UK Business Council Appointment | ONE

Meeting for the first time today (Monday 18 January 2021), the Build Back Better Council will bring together a broad range of business leaders from across the whole British economy to work in partnership with the government to unlock investment, boost job creation, promote Global Britain and level up the whole of the UK.

The Build Back Better Council is comprised of 30 members representing industries from retail and hospitality, to finance, science and technology. It will be co-chaired by the Prime Minister and Chancellor, with the Business Secretary as a standing member, and other Cabinet Ministers attending as required – the Trade Secretary will join the first meeting.

At the first meeting, which will take place virtually, the Prime Minister will update leaders on the current Covid-19 situation, including the vaccine roll-out, as well as plans to rebuild the economy after the crisis has passed. Council members will share their views on the economy, provide a commercial perspective on policy and highlight obstacles and solutions to economic recovery.

Commenting on his appointment to the Business Council, Sir Ian said: “I am pleased to be appointed to the new Business Council and will take this opportunity to champion the huge potential in energy growth and development and the crucial role that Scotland can play in Building Back Better. Whilst we must not underestimate the potential impact of the pandemic upon our region, there is cause for optimism as we begin the new year and Opportunity North East (ONE) will play its role in meeting these challenges.

“ONE and its partners have a clear ambition to transform Aberdeen and the North East of Scotland into a globally integrated energy cluster, focused on accelerating to net zero by 2050 through developing energy transition activities. This includes the Energy Transition Zone, the Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub, offshore wind and carbon capture and storage which are all exciting areas of focus that have the potential to support a supply chain of over 100,000 jobs.

“There is no doubt that the North East is uniquely positioned within Scotland and the UK to take advantage of this great opportunity. After 50 years of North Sea oil, the region has the infrastructure, business capability and world-class talent pool to maximise economic recovery from oil and gas alongside creating new significant investment and employment opportunities as part of the green industrial revolution.

“We continue to have positive discussions with both the Scottish and UK governments, who recognise the importance of our energy transition projects, and we are confident, with their support, that we can achieve transformational growth for the energy industry. The development of the projects in Scotland and their international potential will provide an important opportunity for the UK Government’s ambition to Build Back Better growth and level up our economy,” said Sir Ian.