates

Sign-up to get the latest updates and opportunities from our Climate, Environment and Sustainability programme.

 

Here are the five reasons you should join the Climate, Environment and Sustainability programme.

Learn about the value members get from our work.

Download

Join techUK groups

techUK members can get involved in our work by joining our groups, and stay up to date with the latest meetings and opportunities in the programme.

Learn more

 

 

Become a techUK member

Our members develop strong networks, build meaningful partnerships and grow their businesses as we all work together to create a thriving environment where industry, government and stakeholders come together to realise the positive outcomes tech can deliver.

Learn more

 Meet the team 

Craig Melson

Craig Melson

Associate Director for Climate, Environment and Sustainability, techUK

Weronika Dorociak

Weronika Dorociak

Programme Manager, Sustainability , techUK

Josh Turpin

Josh Turpin

Programme Manager, Telecoms and Net Zero, techUK

Lucas Banach

Lucas Banach

Programme Assistant, Data Centres, Climate, Environment and Sustainability, Market Access, techUK