Committees

BEIS Committee to hear pitches for future Committee inquiries

10 July 2020

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Committee hears a series of pitches as the case is made for their chosen business, energy policy or climate change issue to be investigated by the BEIS Committee over the course of this Parliament. The ‘dragons-den' style session format follows a call (in March) for the public to submit their own ideas for future Committee inquiries.

The eleven proposals were selected from in excess of 200 submissions from a wide range of individuals and organisations received by the BEIS Committee. Ahead of the session in public next week, the BEIS Committee has today published a report which includes the details of all the eligible submissions received.

Chair's comments

Darren Jones, Chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee, said:

“We are delighted at the response to our public call for inquiry proposals and would like to thank all those who took the time to send in their inquiry ideas. The quality, diversity and breadth of the inquiry proposals were very impressive and covered a wide range of policy issues across the Committee's brief.

“We look forward to welcoming those making pitches on Thursday and hope they enjoy the opportunity to display their insight and expertise as they make the case for their favoured subjects to be the topic of future BEIS Committee work. 

“The majority of the shortlisted proposals fall within the energy and climate side of the Committee's remit. We also received a range of excellent proposals on the business side, many of which have already informed and shaped our super-inquiry into ‘Post-Pandemic Economic Growth'. 

“All proposals, and not just those we will be hearing about on Thursday, will be used to help shape the Committee's work over this Parliament and we will be keeping an eye on the   issues raised with a view to future Committee activity.”

Evidence session: My BEIS inquiry

The list of proposed inquiry subjects and invited participants are included below (their full submissions outlining the case for their chosen inquiries can be found at Annex 1 of the report). Following the session, details of the successful pitches will be announced at a later date.

Inquiry subjects and participants

Thursday 16th July, 10.30am:

  • The decarbonisation of heating: Dr Jan Rosenow, Principal and European Programme Director, Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP)
  • The future of hydrogen: Dr Luke Warren, CEO, Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA)
  • Industrial decarbonisation and consumption emissions: Andrew Large, Chair, Energy Intensives Users Group (EIUG) 
  • Carbon pricing: Hannah Dillon, Head of Campaign, Zero Carbon Campaign
  • Negative emissions technologies: Daniel Quiggin, Senior Research Fellow, Energy, Environment and Resources Programme, Chatham House [joint proposal from WWF, Ember and researchers from Chatham House's Energy, Environment and Resources Programme]
  • Net Zero and a ‘Just Transition': Prof. Nick Robins, Professor in Practice for Sustainable Finance, Grantham Research Institute, London School of Economics (LSE) 
  • Fuel poverty strategy: Matthew Copeland, Policy Manager, National Energy Action (NEA)
  • Net zero consumer protections: Dhara Vyas, Head of Future Energy Services, Citizens Advice 
  • Role of local government in delivering net zero: Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils' Transport and Environment Committee, and Deputy Leader of Lambeth Council [presenting proposal from London Councils]
  • Institutional arrangements to meet net zero: Professor Paul Ekins, Director; Professor of Resources and Environmental Policy, University College London (UCL) Institute for Sustainable Resources
  • Digitalising the economy: Signe Norberg, Public Affairs Manager, Aldersgate Group

Further information

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