Unions and NGOs call on UK government to boost National Wealth Fund financing

Unions, think‑tanks, environmental groups and charities have jointly urged ministers to increase the capital of the National Wealth Fund (NWF) so it can invest more aggressively in Britain’s economy. In a statement signed by the Trades Union Congress, Greenpeace, WWF and the New Economics Foundation, the coalition argues that a larger NWF would help lower energy bills, revitalize the UK’s industrial heartlands and create high‑quality jobs.

The proposals call for the fund to turbo‑charge the retrofitting of homes and commercial buildings, to offer the public a larger stake in key infrastructure projects, and to launch a targeted investment programme that would bring green industries to communities hardest hit by deindustrialisation. In addition, the groups support the creation of a network of regional banks that would channel NWF capital into small businesses that underpin local economies.

If the government follows the call, the expanded NWF could become a central engine for economic renewal, providing the financial firepower needed to deliver both environmental and social outcomes across the country.