Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged Tuesday that every home in Britain will be powered by wind energy in a decade as the government kick-starts a green industrial revolution'' that will create hundreds of thousands of jobs.
In a speech to the annual Conservative Party conference, Johnson said the government would invest 160 million pounds ($208 million) in ports and factories to support production of the next generation of wind turbines.
That is a tiny fraction of what it will cost to reach his goal as the U.K. currently gets about one-sixth of its electricity from wind, or enough to power 18.1 million homes, according to statistics from renewableUK, an industry association.
There is one area where we are progressing, quite literally, with gale force speed and that is the green economy the green industrial revolution that in the next 10 years will create hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of jobs, Johnson said in video address to the conference, which is being held online this year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Johnson's comments come as he tries refocus the political debate away from the government's widely criticised efforts to battle the pandemic. Covid-19 has killed more than 42,000 people in Britain, Europe's highest death toll, and the government on Monday was forced to launch an investigation into how almost 16,000 new coronavirus infections went unreported as a result of a technical glitch.
The continuing crisis has pushed other initiatives off the agenda, but green issues remain part of Johnson's plans.
On Tuesday, he pledged to back a wide range of wind power projects, including windmills that float on the sea,? and sought to portray himself as a visionary. You heard me right, he said.
Your kettle, your washing machine, your cooker, your heating, your plug-in electric vehicle the whole lot of them will get their juice cleanly and without guilt from the breezes that blow around these islands.
Dear Reader,
Business Standard has always strived hard to provide up-to-date information and commentary on developments that are of interest to you and have wider political and economic implications for the country and the world. Your encouragement and constant feedback on how to improve our offering have only made our resolve and commitment to these ideals stronger. Even during these difficult times arising out of Covid-19, we continue to remain committed to keeping you informed and updated with credible news, authoritative views and incisive commentary on topical issues of relevance.
We, however, have a request.
As we battle the economic impact of the pandemic, we need your support even more, so that we can continue to offer you more quality content. Our subscription model has seen an encouraging response from many of you, who have subscribed to our online content. More subscription to our online content can only help us achieve the goals of offering you even better and more relevant content. We believe in free, fair and credible journalism. Your support through more subscriptions can help us practise the journalism to which we are committed.
Support quality journalism and subscribe to Business Standard.
Digital Editor
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU