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The Green Industrial Revolution: What was included in the government’s net zero strategy?

Ahead of the UK hosting the 26th UN Climate Change Conference Glasgow, the UK government has this week set out their plan to transition to a net zero economy by 2050. The Net Zero Strategy outlines measures for this transition which will help businesses and consumers move to clean power while supporting jobs. 

The government has highlighted that the commitments made as part of this strategy will secure 440,000 well-paid jobs and unlock £90 billion in private investment by 2030. This includes:

  • An extra £350 million on top of the £1 billion commitment to support the electrification of UK vehicles and their supply chains and another £620 million for targeted electric vehicle grants and infrastructure.
  • Kickstarting the commercialisation of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with the ambition to enable the delivery of 10% of SAF by 2030 with £180 million in funding to support the development of SAF plants in the UK. 
  • £140 million Industrial and Hydrogen Revenue Support scheme to accelerate industrial carbon capture and hydrogen, this involves:

- Two new carbon capture clusters - Hynet Cluster in North West England and North Wales and the East Coast Cluster in Teesside and the Humber - backed by the government’s £1 billion in support

  • An extra £500 million towards innovation projects to develop the green technologies of the future, bringing the total funding for net zero research and innovation to at least £1.5 billion.
  • £3.9 billion of new funding for decarbonising heat and buildings, including the new £450 million 3-year Boiler Upgrade Scheme
  • £124 million boost to the Nature for Climate Fund, a step towards meeting commitments to restore approximately 280,000 hectares of peat in England by 2050 and treble woodland creation in England to meet commitments to create at least 30,000 hectares of woodland per year across the UK by the end of this parliament
  • £120 million towards the development of nuclear projects through the Future Nuclear Enabling Fund.

This is the first time that a UK government have outlined their plans to transition the economy to net-zero and gives the Prime Minister tools in which to enter negotiations in Glasgow. However, many experts and campaigners have voiced concerns that the strategy doesn’t go far enough. As we look towards the COP 26 conference, and more nations make their commitments, we’ll see how the UK’s stack up.