Last week I spent the day at the FT Climate Impact Summit in London, a gathering of industry leaders, policymakers, and innovators who share a common goal: tackling climate change while unlocking the economic growth it can deliver.
A recurring theme throughout the day was this: the environmental agenda is no longer just about sustainability, it’s about competitiveness. The economic opportunity in going green is now too big to ignore, and for the UK, it’s a race we risk losing if we don’t act boldly.
One of the more striking discussions was on global emissions, particularly in China. While the official target is to peak emissions by 2030, the country’s breakneck industrial growth has led to a resurgence in coal use despite solar generation growing by 45% last year alone. The challenge? Infrastructure. China’s grid and long-distance transmission remain underdeveloped, meaning coal still plays a critical role in keeping the lights on.
But a tipping point may be coming. The sheer pace of renewable deployment in China suggests the country could pivot away from coal sooner than expected. And with the US stepping back from international climate commitments once again, it leaves China in the unexpected position of leading global decarbonisation, not just environmentally, but economically.
That’s the crux of it. While Western nations impose tariffs on Chinese EVs and solar panels, it’s not because they’re poor quality, it’s because China builds them better, faster, and cheaper. Why? Because they invested early in the supply chain, manufacturing infrastructure, and skills. They saw the green transition as an economic opportunity, not just an environmental necessity.
Meanwhile, in the West and particularly in the UK, we often separate the conversations. In one room, the economy. In the other, the environment. But they are one and the same. Just look at Beijing: it cut smog levels by two-thirds over the past decade. That isn’t just good for lungs, it’s good for business. People want to live, work, and invest in places with clean air and forward-looking infrastructure.
The UK has an opportunity, perhaps its last best chance, to reindustrialise through green tech. Back in the 70s, we built electronics factories to avoid shipping bulky CRT televisions. Today, it’s a similar equation. Electronics, especially for energy and climate tech, can be made competitively in Britain. At Tewke, we’re working with to manufacture smart home hardware right here in the UK. And we’re not alone there’s a groundswell of companies seeing the same opportunity.
Like the car industry before it, which thrived thanks to inward investment and targeted incentives, we can do the same with solar, batteries, and home energy systems. But it requires a joined-up strategy. If public money is being spent on green transition, then UK industry should benefit directly through domestic manufacturing, R&D, and long-term job creation.
At Tewke, we’re proud to be a Made in Great Britain member. While some components inevitably come from overseas, we design, assemble, and ship our products from the UK because it’s cost-effective, resilient, and aligns with our environmental values. Repairability, recycling, and local production aren’t just nice-to-haves, they’re central to our ESG strategy and part of delivering real benefits to households.
Electric vehicles didn’t succeed because they were green, they succeeded because they’re better. They’re faster, smoother, and easier to maintain. And the same principle applies across green tech. If we build better products, people will choose them because they’re good, not just because they’re green.
The climate crisis demands action. But with it comes enormous economic opportunity. For the UK, the choice is clear: lead in the green economy or risk being left behind.
Leave a Reply