23.09.19
PM launches £1bn climate change fund for British scientists
Thanks to £1bn subsidy, British scientists will have the funds to join global innovators in the fight against climate change.
Our best and brightest will have access to up to £1bn of aid funding as they team up with innovators from around the world to tackle climate change.
The financial backing will be launched by the Prime Minister today, as the innovative Ayrton Fund is announced at the UN General Assembly. Named after British scientist and suffragette, Hertha Ayrton, the fund is to support the development and testing of new technology aimed at managing climate change in developing countries.
The fund will provide access to the most pioneering technology to focus on cutting emissions and meeting climate change targets.
Britain is particularly good at fighting climate change, making use of renewable energy and cutting emissions by over 40 per cent, the fastest of all G20 counties. Achieving this whilst growing our economy by more than two thirds demonstrates why British scientists are essential on this project.
British engineers are also helping revolutionise zero-emission transport at home and abroad. Last year, for every electric car sold across the whole of Europe, one was manufactured in the UK.
Some of the specific goals for the funding are to provide affordable electricity to some of the one billion people currently living without. This includes making the most of solar technology for their homes.
Another improvement they want to make is reducing the carbon output of factories in major polluting industries like iron and steel, petrochemicals and cement.
Other aspects include an air conditioning solution, as the issue is expected to raise global temperatures by 0.5°C in the coming years and continuing work on low-emission and electric transport.
Speaking ahead of today’s climate change event at the UN, the Prime Minister said: “Britain is a nation of innovators.
“Our scientists have been at the forefront of technological advancement for generations, pioneering world-changing inventions like the jet engine, the television and the lightbulb.”
“I have always been deeply optimistic about the potential of technology to make the world a better place. If we get this right, future generations will look back on climate change as a problem that we solved by determined global action and the prowess of technology.”
Business and Energy Secretary Andrea Leadsom added: “Having successfully decarbonised while growing our economy, we’re proud to work with the poorest countries, who suffer most from the impacts of climate change, to develop and deploy wind, solar and battery technology to help drive the clean energy transition.”