With its promises to act on clean power, restoring nature, and the circular economy, the new Labour government in the UK in 2024 is opening up opportunities and injecting new momentum into the environmental agenda.

Action in the late 2024 parliamentary term will determine whether the UK Government will meet the vital national and global targets set for the end of this decade as well as its mandate to lower bills and clean up our rivers. Given what’s at stake, it cannot afford to fail.

But what will the Clean Power mission mean in practice? And what are the challenges the government faces in restoring nature and creating healthy, green spaces to live? How can we make sure everyone in the UK benefits from the transitions in energy, resources and farming?

On Thursday 12 September, we held an insightful morning hearing from two senior figures now at the heart of the new government who set out, for the first time, their respective visions for clean power and nature.

First, we heard from Chris Stark, CEO of the Climate Change Committee for six years and now at the helm of the government’s Clean Power Mission. Chris set out his approach to the government’s energy agenda for the first time, reflecting on the mission’s priorities and how it will build momentum over the longer term.

After a short break, we heard from Mary Creagh MP, former chair of the Environmental Audit Committee and now minister for nature. Mary spoke about the importance of robust and ambitious action to protect nature and the drive for a circular economy to meet climate and nature goals.

This was the final event under our Cutting Carbon Now project which was generously supported by the Network for Social Change over five years. We are also grateful for additional support from our Circular Economy Task Force, a network of businesses pushing for ambitious action on resources.