WWF has welcomed the publication on Friday of the UK Government’s vision and framework for a green economy, but called for greater urgency and action to shift the UK economy onto a more sustainable path.

The document has been developed by Defra, BIS, and DECC in response to requests from the private sector for greater clarity on what government means by a ‘green economy’, the policies being put in place to achieve this, and how they come together.

The publication, Enabling the transition to a green economy, looks ahead to 2020 and maps out planned Government action across areas including climate change, resource efficiency, waste prevention, carbon capture and storage, offshore wind generation, and the Green Deal. It will form the basis for continuing dialogue between government, business and communities.

WWF says the paper clearly sets out the business case for a green economy but the measures proposed merely reflect the Government’s existing plans, which are insufficient to meet the scale and urgency of the challenge.

The WWF said that some core aspects of economic policy, such as the Plan for Growth, are also taking the UK in the wrong direction by omitting strong measures to ensure growth is sustainable.

WWF agreed with the Government’s analysis of the opportunities for UK business involved in building a green economy and the risks if we don’t, arguing that shifting to a green economy is essential for the UK’s long-term economic security.

WWF however expressed concern that, despite the leadership shown by Defra on the Roadmap and effective collaboration with DECC and BIS, the most important department in terms of economic policy – the Treasury – was not represented in the core project team.

Luke Wreford, One Planet Economy Policy Officer at WWF-UK, said:

“These green economy publications are useful communications tools for business, but they are basically a summary of what the Government is already doing. More ambitious and coherent initiatives and polices will be necessary in the future to turn this vision into a reality.

“Green growth should be at the heart of the UK’s plan for economic recovery and cross-Government support, especially the full involvement of the Treasury and No. 10, will be essential in delivering this. Only by doing this will we build a new economy that’s sustainable both in financial and environmental terms.”

WWF also argued that the Green Economy Council, a high level advisory group consisting of business and union leaders, should be more inclusive of diverse interests if it is to play a significant role in shaping policy and assessing performance on the Government’s green economy commitments. WWF called for representation on this important body for civil society and consumer groups, as well as sustainability experts from academia.

The report says that in order to sustain and safeguard future growth, we will also need to reform our water, waste and flood management systems, and ensure that infrastructure is resilient to the impacts of climate change. The paper says that the Government is putting in place the necessary mechanisms to attract investment in the infrastructure that will both support the economy now and enable it to grow sustainably for the future.