The environment had a higher level of focus across the election than it probably had had previously with different parties committing to different years by which time the country will be carbon neutral. Campaigning on environmental issues has been on a global basis.
We work with our Chinese colleagues with businesses in China, and China is carrying out work in this area and is now the World’s largest producer, exporter and installer of solar panels , wind turbines, batteries and electric vehicles.
There are also many collaborations between the UK and China in this space.Take Oxford PV, for example, a pioneer and technology leader in the field of perovskite solar cells. Solar panels built with the company’s solar cell technology will generate more power and deliver more affordable clean energy. This year, Oxford PV raised EUR 36 million in a round led by Goldwind, the leading provider of integrated renewable energy solutions in China.
As recently as September, a commitment was made to form new UK-China partnerships in green tech. They include collaborations in business, research and policy to tackle marine plastic pollution. The commitment also includes developing innovative technologies in renewables and electric vehicles.
Notably, the green tech revolution touches on another great British strength: finance. September’s commitment included raising green finance to sustain levels of investment in green technologies and infrastructure.
Strong strides have already been made in green finance. The UK-China Green Finance Centre was established in 2018 to advance UK and China green finance cooperation, and earlier this year both governments welcomed green finance guidelines for the Belt and Road Initiative.
