The revolution will not be capitalised

The UK’s laudable aim of becoming a world leader in ten climate-related areas looks set to be undermined by the shaky state of its post-Covid and post-Brexit national finances

Boris Johnson’s UK government had been scrambling to put to together an eye-catching climate plan ever since it became obvious who would be the next incumbent of the White House. In mid-November, Johnson duly obliged with his ten-point-plan for a green industrial revolution. The plan is to ‘mobilise’ £12bn ($15.8bn) of government spending to leverage three times as much private sector cash, as well as create a claimed quarter of a million jobs. It will be spread between offshore wind; hydrogen; nuclear; electric vehicles; public transport; cycling and walking; ‘Jet Zero’ and greener maritime; homes and public buildings; carbon capture and storage (CCS); nature; and innovation and finance. Wh