New green jobs in Yorkshire to be at centre of Prime Minister's 10-point eco-plan to be launched today

Boris Johnson will today set out a 10-point plan to eradicate the UK’s contribution to climate change by 2050.

And he said: “Although this year has taken a very different path to the one we expected, I haven’t lost sight of our ambitious plans to level up across the country. My 10-point plan will create, support and protect hundreds of thousands of green jobs, whilst making strides towards net zero by 2050.”

Covering clean energy, transport, nature and innovative technologies the blueprint is targeted especially at areas such as the Yorkshire and the Humber where the Government hopes a new green industrial revolution will form.

And it will include becoming a world-leader in technology to capture and store harmful emissions away from the atmosphere, with a target to remove 10 megatonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030, equivalent to all emissions of the industrial Humber today.

An extra £200m of new funding will be given to create two carbon capture clusters by the mid-2020s, with another two set to be created by 2030.

And the plan will see £12bn of government investment to create and support up to 250,000 highly-skilled green jobs in the UK, and spur over three times as much private sector investment by 2030.

And the PM will also announce he is bringing forward by 10 years the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans to 2030.

Mr Johnson is due to hold a virtual roundtable with green investors today to set out his ambitious plan and incentivise further private sector investment.

But Shadow Business Secretary and Doncaster North MP Ed Miliband said: "The funding in this long-awaited announcement doesn't remotely meet the scale of what is needed to tackle the unemployment emergency and climate emergency we are facing, and pales in comparison to the tens of billions committed by France and Germany.

"Only a fraction of the funding announced today is new. We don't need rebadged funding pots and reheated pledges, but an ambitious plan that meets the scale of the task we are facing and - crucially - creates jobs now.

It comes as a new report from the CBI found that Yorkshire and the Humber will only recover from the economic devastation caused by the coronavirus pandemic through targeted action to boost innovation and stimulate job creation.

Beckie Hart, CBI Yorkshire and the Humber Director, said: “Yorkshire and the Humber is a region with many examples of excellence, ranging from strong city economies like Leeds and Sheffield to outstanding strength in sectors like advanced manufacturing, healthcare, professional services and energy.

“Yet these successes are not spread evenly, even within the region. Pockets of inequality remain – and have been worsened by the pandemic – while unemployment is rising. The traditionally-strong hospitality, leisure and tourism sectors have been hit especially hard. Giving people an opportunity to learn skills fit for new industries is essential if we are to prevent long-term economic scarring.

“Fostering an environment where companies can invest in R&D and innovation will also be vital if the region is to enjoy a fair and sustainable recovery. That can be the foundation which enables Yorkshire and the Humber businesses to succeed not just regionally or nationally, but globally too.”