Keir Starmer pledges clean energy action at COP29: comment

“The UK's net zero economy is already worth around £75bn GVA and grew by 9% last year when the rest of the economy flatlined. [2] With the rest of the world going green, largely following the chaos of the gas crisis, we're well placed to build on that. Clear signals to the energy industry like this one make the UK an attractive place to invest, bringing benefits like economic growth to regions like the North East. 
 
“Boosting supply chains with government cash can help trigger the private sector to invest too, so people can have jobs that last a lifetime in their local communities. The writing is on the wall for fossil fuels and investing in green tech can only bring benefits to the UK.”
 
On climate finance, Gareth Redmond-King, Head of International Programme at the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) said: “Given the difficult discussions ahead this week, the UK acknowledgment of the critical importance of climate finance by the Prime Minister at COP29 sends a significant message. 
 
“Hosting the CIF market mechanism in London probably means the UK is offering rather more than just good coffee and snacks in a nice office; in reality, this is also a powerful signal of the UK’s commitment to lead globally in mobilising the climate finance needed from all sources, to support developing nations.
 
“That support is backed by nearly two thirds of Brits, who recognise it is both the right thing to do, and is in our own national interest. We import two fifths of our food from overseas, and worsening climate impacts have added some £360 to household food costs over the last couple of years. [3] UK climate finance already helps farmers in over a hundred countries around the world, three quarters of which grow food that comes directly to UK supermarket shelves.” [4]