London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Facing an epic recession, Britain unveils its 'green industrial revolution' to jumpstart economy, create jobs

Facing an epic recession, Britain unveils its 'green industrial revolution' to jumpstart economy, create jobs

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson sees his ambitious 12 billion-pound plan as a way to jumpstart growth.

U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced a 12 billion-pound ($15.9 billion) plan to boost green industries and tackle climate change, in a blueprint he says will create or support as many as 250,000 jobs.

As he seeks to relaunch his premiership and revive the economy, Johnson aims to use his plan for a “green industrial revolution” to deliver on his pledge to invest in former industrial heartlands that voted for him at last year’s election.

Under the wide-ranging proposals, sales of new petrol and diesel cars will be banned from 2030, the government will back investment in electric vehicles, hydrogen, wind and nuclear power, and measures to make homes more energy efficient.

“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,” Johnson said in a statement released by his office. “My ten-point plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050.”

Climate Summit


Britain is due to host next year’s COP26 global climate change summit in Scotland and has committed to a net zero carbon economy by 2050. The premier also intends to use his commitment to tackling climate change to help build a strong partnership with U.S. President-elect Joe Biden.

The most radical policy is perhaps the phasing out of diesel and gas car sales by 2030, 10 years earlier than previously scheduled. This puts the U.K. ahead of France and Spain, which have 2040 target dates, and in line with Ireland and the Netherlands. The only country with a more ambitious target for such a ban is Norway, with a date of 2025.

A U.K. government spokeswoman said the plan included at least 3 billion pounds of new government spending.

Johnson's Ten-Point Plan


1. Offshore wind: Quadruple U.K. production to 40 gigawatts by 2030, supporting up to 60,000 jobs.

2. Hydrogen: Generate 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production capacity by 2030. Develop the first town heated entirely by hydrogen by 2030.

3. Nuclear: Advance nuclear as clean energy source by developing large and smaller-scale plants, which could support 10,000 jobs.

4. Electric vehicles: End sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2030, but allow sale of hybrid vehicles until 2035. Accelerate transition to electric vehicles.

5. Public transport, cycling and walking: Make cycling and walking more attractive, invest in zero-emission public transport.

6. Zero-emission planes and ships: Support “difficult-to-decarbonize” industries to become greener.

7. Homes and public buildings: Make these greener, warmer and more energy-efficient, creating 50,000 jobs by 2030.

8. Carbon capture: Remove 10 million tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030.

9. Nature: Plant 30,000 hectares of trees every year.

10. Innovation and finance: Develop cutting-edge technologies and make the City of London a global center of green finance.

Landmark announcement


Greenpeace U.K.’s head of politics, Rebecca Newsom, welcomed the “landmark announcement” signaling the end for polluting cars and vans, as “a historic turning point” in addressing climate change.

“Although there are some significant question marks and gaps, overall this is a big step forward for tackling the climate emergency,” Newsom said.

Lord Nicholas Stern, Chair of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics and Political Science, said the plan represents “a crucial next step” to a low carbon economy, but called for more spending to deliver it.

The government will invest 1.3 billion pounds on speeding up the roll-out of charging points for electric vehicles in residential streets, homes and highways in England, with 582 million pounds in grants to encourage consumers to buy zero or ultra-low emission vehicles.

Nearly 500 million pounds will be spent in the next four years to boost the production of electric vehicle batteries.

Cooking on Hydrogen


Government will spend as much as 500 million pounds on trial programs to test the use of hydrogen for heating and cooking at home.

Some 525 million pounds of state funding will go to help develop large and smaller-scale nuclear plants, and research and develop new advanced modular reactors.

Britain needs both small and large-scale nuclear technologies to meet its climate change commitments, according to the plan being drafted by officials. That could be good news for Electricite de France SA and its Sizewell C plant - the only project still in the development pipeline after Hitachi Ltd exited a development in Wales.

The government says it wants to see small-scale reactors built, too. Small modular reactors have been promoted by the nuclear industry as a way to blend steady atomic generation with intermittent renewable energy.

Nuclear Power


How Sizewell will be financed remains an open question with the government expected to draw a conclusion on its preferred financing model in the energy white paper before the end of the year.

The hydrogen target is in line with industry demands. RenewableUK had urged the government to set a target of 5GW of renewable electrolyser capacity by 2030, rising to 10GW by 2035.

Johnson announced new investment including an extra 200 million pounds on carbon capture, usage and storage technology, designed to catch carbon dioxide and bury it underground to stop it entering the atmosphere.

This will see two new carbon capture and storage “clusters” built by the middle of this decade, helping to support 50,000 jobs, potentially in parts of northeastern England where heavy industry has been in decline.

The opposition Labour Party said the government investment will not be enough.

“The funding in this long-awaited announcement doesn’t remotely meet the scale of what is needed to tackle the unemployment emergency and climate emergency we are facing, and pales in comparison to the tens of billions committed by France and Germany,” the party’s energy spokesman Ed Miliband said.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×