Report ‘Regulation for the Future: for Policy and Regulation in Utilities’ published by Sustainability First, produced by OMEGA Associate.
In March 2021, the UK think-tank Sustainability First published a report ‘Regulation for the Future: for Policy and Regulation in Utilities’, produced by OMEGA Centre Associate Dr. Martin Hurst. Its advocacy of a wider basis for Government regulation of utility companies and their investments, going beyond traditional economic regulation to recognise social and environmental considerations and sustainability, is much in tune with OMEGA thinking on the planning, appraisal and delivery of infrastructure developments.
The Report seeks to help companies in the energy, water and communications sectors to demonstrate corporate leadership, and help ensure that (UK) government policy and regulatory frameworks are fit for the future and enable a more purposeful business approach. It considers that current government regulatory procedures, which are primarily economic-based, need a different mindset emphasising the importance of structuring regulation around the long term, the relevance of ‘place’, and the centrality of social and environmental considerations – notably principles that establish how distributive justice, intergenerational equity and environmental sustainability apply to utilities, and how they relate to the strategic direction of both regulators and companies.
The report can be accessed at
25426 SF purpose for policy v8.cdr (sustainabilityfirst.org.uk)
Sustainability First is a (UK) think-tank that promotes practical, sustainable solutions to improve environmental, economic, and social wellbeing. It primarily works in the field of public utilities in the energy and water sectors, helping to shape policy, regulation, and company behaviour.
