Recognising the increasing focus on greening our economy  – Suffolk Growth convened a regional officer workshop in October.

The focus was on the whole economy and how all businesses / sectors could be supported to operate in a more environmentally sustainable way. Workshop attendees discussed approaches to boosting Suffolk’s green credentials and promoting Suffolk’s position with national Government as a trailblazer for delivering a greener economy.

Key messages that came out of the workshop include:

• The Suffolk public sector must work together to develop greener policies to drive growth within our own organisations and across our business base.
• We need to build capacity in organisations, in communities and in individuals to deliver more sustainable approaches to doing business.
• Business support programmes need to recognise the drivers for commercial change.
• Customer-led expectations and procurement requirements result in businesses changing approach – our support programmes must recognise and address these drivers.
• Suffolk’s potential to capitalise on green trade opportunities is significant – but to do so will require a joined-up effort to align trade and environmental policies, with partners identifying potential green traders within their geographies.
• Public sector organisations have done a lot to make jobs / processes more sustainable, but much remains to be done – we need to lead by example.
• The right skills are critical to deliver against the green agenda, not just those working in renewables, but across all sectors.
• Accreditation programmes for learners are not keeping pace and colleges are facing increasing staff shortages/staff skills gaps.
• Definitions are important and Suffolk must agree the focus and priorities – what is a “green” job in a Suffolk context? How can we measure how our economy is becoming more green?
• Suffolk Growth will be preparing a summary report from the workshop with short terms actions identified and allocated to partners.

The group will reconvene in Spring 2023 to assess progress on actions.