techUK Climate Policy Forum April event summary
techUK convened its inaugural Climate Policy Forum, bringing together members, policymakers and industry experts to explore key climate policy developments and shape the future direction of techUK’s climate programme. Designed as an interactive session, the forum focused on open discussion, shared insight and collaborative priority-setting across the tech and climate community.
The session was opened by techUK and Anthony Levy of Circularity First and co-chair of techUK’s Climate Council. Attendees were encouraged to actively participate throughout, with future forums set to explore thematic areas in greater depth and continue building a more coordinated tech and climate community.
Understanding the Seventh Carbon Budget
The keynote speaker for the forum was Esther Harris, Acting Head of Carbon Budgets at the Climate Change Committee, who provided an overview of the UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget (2038–2042).
The session explored the proposed emissions limit of 535 MtCO₂e and the sectoral pathways underpinning the UK’s trajectory to net zero. Discussions highlighted a shift in focus away from power sector decarbonisation towards more complex challenges in buildings, industry and transport, alongside the growing role of agriculture and land use.
Esther also set out the cost profile of the transition, noting that while investment is front-loaded, the overall net cost is relatively modest (around 0.2% of GDP annually) and is outweighed by wider societal benefits such as improved air quality and energy security.
Participants engaged actively on issues including the treatment of imported emissions and the growing difficulty of tracking emissions linked to digital services and AI, given rapid technological change and data limitations.
AI and climate: balancing opportunity and impact
An interactive discussion led by Paisley Ashton Hall (PwC), co-chair of the Climate Council and techUK’s Craig Melson focused on the role of AI in climate sustainability.
Speakers highlighted the significant potential of AI to support emissions reduction through applications such as energy optimisation, demand forecasting and material innovation. However, this was balanced by concerns around the environmental footprint of AI systems, particularly the rising energy demand of data centres, water usage and hardware lifecycle impacts.
A key theme was the need to operationalise “responsible AI” in a climate context. Participants discussed the importance of standardised metrics, improved transparency and embedding environmental considerations into both infrastructure and software development.
There was strong consensus that industry collaboration will be critical, with techUK well placed to convene members and develop a coherent position on sustainable AI.
Programme insights across key sectors
The forum also provided updates on techUK’s wider programme activity:
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AI: Ongoing work spans adoption and innovation, policy and regulation, and assurance frameworks, with a focus on supporting responsible and scalable AI deployment.
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Smart infrastructure: Priorities include grid connections reform, energy cost structures and enabling data centres to support renewable energy integration, alongside water digitalisation and transport policy.
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Climate: Attendees were reminded of the vast array of workstreams and opportunities within techUK’s climate programme.
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Transport: Activity includes engagement on data centres, cloud infrastructure and telecoms networks.
Across these areas, members were invited to shape future workstreams and contribute to policy development.
Communicating climate and digitalisation
A cross-cutting discussion explored the challenges of communicating climate action in a digital economy.
Speakers Anthony Levy and Esther Harris emphasised the importance of linking climate action to clear business value, improving data quality and accessibility, and embedding sustainability into core organisational strategy rather than treating it as a standalone function. The need for transparent and relatable messaging was also highlighted as critical to driving both organisational buy-in and wider public engagement.
The conversation also underscored ongoing challenges in emissions measurement, particularly in digital sectors, alongside the need for stronger collaboration between industry and policymakers to improve data and reporting frameworks.
Next steps and opportunities to engage
The forum concluded with a call for deeper collaboration across techUK’s programmes, particularly at the intersection of AI and climate. Members were encouraged to contribute to the development of techUK’s position on sustainable AI and to engage with the Climate Change Committee on data and analysis.
Further climate policy forums are set to be hosted over the rest of the year, with members encouraged to share thoughts on what subject techUK should look at next.
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Visit our Climate Action Hub to learn more or to register for regular updates.
By 2030, digital technology can cut global emissions by 15%. Cloud computing, 5G, AI and IoT have the potential to support dramatic reductions in carbon emissions in sectors such as transport, agriculture, and manufacturing. techUK is working to foster the right policy framework and leadership so we can all play our part. For more information on how techUK can support you, please visit our Climate Action Hub and click ‘contact us’.
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