‘Life beyond COVID’ – Submission to the House of Lords COVID-19 Select Committee

This written evidence was submitted in August 2020 to the COVID-19 Lords Select Committee Inquiry. The evidence was published on 18 September 2020.

The COVID-19 Lords Select Committee was set up to consider “the long-term implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economic and social wellbeing of the United Kingdom”. More information is available here.  

Summary points

• Responding to the COVID-19 pandemic offers a number of significant opportunities to embed long-term change for an equitable and sustainable future, including by increasing preparedness measures to combat future risks, building back better with sustainable growth and investment, and building a new social narrative on public goods.
• Taking these opportunities will support the development of high quality, future-proofed jobs, address inequalities within and between regions, and align the UK with its commitments to the Paris Agreement on climate change and the Sustainable Development Goals.
• Rebooting current approaches to the economy, financing, climate adaptation and resilience, and the UK’s role in the world will be key to achieving change.