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Improving poor air quality across the UK ‘could result in a £1.6bn boost to the economy’
October 8, 2020

Breathing in polluted air can be detrimental to our health, with poor air quality being classified as a major public health risk by the government. Alongside the well-reported damaging effects to health, poor air quality is having a significant negative impact on the UK’s economic potential. 

Boost to the economy

According to a CBI Economics analysis report commissioned by the Clean Air Fund, improving poor air quality across the UK could result in a £1.6 billion boost to the economy per year - whilst also preventing 17,000 deaths annually. This report concluded that if the country was to achieve the air quality guidelines laid out by the World Health Organization (WHO), an additional three million working days would be gained per year. Presenting reducing air-pollution would be very economically valuable.

Increased worker earnings

As well as the benefit to individuals and communities, improving air quality would be beneficial for the workforce. Fewer worker absences would help employees gain more valuable skills and experience - amounting to 40,000 more productive years. Workers would also benefit as earnings would likely increase by £900 million each year, due to the reduction of the amount of time spent suffering from air quality-related illnesses.

Everywhere has a part to play

Further to this the report also stresses that both cities and towns have a large part to play in improving air quality and consequently the health of the UK. Noting that although densely populated areas generally have more work to do before they can deliver WHO guidelines, they would also be likely to benefit the most. 

British Gas Business solutions 

At British Gas Business, we offer solutions to help businesses reduce their polluting behaviours and in turn help improve air quality. On our green energy tariff, business customers can reduce their carbon footprint by using energy from renewable sources. Find out how our green energy tariffs can help you move towards a sustainable future below.

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Balancing planet and profit during unprecedented market volatility

July 6, 2022
Balancing planet and profit during unprecedented market volatility

Why are energy prices high compared to a year ago?

By Vander Caceres • June 14, 2022
Wholesale energy prices have experienced unprecedented levels of volatility since the end of summer 2021, with both day ahead/spot and future contracts surging to all-time highs. In the last couple of months, prices have decreased but still remain high compared to a year ago. This period of high energy prices is expected to continue for the foreseeable future (see next section). Energy prices have surged for a number of reasons: A global increase in gas demand following the ease or end of Covid-related restrictions throughout 2021. After the pandemic, economies across the world started to recover. Asian countries like China saw their imports of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) increase. This resulted in lower LNG shipments to the UK and Europe. On the supply side, the Covid-19 lockdowns pushed some maintenance work from 2020 into 2021 at a time when demand was recovering. In 2021, gas production hit a record low of 363TWh, 47TWh below the previous record low in 2013. Low production was the result of an extensive summer maintenance schedule which saw shutdowns at several major terminals, as well as the Forties Pipeline System which serves a significant proportion of UK gas and oil production. A lack of wind in the summer resulted in higher demand for conventional power. European gas storage in 2021 and Q1’22 remained far below previous years and it’s unclear how these are going to be replenished in the summer given the concerns around supply including the potential suspension of Russian gas flows due to sanctions. The 1,234km offshore Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which was designed to double the flow of gas between Russia and Germany (and by extension the rest of Europe) has been abandoned following the invasion of Ukraine. Gas storage in the UK is extremely minimal with capacity at less than 2% of the UK’s annual demand, compared with 22% for other European countries. Whilst the UK is not heavily reliant on gas coming from Russia, it sources almost half it’s gas supply from Europe. Hence, wholesale gas and power prices in the UK are now subject to knock-on-effects from the conflict in Ukraine.

What does volatility mean for your journey to net zero?

May 20, 2022
Amidst rising energy costs, digitalisation, growing pressure from stakeholders and increasing regulation, organisations may struggle to define their pathway to a low-carbon future. What can you do to protect your business’ net zero plans from the challenges of volatility? Disruption and volatility are putting organisations under pressure. Digitalisation and new technology developments continue to challenge existing business models. Its increasing dependence on energy and encouraging businesses to drive change to secure competitive advantage. And as customers, employees and shareholders look to engage with companies who understand the importance of decarbonisation, pressure is mounting to prioritise sustainability.
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