It’s often said that a week is a long time in politics, and with the arrival of majority-backed Labour Government and a slew of policy updates under its belt, that was especially true last week.

Many of those updates are tied to Labour’s second ‘mission’ to make Britain a ‘clean energy superpower.’

They follow a manifesto that brought lots of ambition – doubling onshore wind, tripling solar power, and quadrupling offshore wind, all by 2030 – but lacked detail. The coming weeks and months will be vital for the industry.

With that in mind, we’ve examined the key updates so far and what they mean for energy businesses and their communications.

Strategic priorities for energy communicators

Double down on policy monitoring: While there was a huge amount in the manifesto, details were sparse, and only a handful of commitments have been the subject of post-election communications. Much remains to be discussed. Ongoing monitoring around key emerging details, such as specifics on support for industries like nuclear and CCS, details on how financing pots will be allocated or the confirmation of proposed national targets across grid decarbonisation, EVs, and a ban on gas boilers, will be vital in the coming weeks.

Be bolder in your message: While some of the obstacles for onshore wind have been lifted, many communications challenges will remain. New Chancellor Rachel Reeves knows that getting projects moving won’t be easy and has spoken of ‘hard choices to face down the vested interests." Making a compelling economic, social and community case to secure project support and persuade your stakeholders to make those hard choices will be vital.

Mission control: Many journalists still haven’t quite broken the habit of viewing politics through the lens of the post-2016 governing agenda. However, this Government will have different priorities – see the demise of ‘levelling up’ as an example. Communicators will need to adjust their approach to media briefings to speak to new language of Government and, for example, the ‘mission-driven’ nature of the Labour Government.

Broaden your circle: As the public affairs world returns to a vastly changed landscape, populated with a with new suite of MPs, advisors and Ministers, even the most hardened networkers will be making new friends. Getting out and re-building your black book will be a priority for many.

Engagement, engagement, engagement: From a new net zero strategy, to defining climate financing goals, and setting a seventh carbon budget, there is plenty for the Government to tackle. As it moves from opposition to defining the legislative agenda, there will be plenty of room in the coming months for businesses to make a case for their priorities.