“I have long believed in the need to marry our economic and environmental agendas. Greening the economy isn't just good for the planet - it's good for the wallets, purses and pockets of every British citizen too,” said Edward Davey, the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change appointed after the resignation of Chris Huhne last week.
Edward Davey hit the ground running today, joining Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg in sending a clear signal that green growth and green jobs will remain at the heart of the Coalition’s strategy for economic recovery, in an effort to bounce back from the recent negative impact of the failed attempts to push through cuts to the solar feed-in tariff and resignation of Chris Huhne after being charged with perverting the course of justice over a 2003 speeding case.
Visiting the Building Research Establishment’s Innovation Park near Watford, a testing site for green homes today, Edward Davey and Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg have met graduates considering moving into green construction jobs.
“The race is on to lead the world in clean, green energy. Last year we saw record-breaking global investment in renewables - outstripping the cash piled into fossil fuels. The new economic powerhouses - China, India, Korea, Brazil - are now serious contenders for that capital,” commented the Deputy Prime Minister. “So the choice for the UK is simple: wake up, or end up playing catch up. In today’s world the savviest states understand that going for growth means going green. Low-carbon markets are the next frontier in the battle for global pre-eminence. We have every reason to be confident. The combination of enviable wind, wave and tidal power, a world-beating research base and a proud history of engineering give the UK a clear competitive edge. So we’re already in pole position. But the reality is: we need to sharpen our elbows if we want to stay ahead.”
Mr Davey, who was appointed to the Cabinet by the Prime Minister on Friday, is a trained economist and an environmental campaigner since university. He told attendees in Watford that he has long believed in the need to marry our economic and environmental agendas. “Greening the economy isn't just good for the planet - it's good for the wallets, purses and pockets of every British citizen too,” he said. “By focusing on the low carbon industries of the future we can rebalance our economy, reducing our dependence on the City of London on the one hand, and on oil and gas imports from unstable parts of the world on the other. My priorities are very simple: green jobs, green growth and getting the best deal for energy bill payers. My department is already implementing bold and ambitious reforms - like electricity market reform and the Green Deal - to unlock private investment, drive innovation and build a resilient, green, competitive economy. It's now my job to see those through.”
Community grants
The Energy and Climate Change Secretary also announced today that 155 community energy projects across the country have won a share of £5.1 million of funding from the Local Energy Assessment Fund. The winning bids include projects to demonstrate wall insulation to the public, schemes to check the energy efficiency of homes and events to promote energy efficiency in local communities.
The funding comes as the Government gears up for the launch of the Green Deal later this year, the first scheme of its kind in the world, aimed at radically overhauling the energy efficiency of millions of homes across the UK.
“The big national challenges of keeping the lights on and emissions down can be tackled in small ways in our homes and local communities. These grants are designed to nurture the ideas and enthusiasm of communities up and down the country who want to cut energy use, cut emissions and save money,” Mr Davey said.
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