Latest Results From UK Powerhouse Revealed

A new economic report published today has revealed the huge potential for Brighton to be one of the most environmentally sustainable cities in the UK.

According to UK Powerhouse, a report by Irwin Mitchell and the Centre for Economic & Business Research (Cebr), Brighton will be in the top 10 for economic growth (GVA*) during Q1 2021 - the quarter when the transition period in the UK’s current Withdrawal Agreement is set to have ended.

Brighton also performs well in a number of indicators of environmental sustainability.

Brighton was ranked 4th for having the lowest CO2 emissions per person. Brighton also came 4th when it came to the share of population using low emission transport**, something which was mostly attributed to the large share of commuters using public transport to London. 

Cebr has estimated the share of people who are zero-emission commuters*** and here Brighton came 7th in the league table. 

The report also looked at the areas with the highest number of solar panel installations. Brighton appeared in 35th place with just 2% of households with a renewable electricity installation. 

Brighton also appears low down in 33rdd place for waste recycling. 

Expert Opinion

“In June, the UK has announced its ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the first major economy to do so. The ever-more urgent topic of climate change and sustainability has reached the highest level of government and it’s important that business recognise not only the important role they have to play, but also the opportunities that exist.

“In the case of Brighton, it performs well in some indicators of environmental sustainability but poorly in others. If it can continue to improve Brighton clearly has the potential to become be one of the most sustainable cities in the UK.”
Victoria Brackett - Group Chief Commercial Officer

Methodology Note

All forecasts in this report utilise Cebr’s central scenario. Cebr’s central forecasts are based on the assumption that an amended version of the Brexit withdrawal agreement will form the basis of the future UK – EU relationship. We further assume that a transitional arrangement will be put in place that allows a continuation of the current relationship without any major disruptions until at least 2021. On the immigration policy, we rely on the lower immigration population estimates assuming that a visa system will be implemented for EU nationals, but that the requirements (e.g. the minimum salary, the NHS surcharge payment, the application fees, etc.) would be more relaxed than they currently are for non-EU nationals requiring a visa.

* Gross value added
**Low emission transport include travels by bus/coach, national rail and underground
***Zero emission transport includes travel by walking or cycling