The month in review – April 2026

Given the geopolitical circumstances, the Aldersgate Group has continued our drumbeat of policy and communications work around energy prices and implications for businesses.

Reacting to the new clean energy policy measures announced by the Energy Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Prime Minister, which included further steps to investigate the delinking of electricity and energy costs, Rachel Solomon Williams argued that clean power has already helped protect the UK from energy shocks and supports the government’s push toward a clean energy economy. The quote welcomed the recent reforms but called for further action, especially to accelerate electrification, rebalance energy costs, and strengthen infrastructure and support for industry and electric HGVs. You can read Rachel’s quote in full on our website, here.

Our Senior Membership and Communications Officer, Jack Kunkle, authored an AG Insights blog inspired by our recent CEO Breakfast event. “Beyond Net Zero: Why nature is the next frontier for UK business resilience” argues that nature loss poses immediate financial and operational risks, such as to supply chains and resource availability, but also presents significant opportunities, provided businesses and government establish the right policy frameworks to unlock private investment and embed nature into core strategies.

With Parliament now in prorogation, in the coming month, Aldersgate Group will be awaiting the results of the local and regional elections (7 May). In addition, the King’s Speech (13 May) will reveal the government’s upcoming legislative agenda. We will produce a briefing note for members on the key announcements from the King’s Speech, including our reaction.

Policy update

Business case for climate action

The Aldersgate Group attended an interim Net Zero Council meeting chaired by the Minister for Climate, Katie White. The discussion focused on the ongoing response to the situation in the Middle East, including policy actions on clean power, household and business electrification, and communications around setting the level of Carbon Budget 7.

Rachel Solomon Williams will be part of the newly formed Net Zero Council Sector Transition Plans Working Group, formerly a subgroup of the Transition Finance Council. It meets for the first time in May.

Net Zero and Nature Positive Case Studies

We launched a call out to members to support us by providing local case studies of where national policies relating to net zero and nature restoration have helped to revive local economies and restore communities.

These case studies will offer bold, evidence-based demonstrations of how the climate and nature transition is benefiting people, communities, and businesses across the country now and changing the UK for the better. They will allow us to build a story we can use to raise awareness, stimulate engagement and secure support from policy makers.

Water

Members joined an Aldersgate Group workshop focused on developing policy recommendations to drive a resilient, clean water system. This discussion informed the development of a paper to support advocacy ahead of the Water Reform Bill, expected to enter Parliament in late 2026.

The paper sets out recommendations on implementing the Water White Paper, alongside longer-term proposals to create a resilient and investable water system in support of the UK’s Environment Act targets and growth ambitions. Key areas include environmental permitting, regional planning, agricultural pollution and private investment frameworks.

Decarbonising heavy goods vehicles

We are developing a policy brief setting out recommendations for a comprehensive package of policies to enable the decarbonisation of HGVs. We recognise the need for a clear strategy that defines the roles of low-carbon fuels, enabling infrastructure, and policy levers to drive both manufacturer and operator investment.

This work builds on our response to the government’s recent consultation, New HGV CO2 emissions regulatory framework for the UK, which considers the most appropriate future regulatory framework to support the transition to zero-emission HGVs, as well as insights from a member workshop held in February.  You can read the full response here.

Industry decarbonisation

The Aldersgate Group responded to the Chancellor’s recent announcement on the expansion of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme. We welcomed the expansion of the scheme; if designed well, this support can give businesses breathing space while the UK doubles down on the reforms needed to bring energy costs down sustainably for all firms. This includes faster grid connections, scaling up clean power, and providing targeted support to help industry invest in energy efficiency and electrification.

The team also met with Department for Business and Trade officials to discuss industrial competitiveness and decarbonisation, with a particular focus on measures to support industrial electrification and the government’s recent announcement on the expansion of the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme.

Green finance

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) is conducting an inquiry into HM Treasury and the economics of climate and nature. The inquiry will examine the role of HM Treasury in shaping the UK’s response to climate change, nature loss and environmental sustainability through economic policy and funding decisions. The deadline for evidence submissions is 21 May. The Aldersgate Group is preparing a response to this call for evidence.

Enabling private sector action on nature

We attended a roundtable with senior business and NGO representatives on demand for nature markets, hosted by Wildlife and Countryside Link. The session explored barriers to, and opportunities for, increasing private sector investment in nature, in line with the government’s recent call for evidence on scaling private investment.

AG Insights

From targets to traction: aligning business incentives with the Environment Act.

Guy Thompson, Director at Aldersgate Group, wrote for the website on how smarter regulation and better incentives can unlock private investment to clean up rivers, restore nature and grow the economy.