Building for the future or paving over the problem?

The UK Government’s UK Infrastructure: A 10-Year Strategy, presented to Parliament this week, walks a jagged line between the practicalities of large-scale development - aimed at addressing inherited policy pain points such as inadequate affordable housing and transport links, outdated public infrastructure, and growing water scarcity - and its sustainability commitments over the next decade in the face of escalating climate and biodiversity risks.

Reforming our energy systems is at the heart of this £725 billion strategy for social and economic infrastructure - as it should be. Energy policy is critical to Britain’s ability to decarbonise, but also to remain internationally competitive. The Government is standing firm on its strategy to transition to renewable energy sources, reduce reliance on fossil fuels, and promote energy efficiency - even if nuclear power (a low-carbon rather than green energy source) remains a cornerstone of that effort.

However, high and volatile energy prices are a drag on UK competitiveness and affect its ability to attract foreign direct investment. The PwC Energy Survey 2025 showed that 89% of UK organisations felt energy prices had negatively impacted profit margins in 2024, a finding echoed by recent research from the CBI.The success of this ten-year strategy will depend on the government's ability to navigate these intricacies and apparent paradoxes.

Inevitably, there are major contradictions in policies that promote infrastructure expansion -for example, airports, roads, sovereign defence, and digital infrastructure to support the AI revolution - while also aiming to ensure environmental protection.

On the eve of London Climate Action Week, it’s a good moment to reflect that escalating climate risks - and the country’s resilience to them - are perhaps not given the weight they deserve in this report. The government must invest now in infrastructure to combat more frequent extreme weather events, flooding, rising sea levels, and shrinking natural resources -before it’s too late. Increasing investment in nature-based solutions and biodiversity conservation is critical. And any planned infrastructure or land-use projects in the coming decade must be carefully balanced against the potential harm to habitats, resource stress, and biodiversity loss, in close consultation with experts in these fields.