UK gears up for a green industrial revolution

The UK government has also earmarked £12 billion for a 10-point plan, which will create up to 250,000 jobs. This comes as the UK gets ready to co-host the Climate Ambition Summit on December 12, and the COP26 next year.

The 10 points built around the UK’s strengths are:

• Offshore wind: Producing enough offshore wind to power every home, quadrupling the current production to 40GW by 2030 and creating up to 60,000 jobs.

• Hydrogen: Working to generate 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030 for industry, transport, power and homes, developing the first town heated entirely by hydrogen by the end of the decade.

• Nuclear: Advancing nuclear as a clean energy source and developing the next generation of small and advanced reactors, which could support 10,000 jobs.

• Electric vehicles: Ending the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 – 10 years earlier than planned –with hybrid cars to follow in 2035, and transforming the UK’s national infrastructure to better support electric vehicles. This will put the UK on course to be the first G7 country to decarbonise road transport.

• Public transport, cycling and walking: Making cycling and walking more attractive ways to travel and investing in zero-emission public transport of the future.

• Jet Zero and greener maritime: Supporting difficult-to-decarbonise industries to become greener through research projects for zero-emission planes and ships.

• Homes and public buildings: Making homes, schools and hospitals greener, warmer and more energy efficient, whilst creating 50,000 jobs by 2030, and a target to install 600,000 heat pumps every year by 2028.

• Carbon capture: Becoming a world-leader in technology to capture and store harmful emissions away from the atmosphere, with a target to remove 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.

• Nature: Planting 30,000 hectares of trees every year, whilst creating and retaining thousands of jobs.

• Innovation and finance: Developing cutting-edge technology needed to reach these new energy ambitions and making London the global centre of green finance.

“Although this year has taken a very different path to the one we expected, the UK is looking to the future and seizing the opportunity to build back greener,” PM Johnson said.

“The recovery of our planet and of our economies can and must go hand-in-hand.

“This is a shared global challenge – every country in the world needs to take action to secure the future of the planet for our children, grandchildren and generations to come.”

The prime minister also announced significant new investment today to deliver on the plan, including:

Carbon capture: The UK will be at the global forefront of carbon capture, usage and storage technology, benefiting regions with industries that are particularly difficult to decarbonise.

An extra £200 million of new funding to create two carbon capture clusters by the mid-2020s, with another two set to be created by 2030. This increases the total invested to £1 billion.

Hydrogen: Up to £500 million, including getting homes to experiment with using hydrogen for heating and cooking, starting with a Hydrogen Neighbourhood in 2023, moving to a Hydrogen Village by 2025, with an aim for a Hydrogen Town before the end of the decade.

Nuclear: £525 million to help develop large and smaller-scale nuclear plants, and research and develop new advanced modular reactors.

Electric vehicles: The UK will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, 10 years earlier than planned, with hybrid cars to follow in 2035 subject to strict standards on zero emissions.

To support this acceleration, Johnson has announced:

• £1.3 billion to accelerate the rollout of charge points for electric vehicles in homes, streets and on motorways across England.

• £582 million in grants for those buying zero or ultra-low emission vehicles to make them cheaper and incentivise more people to make the transition.

• Nearly £500 million to be spent in the next four years for the development and mass-scale production of electric vehicle batteries.

Homes and public buildings: £1 billion next year into turning new and existing homes and public buildings more efficient and comfortable, extending the Green Homes Grant voucher scheme by a year and making public sector buildings greener and cutting bills for hospitals and schools, as part of the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme.

Greener maritime: £20 million for a competition to develop clean maritime technology, such as feasibility studies on key sites.