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The New Anglia Clean Growth Taskforce brings together entrepreneurs, academia and public sector partners to champion a range of projects which will support our region’s recovery and ensure that Clean Growth is at the heart of local decision making, investment and business activity.

The announcement from the New Anglia Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) board coincides with the launch of the Government’s UK Business Climate Hub today (Friday 28 May), a campaign encouraging UK small businesses to join the fight against climate change by committing to reducing their greenhouse gas emissions.

The New Anglia Clean Growth Taskforce will be chaired by Pete Joyner, Managing Director of Shorthose Russell and New Anglia LEP board member.

He said: “The ongoing challenge of reducing carbon is something all of our regional businesses need to address, but they need help and guidance in understanding how they can play their part and the benefits of getting involved. Therefore, one of the main areas of focus for the New Anglia Clean Growth Taskforce will be business support, ensuring that grants and advice are in place to help businesses make the changes they need.

“We know that many businesses have already started on this journey, but for many there are lots of steps still to be taken. We need to make sure they have the education and support needed to start or continue their own drive to net zero.”

The Taskforce will also focus on sustainable transport. Transport is the single biggest contributor to the region’s carbon emissions accounting for 39% – and of this, 98% is from road vehicles.

Norfolk and Suffolk is well placed to take this challenge on with expertise in clean energy, AI and emerging opportunities in hydrogen alongside businesses such as car maker Lotus and EO Charging in Stowmarket.

The Taskforce’s third area of focus will be to establish a pilot Decarbonisation Academy to create the skilled workforce that is required to support a zero-carbon economy. New Anglia LEP is one of the six Energy Systems Catapult Decarbonisation Academy pilots which presents an opportunity to deliver on our ambitions as the UK’s Clean Growth region.

The pilot project will look to develop the institutional and physical infrastructure needed to support the rapid deployment of high-quality training programmes needed to deliver cutting-edge property decarbonisation schemes.

Find out more about the UK Business Climate Hub here