The UK government has announced investments totalling more than £500m (€559.13m) in sustainable innovation and electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.
The government has launched a £400m (€448.07m) fund to shore up electric vehicle charging infrastructure across the UK. An initial tranche of £70m (€78.4m) to go towards implementation of an additional 3,000 new rapid EV chargepoints, which can provide a full charge for an average family sized electric car in 20 minutes; this will more than double the number of rapid chargepoints available in the UK by 2024. A further £149.2m (€167.13m) investment has been announced to stimulate sustainable innovation in the UK, supporting research into new forms of airborne pollutants and development of technologies which can remove greenhouse gases from the Earth’s atmosphere.
Exchequer Secretary Simon Clarke said: “We are driving ahead with plans to make travel greener while backing British innovation and technology. I am delighted to announce this funding today that will more than double the number of rapid charge points for electric vehicles on our roads. Britain already boasts one of the biggest networks of charging infrastructure in Europe and soon we will have the fastest thanks to this investment. This is the latest in our proud record on climate change; having slashed emissions by over 40% since 1990, whilst simultaneously growing our economy, and setting an ambitious target for net zero emissions by 2050.”
Business, Energy and Clean Growth Minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “The UK has been going further and faster in tackling climate change by becoming the first major economy to legislate for net zero emissions by 2050 and helping us seize the opportunities of a greener future. With air pollution thought to kill as many as seven million people a year globally, it’s clear more needs to be done. That’s why we’re backing these initiatives, aimed at making improvements from battling air pollutants to protecting our invaluable sea life. These pioneering projects will help us maintain our world-leading position in this field, and to make further strides towards a more sustainable future for our planet.”
