Unlocking capital from pension funds could power up our infrastructure while also providing better returns for customers, writes Mike Eakins

The UK is at a critical juncture in its pursuit towards long-term economic growth and its low carbon commitments. Delivering on these ambitions will require unprecedented investment in green infrastructure, with between 65 per cent and 90 per cent of the required funding expected to come from the private sector.

The stakes are high. The urgency is real. But significant challenges remain. In clean power infrastructure alone, the UK faces a funding gap of nearly £19bn per year.

To close this gap, we must mobilise capital across the investment ecosystem, each with different risk appetites. But persistent policy, regulatory and structural barriers continue to constrain the flow into productive assets that will lead to a low carbon economy.

If we can get it right, we can create better pension returns for UK savers and thus get better outcomes for people’s retirement pots.

National Wealth Fund must evolve

Government institutions like the National Wealth Fund (NWF) could be instrumental in unlocking long-term patient capital from pension funds and insurers like Phoenix Group, which in turn, leads to better returns for customers. But to realise this ambition, the NWF........

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