The newly expanded Net Zero Council, which brings together businesses, trade unions, local authorities, investors, and other public and private stakeholders, met for the first time this week to develop strategies for accelerating the UK’s clean energy transition.
Originally launched in 2023 by former energy minister Graham Stuart, the Council has since been restructured. It is now co-chaired by Energy Secretary Ed Miliband and Co-operative Group CEO Shirine Khoury-Haq, with new members such as the Local Government Association and Design Council.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero said the expanded membership “strengthens the Council’s ability to unlock the opportunities of decarbonisation” while supporting thousands of green jobs.
In the next two years, the Council will focus on advising government policy, helping small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) decarbonise, contributing to sector-specific roadmaps, and improving public engagement. A newly established delivery group will oversee workstreams to ensure progress.
Energy secretary Ed Miliband said: “Businesses and leaders across our country recognise that clean power and accelerating towards net zero represents the economic opportunity of the 21st century.
By working in partnership, we can drive the investment, innovation and industrial transformation needed to make the UK a clean energy superpower.”
Solar’s impact
This follows the recent relaunch of the UK Solar Taskforce in October 2024, which also convened for the first time to outline how the country can significantly scale up its solar capacity.
The Taskforce, co-chaired by Miliband and Chris Hewett, CEO of Solar Energy UK, aims to support the sector’s rapid growth by addressing key barriers such as grid access, planning challenges, and skills shortages.
Together, the efforts of the Net Zero Council and Solar Taskforce signals renewed focus from the government on accelerating the development of clean energy infrastructure.
To stay up to date with the UK’s solar industry, don’t miss the London edition of Solar & Storage Live from 2-3 April 2025 – or find a Solar & Storage Live event closer to home.
