On 15 July 2025, the Net Zero APPG, in partnership with the Infrastructure APPG, hosted a joint parliamentary session on how the UK can accelerate the decarbonisation of industry and infrastructure.
Held in a packed committee room and chaired by Alex Sobel MP and Mike Reader MP (Chair of the APPG for Infrastructure), the session brought together parliamentarians, experts, and industry leaders to explore the challenges and opportunities in one of the hardest areas of the transition.
The discussion covered a number of key themes, including:
- High energy costs and grid delays as major barriers to industrial decarbonisation, with calls for urgent grid upgrades and reforms to stabilise electricity prices.
- Policy uncertainty and investment frameworks, particularly around electricity market reform (REMA), which are deterring business decisions and slowing deployment of low-carbon technologies.
- Support for SMEs and supply chains, including clearer definitions, accessible funding models, and tools to help smaller firms report emissions and engage with decarbonisation.
- Clean materials and embodied carbon, with strong support for mandatory reporting and procurement standards to drive uptake of low-carbon steel, cement, and other industrial products.
- Hydrogen, CCS, and technological readiness, where panellists stressed the need for early mandates and targeted investment to make these options viable at scale.
- Skills and workforce planning, highlighting an urgent need to address manufacturing vacancies and build capacity in low-carbon and digital skills across regions.
- Adaptation and resilience, with participants warning that long-term climate adaptation planning remains underdeveloped compared to mitigation efforts.
We are grateful to our expert speakers from the Climate Change Committee, Inspired PLC, Oxford Net Zero, Imperial College London, and Make UK, as well as all the attendees who contributed to a thoughtful and constructive discussion.
You can read the full minutes here.
Our next session, scheduled for the autumn, will focus on financing the transition.
