Huw Merriman, MP for the Bexhill and Battle constituency, has welcomed the Government’s £3 billion green investment package to drive forward green home improvements, decarbonise buildings and create thousands of jobs as part of their drive to kickstart the economic recovery.
Other commitments that the Government has made to create new, green jobs that contribute towards the economic recovery post-coronavirus include providing £350 million to help businesses to decarbonise across the heavy industry, construction, space and transport sectors. As well as the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, announcing the creation of the Jet Zero Council, which will bring together representatives from the Government, environmental and aviation industries to tackle emissions in the sector, and work towards the first zero emission long-haul passenger plane. This is the first step in making net-zero carbon emission flights a reality in the future.
Transport in general has been a decarbonisation target with the launching of the Transport Decarbonisation Plan, which provides over £1billion to support ultra-low emission vehicles and £100 million of funding for research to develop a brand-new clean technology called Direct Air Capture.
In the Chancellor’s Economic Statement on 8 July he laid out £2 billion for the Green Homes Grant scheme, which will allow households in England to apply for at least two thirds of the cost of upgrading their homes energy performance; improvements such as wall, loft and floor insulation and double glazing (up to a maximum contribution of £5,000). Low income households will be eligible for 100% government funding, up to £10,000.
The Scheme is part of the wider ‘New Deal’ initiative to rebuild Britain, which will also provide £1 billion to help improve the energy efficiency of public sector buildings, alongside a £50 million fund to pilot the right approach to decarbonise social housing.
As well as slashing energy bills green projects have huge potential to generate short- and long-term economic benefits. Together, this package could support around 140,000 jobs, reduce households’ energy bills by hundreds of pounds a year, and reduce CO2 emissions helping to meet the Net Zero 2050 target.
Huw, who is a member of the Conservative Environment Network, said: “I am delighted that the Chancellor has confirmed this Grant to improve the energy efficiency of homes and reduce energy bills. These measures will support thousands of jobs across the country, as well as for the Bexhill & Battle constituency and I urge my constituents to apply when it’s live. We cannot recover our economy sustainably without also protecting and restoring nature.”
The Government also announced that they will end support for coal power plants overseas as well as ending the UK’s reliance on coal at home completely by 2024.
These are all measures towards the target of ending the UK’s contribution to global warming by 2050.
