Call for Trade Union Members on Board of UK's £7.3bn National Wealth Fund for Green Prosperity
Key Ideas
- Positive Money campaign advocates for trade union presence on the board of the national wealth fund to balance influence of big banks and prioritize green targets.
- Recommendations include independent governance with strong representation from civil society and trade unions for a just green transition and shared prosperity.
- The fund aims to attract private-sector investment for infrastructure projects like ports, gigafactories, and hydrogen and steel initiatives across the UK.
- Calls for the NWF to operate similarly to Germany's KfW development bank, potentially growing to over £460bn to match its European counterpart's per-capita scale.
A campaign led by Positive Money is urging the UK government to include trade union members on the board of its new £7.3bn national wealth fund. The fund, part of efforts to attract private investment for infrastructure projects, including those related to hydrogen and steel, aims to bring about green targets and shared prosperity in the UK. Concerns were raised about the influence of City bosses on the fund's governance and investment plans. Positive Money recommends an independent board with strong representation from civil society, including trade unions, to ensure a just green transition. The campaign advocates for devolving investment decisions to regional banks across the UK for better allocation of funds. The group also suggests the fund should operate like Germany's KfW development bank and be empowered to issue bonds and borrow independently from government fiscal rules. The aim is to establish a public institution that delivers social and environmental value while generating returns for taxpayers. Despite Labour's decision to reduce its green investment pledge, Positive Money sees the national wealth fund as a significant opportunity to drive transformative change and achieve a rapid and just decarbonisation of the economy. The Treasury has expressed that the fund will contribute to the government's industrial strategy and clean energy missions, creating jobs and benefiting the public while providing a return for taxpayers.