Can a new Government taskforce succeed where others have failed?

By Matthew Dawson, Account Manager

Across Government, Ministers are looking to expert-led taskforces to progress complex policies outside the normal processes. The goal is to bring in new voices and fresh ideas outside the orthodoxy of the often siloed civil service.  

With little progress having occurred over recent years, policy development on the circular economy seems a perfect fit for this approach. Indeed, the Government has created a new ‘Circular Economy Taskforce’; a group of experts covering industry, academia, and civil society, chaired by Andrew Morlet, former CEO of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation.  

They have been asked to help deliver a new Circular Economy Strategy for England (following Scotland’s strategy published at the end of last year) which has ambitious goals to “create a future where we keep our resources in use for longer; waste is reduced; we accelerate the path to net zero; we see investment in critical infrastructure and green jobs; our economy prospers; and nature thrives.” This week, the Environment Secretary Steve Reed promised that it will tackle a status quo which is “economically, environmentally, and socially unsustainable”. 

So how will the Taskforce and Strategy process operate, what are the chances of success, and what are the opportunities for engagement? 

Circular Economy Taskforce  

The government are planning for the Circular Economy Strategy for England to be underpinned by a series of “clear and costed” roadmaps, detailing the policies needed to deliver this on a sector-by-sector basis. 

The 19 members of the taskforce are currently engaging stakeholders to identify priority areas for roadmaps. Their work will be supported by civil servants who will help facilitate meetings, in drafting papers, and with subsequent policy formation and analysis.  

Once the taskforce has developed its recommendations, it will report to a new ‘Circular Economy Small Ministerial Group’, comprising ministers from Defra, DBT, DESNZ, DfT, Treasury and MHCLG, co-chaired by Defra and DESNZ/DBT. 

The role of this ministerial group will be to direct the Taskforce in line with the government’s stated Missions (the taskforce’s terms of reference suggest it can impact on four of these: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, and opportunity for all). 

Importantly the ministerial group will also have ultimate responsibility for the content of the Circular Economy Strategy for England. They may choose to accept or reject recommendations from the Taskforce as they see fit. It’s possible we will never know whether this has taken place as the Taskforce’s ToR state that mechanisms such as NDAs will be used to keep the information private.  

Chances of success 

There are three big questions which remain open as to the success of the final strategy. 

Firstly, will the Taskforce manage to move beyond Defra and propose clear cross-government recommendations? And crucially will the roadmaps have sufficient buy-in from other departments to deliver this? An obvious pitfall will likely be the Treasury; they sit on the Circular Economy Small Ministerial Group but will they support positive proposals which have an impact on revenue such as reducing VAT on parts and products that facilitate repair?  

Secondly, there will little if any new money to deliver the final strategy. For example, the Chancellor’s Spring Statement has confirmed Defra’s budget for day-to-day spending will actually fall in real terms by 6.5% in 2025/26. While there are plenty of circular economy policies which can be enacted at a low or minimal cost to the Government (for example the introduction of a ‘latte levy’), there are others which may require financial support.  

To take one case, Wildlife and Countryside Link have previously highlighted how the mass adoption of reusable packaging will require upfront costs which include the purchasing of reusable takeaway containers, supporting innovation in reuse (such as improved reusable container design), and more effective communications to drive changes in consumer behaviour. Can any additional funding be found when it is needed for schemes such as these? 

Thirdly, there is the question of growth. The Prime Minister and Chancellor are clear that “economic growth is the number one mission of this government” and it is the first objective of the Taskforce. There are strong arguments for supporting the circular economy for the growth impacts and the Government believe that their ongoing ‘collection and packaging reforms’ will support 21,000 new jobs and stimulate more than £10 billion of investment in recycling. Further, the Enrich the Earth campaign have set out how a new approach to composting can create investment and skilled jobs across the UK.  

However, there is (of course) not always a direct link between growth and sustainability. Take the backlash last year from Northern Irish retailers to a local council encouraging residents to buy nothing new in January as part of a Keep Northern Ireland Beautiful campaign. The retailers argued that people should instead be ‘encouraged to spend’, leading to the council removing social media posts. How much can Taskforce members advocate for policies such as these which deliver for the environment even if they may not support immediate growth? 

Opportunities for engagement 

Right now, Taskforce members, Ministers, and civil servants are frequently attending meetings and events, including the recent Futurebuild conference in London. In an update this week, Steve Reed announced that the Taskforce has chosen to focus engagement on five priority areas of textiles, transport, construction, agri-food, and both chemicals and plastics. 

There are clear opportunities for organisations working in this space to present well-evidence, realistic proposals to Taskforce members and all those involved in the creation of the future strategy. Further, with the ambition of the final strategy decided at the ministerial level, engaging with Ministers directly, and those politicians who can place pressure on the Government, will be vital. 

Expectations remain high for the new Circular Economy Strategy for England. While some big questions remain (including Green Alliance’s five tests for the strategy which provide important metrics for success), there is hope we could be on the cusp of genuine action. This could finally move us towards the Environment Secretary’s promise of a “pivotal moment for British businesses to innovate, grow and lead the world”. 

If you would like support in your own organisation’s policy development and engagement with the government on the circular economy, do get in touch on mdawson@seahorseenvironmental.co.uk