Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
thorny issues at hand. Whether its the longterm strategy we employ to ensure security
of our energy supplies, or the role that new
railway lines have to play in growing the
UKs connectivity, the independence of the
Commission enables it to take a wider outlook
and grasp the opportunities of integration,
across sectoral and departmental lines.
By undertaking an evidence-based
assessment of long-term need, the
Commission presents an opportunity to
ensure our policies today are shaped by the
infrastructure we need tomorrow. It provides
businesses with a longer-term vision towards
which they can aim, while also ensuring
whether its a national set-piece project like
HS2, or smaller schemes like energy from
waste projects UK infrastructure is pulling
in the same direction.
Yet the Commission also presents an
opportunity to explore how the UK tackles
specific challenges where a problem has
already been identified issues where all too
often, political pressures and procrastination
prevents the UK from grappling with the
8 BUSINESS PRIORITIES
ENERGY (Generation and Supply)
A diverse mix of technologies
RAIL
A high capacity network
ROADS
The long term funding dilemma
DIGITAL
The arrival of 5G
WATER
Changing weather patterns
FLOOD DEFENCES
Climate change risks
20
40
60
80
93%
100
RAIL
A high capacity network
The revival of rail in the UK since the 1980s
was largely unforeseen, and it has left our
network at risk of becoming a victim of its own
success. The need for increased capacity is
the top rail priority for 90% of businesses . The
National Infrastructure Commission has the
opportunity to creatively map out, not only how
we meet future demand, but how we continue to
encourage a greater role for rail. New schemes,
such as HS2 and Crossrail2, have the potential
to dramatically expand our capacity, but the UK
must also harness electrification, digitalisation,
and high speed technology, to maximise the use
of existing lines. Managing demand effectively is
also key to integrating rail with other modes of
transport - without creating pinch points.
1,200
800
400
0
1950
1963
1976
1988/89
2001/02
2014/15
ROADS
The long term funding dilemma
With almost two-thirds of all journeys taking
place by road, the state of the UKs road network
is one of the key indicators of the health of the
UKs infrastructure, yet businesses see cause
for concern on a number of fronts. Whether it
is boosting maintenance spending to ensure
the free movement of traffic or investing in new
capacity, businesses are clear that the current
approach remains insufficient. The reforms to
Vehicle Excise Duty will help to halt the decline
in funding in the short-term, however the longterm future financing of the road network and
who pays for it remains unresolved. In some
parts of the country we are already seeing roads
funding coming from the fares of rail and tube
passengers.
20
40
60
80
100
DIGITAL
The arrival of 5G
UK digital infrastructure enjoys an unrivalled
perception amongst business users: almost
of which found their services to have improved
over the past 5 years. Nevertheless in this
fast moving industry, business expectations
are ramping up, with only 41% of business
fully satisfied with the quality of their digital
connections5. Meanwhile international
competition has started to plough ahead, with
4G adoption rates in the UK considerably lower
than in Asian and North American markets.
To stay at the top of the international league
table on Next Generation Access, the UK must
continue to develop its mobile coverage and lay
the foundations for the arrival and roll-out of 5G,
in the next 10 15 years.
20
40
60
80
100
WATER
Changing weather patterns
By the 2050s changing weather patterns will
have a significant impact on the UKs water
infrastructure. In the south there will be an
increased focus on resilience to ensure a
secure supply of water: the amount available
is projected to decline by as much as 11% due
to climate change pressures. In the north
meanwhile, an increase in deluges of water over
short periods of time, will require infrastructure
which can utilise highly variable amounts. It
will be crucial that the future state of local
water supply is factored into the UKs long term
planning for housing and infrastructure.
6-11%
FLOOD DEFENCES
Climate Change risks
Around one in six properties in England is
currently estimated to be at risk of flooding, with
the total number projected to increase up to 2.1
million by 2050. By this point, changes in climate
are anticipated to increase the likelihood of oneoff weather events. Government has committed
capital funding until 2021, but UK schemes
continue to be designed to a lower standard of
resilience than elsewhere - in the Netherlands,
defences guard against a one-in-1,250 year
event. Embracing water capture upstream
would also allow better management of flooding,
and potentially help transform an environmental
threat into a valuable water resource.
2.1m
The potential number of properties
at risk of flooding by 20508
US
64
Other established markets
61
Other UK regions
Emerging markets
0
20
45
40
60
80
100
March 2016
Copyright CBI 2016
The content may not be copied,
distributed, reported or dealt
with in whole or in part without
prior consent of the CBI.
Product code: 11351
www.cbi.org.uk