The UK government has announced a £29m investment in green energy in a bid to reduce the country’s carbon emissions. The investment will fund projects that aim to develop technology to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and reduce emissions in the transportation sector.
The funding will be split between 19 projects, including a project to develop technology to capture and store carbon emissions from industrial processes. The money will also go towards a project to develop a new type of hydrogen fuel cell that can be used in heavy-duty vehicles such as buses and lorries.
Transportation is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in the UK, and the government has set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050. The investment in hydrogen fuel cell technology is a step towards achieving this target, as it has the potential to significantly reduce emissions in the transportation sector.
The investment in green energy comes as part of the government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, which was announced in November 2020. The plan sets out a roadmap for the UK to reach net-zero emissions by 2050, and includes measures such as investment in offshore wind, the electrification of transport, and the development of new technologies to reduce emissions.
The UK’s commitment to reducing carbon emissions has also been bolstered by the recent Climate Change Committee report, which recommended that the country cut emissions by at least 78% by 2035, compared to 1990 levels. The report also called for a ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, and for a rapid increase in the deployment of electric vehicles.
The £29m investment in green energy is part of the government’s efforts to meet these ambitious targets. The funding will help to develop new technologies that can reduce emissions in key sectors such as transportation and industry, and will support the UK’s transition to a low-carbon economy.
In a statement, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “This funding will help us develop new technologies to tackle climate change and reduce emissions, while also supporting the growth of green jobs and industries. We are committed to achieving our net-zero target by 2050, and this investment is a crucial step towards reaching that goal.”
The announcement of the £29m investment in green energy has been welcomed by environmental campaigners, who have called for greater investment in renewable energy and a faster transition to a low-carbon economy.
