When a recent major UN scientific report described the climate emergency as a "code red for humanity" it sent a stark warning to everyone.

Michelle Blayney, Lloyds Banking Group’s ambassador for the South East, in an article penned for KentBusiness, believes businesses need to heed the warning and "that its crucial we act now". Here's her views:

We know we have a responsibility to play our part and that’s why we’re mobilising support across our business to help make sure every region can seize the huge opportunities that the green economy represents.

We commissioned the UK Green Growth Index to understand more about the opportunities that exist within the green economy. Developed by Oxford Economics, the UK Green Growth Index explores how well placed each UK nation and region is to capitalise on green growth opportunities. It also outlines how regions may be affected by the challenges of transition to a low-carbon economy.

By capitalising on the opportunities expressed in the report, as a region, we can help make this recovery a green one, and seize the opportunities of a green economy.

The national research shows that while the transition to a low carbon economy will touch every part of the UK, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each region is in a different place and has its own challenges and opportunities.

Here in the South East, we’ve made a strong start in the UK’s race to net zero – but to take full advantage, it’s crucial that we act now.

There are three main reasons we are well placed to capitalise on green growth opportunities.

Firstly, we are already in a better position than many other regions. The Oxford Economics research ranks the South East fourth among the ten UK regions, with a relatively low dependence on carbon-intensive industries. Instead, there’s a good range of knowledge-based industries like pharmaceuticals and life sciences, professional and financial services based here.

Second, research we commissioned with YouGov also shows that nearly two in five (38%) of our businesses in the South East cited involvement in the green economy as a high or very high priority, second only to London. Three in five (60%) businesses in the region that plan to adopt sustainable practices in the next three years say they’re doing so because they believe it is morally the right thing to do.

Finally, we are an innovative and an ambitious region. Rates of emissions from South East businesses are already below the UK average. Reducing environmental impact is the reason why one in ten firms in the South East – the highest proportion of anywhere in the UK – innovate. Kent County Council’s target to reach net zero by 2030 – 20 years earlier than the government’s 2050 target – demonstrates the scale of the ambition.

But being in a strong position is reason for us to push on, not to rest on our laurels. There’s much more that businesses can be doing to lead by example and grow these opportunities for the good of society.

The South East has more than 26,000 green economy jobs, which is equivalent to 13% of the UK total. But that’s actually below the UK average as a share of the region’s overall employment, suggesting businesses aren’t making the most of the opportunity.

One group that is helping is Growing Kent and Medway, which is bringing together businesses, academics and entrepreneurs to harness the power of our nearby academic institutions, prosperous SMEs and tech clusters to carry out cutting edge research. Tapping into these assets and pooling expertise and resources will help bring the academic and business worlds together and make the most of our high concentration of skilled workers.

Clearly, there can be no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to tackling the climate emergency. Having the skills available to businesses is good, but we need to use them in the right way – and that means working together to make sure the economic recovery is a green one.

The South East is in a prime position to help accelerate the UK’s journey to net zero and businesses have the chance to play a huge part in this – let’s not miss out on the opportunity.

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