Seize The Moment

“We find ourselves in total alignment about what needs to be done. We need to level up, we need a greener economy and, my God, we should not waste this opportunity.”

Tony Danker, the director general of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), made this remark at the launch of the CBI’s report Seize The Moment about the immediate opportunity for business to change the UK economy for the better. As you might expect, it’s a comprehensive report: nine months in the making with input from over 500 businesses. Nonetheless, from my perspective, the whole plan can be distilled into four points contained in his quote above.

A greener economy

It’s no coincidence that a decarbonised economy is the first part of the CBI’s six-part plan. There are so many new opportunities for businesses to thrive by reinventing an economy currently based on fossil fuels that it’s understandably viewed with excitement rather than trepidation.

Levelling up

Regionally thriving economies are identified as an engine for growth and a key element to improve our resilience. Building regional ‘clusters’ is seen as a way forward not only for co-ordinating government investment but also for creating new skills, jobs and entire industries. The approach of ‘crowding in’ other organisations in local geographies recognises this need for cross-cutting collaboration between different kinds of stakeholders to achieve a greener economy.

Alignment

The CBI’s vision of national transformation spans politics, businesses and civic society – with businesses not only as advocates but agents of change, at the heart of social as well as economic change. There is a renewed appreciation, not least from our experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, that everything is connected and that alignment between organisations across public, private and third sectors is fundamental to turning this vision into a reality.

A year of transition

This year is seen as a pivotal year in moving towards to a new normal: the pandemic has opened our minds to radical change; nations are working now on the commitments they will make at COP26 to creating greener economies; the UK government will continue invest heavily in our economy; companies are rethinking not only how they do business differently but also their role as problem solvers in service of the nation; councils across the UK are implementing ambitious local Climate Action Plans; communities are building on newfound solidarity. It’s an opportunity we should not waste.

Let’s seize this moment together to turn things around, where we live and where we work.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash