It’s a golden hour for UK cleantech. The country’s innovation scene is vibrant, and strong political winds are supporting the deployment of homegrown cleantech champions.
Last week, Cleantech for UK saw a new member join the team. We sat down with Charlie Garner, a Policy Analyst based out of Bristol, to learn more about his background, and his ambitions for the British cleantech space.
How did you find your way to the cleantech space?
Before I became passionate about a career in energy and climate, I actually dreamt of becoming a commercial airline pilot. It was my total, dedicated ambition for a long long time. I was obsessed with it. But when the big opportunity arose to train with an airline, it came with a contractual requirement to move to the Middle East for 9-years. Sadly, being in my late teenage years, I decided it was too much of a commitment to make. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.
However, the silver lining was that it made me reconsider university where I found a competing passion in climate and energy systems, and in particular, carbon capture and storage.
As my course evolved, I became fascinated by the political economy, and its role in driving the change needed to scale uptake in clean technology. I decided to explore this interest by going on to study a Masters in carbon management in Edinburgh, where I got the chance to investigate how policy frameworks make-or-break the financial validity of nascent clean technologies. When I entered the professional world, I initially started working in energy and climate trade bodies but tried to move across policy areas which has helped me to gain diverse experience. I've seen first-hand how easy it is to get siloed into sectoral or technological verticals. Fast forward to 2024, after a short stint in the private sector, I am excited to contribute to the rollout of cleantech in this new, vibrant political space. I’ve followed Cleantech for UK’s work for a while, and it’s great to be on the team!
How does your background in working for climate trade bodies inform your advocacy on behalf of UK cleantech?
"Clear policy frameworks will help investors [...] make decisions with certainty"
Working in trade bodies has helped me to understand that the UK is generally a really strong place to invest, particularly in nascent, clean technology. However, the shape of investment opportunities is shifting rapidly, and we need policy to respond to those shifts to de-risk early investments. Without an attractive policy environment, we risk losing out on investments to other countries where the regulatory and policy landscape is far more attractive to investors. The government needs to be crystal clear, not just on the vision of its policies, but on the practical steps—often referred to as 'delivery'—to achieve them. Without this clarity, businesses and investors will lack the confidence to establish or expand in the UK.
I'd also say that the government needs to fully embrace cleantech and recognise its crucial role in achieving political objectives - it is, in my opinion, the future of our economy. However, despite cleantech scaleups often being incredibly flexible and innovative, they still require a robust dialogue with the government to make informed choices. This calls for consistent communication and awareness from both the government and civil service.
You join CFUK on the back of the general election - what's your read on it from a cleantech perspective?
Right now, the opportunity is immense. From an outside perspective, I get the sense—as a private citizen—that the new government is genuinely acting. For instance, as someone interested in aviation, I'm particularly excited about the upcoming mandate for sustainable aviation fuels.
Measures like this highlight a crucial point: the new government can leverage its authority to enhance market confidence in the UK, especially as we compete with international fiscal heavyweights like the USA and China
What's next on your agenda?
My first key piece of work is picking up some pre-existing research projects. Fittingly for me, I’ll be diving into some analysis on the investment gap in the shipping and aviation innovation space, which, for obvious reasons, I’m really keen on. There’s a lot of other, cleantech-related topics I want to look into, as well, such as green skills, AI and more. On the policy front, we’re already immersed in announcements from the government. Cleantech for UK will be mapping out all developments, so I’ll be exploring these in more detail over the summer.
Lastly, and most importantly, I am incredibly excited to work alongside our investor coalition. Our coalition of hands-on cleantech investors is the backbone of our policy advocacy, and it’s a privilege to be able to build relationships with them. I'm looking forward to getting to understand their needs and lived experiences, and to help establish policy solutions for their challenges.
Thank you for your time, Charlie! We look forward to working with you.
