The Infrastructure Podcast: Episode 38

Guest: James Heath, chief executive, National Infrastructure Commission

Setting the UK's infrastructure priorities

In this podcast we look in some detail at the National Infrastructure Commission’s recently released Second National Infrastructure Assessment.

As I’m sure you will know, the National Infrastructure Commission’s role is to provide the UK Government with impartial, expert advice on major long term infrastructure challenges. It’s first five yearly National Infrastructure Assessment was published in 2018 and was a something of a seminal moment, signalling for the first time a new long term approach to planning the UK’s approach.

Five years on and this year’s NIA focus on a number of strategic priorities for the UK’s national infrastructure not least the need to reaching net zero by 2050 – and be on track to decarbonise electricity, transport, industry and the way we heat our homes by the Sixth Carbon Budget in 2035.

It also prioritises the need to reducing environmental impacts from our infrastructure and ensure that we are ready to adapt to a changing climate – particular a drier climate with more pressure on our water supplies. 

And of course it puts focus on supporting the on-going agenda to level up the UK economy and creating sustainable economic growth across all regions of the UK by investing in national and local transport, power supplies and the high speed telecommunications needed to support communities.

As Sir John Armitt, chair of the Commission says “The hardest part is of course turning policy into delivery on the ground. People often talk about infrastructure as the backbone of our economy: what our infrastructure needs now is the collective mettle to turn commitments into action that will reap rewards for decades to come”. Something certainly to discuss, not least in light of the recent snap decision by the Prime Minsiter to cancel the norther leg of the HS2 project.

Lots to talk about so it is my pleasure to welcome James Heath, chief executive, National Infrastructure Commission. As the person who has navigated some very difficult ground over the last few years to pull together this report, his view on the priorities arrived at by the commissions will be insightful.

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