UKSIF response: Autumn Budget 2026 – Stakeholder Representation Portal

The Autumn Budget is an opportunity for the new government to advance the conditions for private investment in the net zero transition, improve retirement outcomes and provide businesses and investors with the long-term certainty necessary to deploy capital at scale.

That the UK’s net zero economy already generates around £105 billion in GVA and supports 1.1 million full-time equivalent jobs is evidence of the transition’s contribution to growth. Most of the capital required to decarbonise the economy must and will come from the private sector, but investment is contingent on stable policy, competitive energy costs, infrastructure and a regulatory environment that inspires investor confidence. When government changes direction or delays important decisions, investors can withhold or redirect capital to other sectors and jurisdictions. Equally, where public intervention is well targeted, it can de-risk investment and crowd in private finance.

To attract substantial private capital into the transition and support adequate retirement outcomes, UKSIF has recommended that the Budget should address the five following priorities:

1. Provide greater long-term certainty on surface transport decarbonisation, including reaffirming the government’s commitment to the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate and avoiding further policy changes that could undermine investment in EV infrastructure and supply chains.
2. Demonstrate progress towards the UK’s ambition to be a world leader in sustainable finance, including by setting out a clear timetable for delivering the government’s manifesto commitment to corporate transition plans.
3. Address high electricity costs and support the necessary grid investment to make electrification more commercially viable.
4. Provide clarity on the delivery of key Warm Homes Plan milestones, while complementing public investment by helping to develop a stronger private market for green finance and supporting the skills and supply chains required to deliver retrofit and housing upgrades at scale.
5. Provide greater long-term certainty for pension savers and schemes, while avoiding policy or tax changes that reduce the incentives to save.

Together, these measures would provide greater certainty, remove barriers to investment and help mobilise private capital into the UK’s green transition.

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