The Prime Minister’s highly anticipated plan was released late on Tuesday night (17 November), and signals a clear intention that the UK wants to be a world-leader in an array of clean technologies.
The plan is aimed at eradicating the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050, which has been enshrined into law as part of the net-zero emissions target.
The £12bn plan will support up to 250,000 green jobs, with the Government aiming to secure three times as much investment from the private sector by 2030. A key aspect of the plan is to “level up” all areas of the country, with industrial heartlands in the North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, West Midlands, Scotland and Wales all focal points of the strategy.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Although this year has taken a very different path to the one we expected, I haven’t lost sight of our ambitious plans to level up across the country. My Ten Point Plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050.
“Our green industrial revolution will be powered by the wind turbines of Scotland and the North East, propelled by the electric vehicles made in the Midlands and advanced by the latest technologies developed in Wales, so we can look ahead to a more prosperous, greener future.”
At a glance: The Ten Point Plan
1) Offshore wind
As has been reported, the UK will host 40GW of offshore wind by 2030, enough to power every home and support up to 60,000 jobs.
2) Hydrogen
The UK will aim to generate 5GW of “low-carbon” hydrogen production capacity by 2030. Up to £500m will be invested in a bid to create a Hydrogen Neighbourhood in 2023, a Hydrogen Village by 2025, and to create the first town running entirely on hydrogen.
3) Nuclear
The UK will scale up large nuclear generation while also developing small and advanced reactor. This move will cost £525m and could support up to 10,000 jobs, according to the Government.
4) Electric Vehicles
The West Midlands, North East and North Wales will champion electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing. Johnson also confirms the UK will end the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2030, but hybrid cars and vans will be given a 2035 deadline. A total of £1.3bn will be used to accelerate the rollout of chargepoints, while £582m in grants will be made available to incentivise EV purchasing. Around £500m will be used for mass-scale production of EV batteries and a consultation on the phase out of new diesel will be introduced.
5) Public transport
The Government will incentivise cycling and walking, while also investing in zero-emission public transport. Up to £5bn is expected to be funnelled into alternative cycling, walking, and low-carbon buses.
6) Aviation and shipping
Research projects for zero-emission planes and ships will be conducted to support airlines, airports and shipping firms. £20m has been set aside for clean maritime innovations at sites including Orkney and Teesside.
7) Domestic and public buildings
Homes, schools and hospitals will become more energy efficient through a £1bn spending commitment starting next year. The Government will aim to install 600,000 heat pumps annually by 2028 and create 50,000 green jobs by 2030. The Green Homes Grant voucher scheme from this summer will also be extended.
8) CCS
The UK wants to become a “world-leader” in CCS technology and will target the removal of 10MT of carbon dioxide by 2030, equivalent to all emissions of the industrial Humber today. An additional £200m will create two carbon capture clusters by the mid-2020s, with another two set to be created by 2030. In total, £1bn has been committed, which will support 50,000 jobs in the UK’s industrial clusters.
9) Nature
Commitments have been agreed to plant 30,000 hectares of trees every year to restore the natural environment. £5.2bn has been ringfenced to create for new flood and coastal defences in England by 2027.
10) Innovation and finance
The UK will make the City of London the global centre of green finance.
The 10-point plan has been heralded as a “bold step” by green groups, with many claiming that the outlined steps will put the UK on to the net-zero trajectory. For a full round-up of reactions click here.
Matt Mace