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BIEE Webinar: Are Net Zero and economic growth compatible?
14:00-15:00 | Tuesday 17 June 2025 | Online
Free to attend, register via the button below.
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Are Net Zero and economic growth compatible?
In recent weeks the UK Government’s ambitions for clean power by 2030 and Net Zero have been questioned as too costly and risking economic growth in the face of ongoing fiscal constraints and the current wider economic context. In this webinar we will explore the links between the Net Zero transition and economic growth and review the evidence on whether decarbonising the economy can deliver jobs, and support growth by presenting research by CBI Economics and the Centre for Energy Policy (CEP), University of Strathclyde.
- CBI Economics Report on the economic opportunities of Net Zero “The Future is Green”, was commissioned by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) to measure the contributions of the UK’s net zero economy and assess the opportunities the sector brings by analysing the sector’s economic impact at national, regional, and local levels.
- CEP research funded by SP Energy Networks, explored the economy-wide implications of SPEN’s investments in the electricity network as part of the RIIO T3 process and provides some important insights to the overarching question as well as how wider and more efficient electricity networks can enhance productivity; the need for investment in electricity infrastructure ahead of anticipated demand increases; and the implications of electrification of the UK economy. How will SP Energy Network’s RIIO-T3 Investment Plans Impact the Wider UK Economy?
Our speakers:
- Louise Hellem – Chief Economist, CBI
- Antonios Katris – Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Energy (CEP), University of Strathclyde
Speakers
Louise Hellem
CBI (Confederation of British Industry) / Chief Economist
Louise Hellem
CBI (Confederation of British Industry) / Chief Economist
Louise is the Chief Economist at the CBI and a member of its Executive Committee. She and her team provide business leaders with advice on the UK economic outlook and global risks. Building on the insights from members, she shapes the CBI’s overall view on economic and fiscal policy and leads the CBI’s discussions with senior politicians and policymakers in these areas. Louise also oversees the CBI’s economic consultancy business CBI Economics.
Before moving into the role Louise was the Director of Economic Policy at the CBI. She led the CBI’s policy work on tax and regulation, as well as developing the CBI’s strategy and evidence base for enhancing the competitiveness of the UK’s business environment. Prior to joining the CBI, Louise spent 13 years at HM Treasury as a member of the Government Economic Service, where she led on a number of different analytical and policy issues, including National Living Wage policy and assessing the economic and distributional impacts of policy measures at fiscal events.
Louise holds an MSc in Economics from the University of Bristol and studied Economics and International Development at Bath University.
Antonios Katris
Centre for Energy Policy (CEP), University of Strathclyde / Senior Research Fellow
Antonios Katris
Centre for Energy Policy (CEP), University of Strathclyde / Senior Research Fellow
Antonios Katris has been a member of the Centre for Energy Policy (CEP) since 2015 and is currently a Senior Research Fellow. His research focus spans across multiple areas of energy policy, currently focusing on the fuel poverty support measures and the development of low-/zero-carbon fuels. He mainly uses computable general equilibrium (CGE) models to study the economy-wide impacts of net zero interventions and policies and identify trade-offs and implications for policy and other stakeholders (academic and non-academic).
His body of research work includes areas such as the improvement of energy efficiency in residential properties, the electrification of private transportation and residential heating, exploring the impacts of decarbonising industries and offshoring industrial activity, and the potential impacts of nuclear decommissioning in the Scottish economy. More recent research topics include the implementation of social and smart electricity tariffs, the differences in socio-economic impacts between fuel poverty support actions and the implications of the transition to net zero in local economies. Antonios holds a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Stirling.
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