Conservative Party Conference 2020: Could the UK Become to Offshore Wind What Saudi Arabia is to Oil

At the conservative party conference this week the prime minister announced a plan to ensure that all homes in the UK will be powered solely on wind energy by 2030. Boris Johnson unveiled the £160m investment to upgrade ports and factories for building turbines to help the country “build back greener”.

The prime minister has claimed that the plan will ensure the UK would become to offshore wind what Saudi Arabia is to oil. The announcement is part of the government’s commitment towards net zero emissions by 2050 and will support 60,000 jobs. “Your kettle, your washing machine, your cooker, your heating, your plug-in electric vehicle – the whole lot of them will get their juice cleanly and without guilt from the breezes that blow around these islands,” he said.

This new investment will see around 2,000 construction jobs rapidly created and will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly by 2030 in ports, factories and the supply chains, manufacturing the next generation of offshore wind turbines and delivering clean energy to the UK. The promise of 60,000 jobs comes as a very welcome news as pandemic of covid-19 has had a catastrophic effect on the UK economy, with millions experiencing job loss and redundancy.

Nevertheless, Rodger Harrabin, environment analyst advises “The advances in wind power are momentous but shouldn’t be exaggerated. The PM is promising enough power all UK homes – but remember, homes only account for a third of electricity demand. The rest goes to offices and factories.” So, what can businesses be doing to help the effort of switching to greener energy?

Paramount to succeeding in going green businesses have a responsibility to make the biggest change and switch to a renewable energy supplier. By switching to a greener energy supplier this would immensely accelerate the UK’s progress towards net zero emissions by 2050.

Businesses can follow this effort by implementing initiatives like –

• Recycling; have separate bins for paper, cardboard, and plastic.
• Ride a bike to work or start a carpool; you could even enrol in a cycle scheme.
• Use green cleaning products; The chemicals in most cleaning products can have harmful implications for the environment and your health, so where possible, switch these for non-toxic products.

Ross Taylor, Co-Founder of United Gas & Power comments “As one of the ‘Sunday Times’ recognised fastest growing companies in the UK, we believe that we have a responsibility  to set an example not only leading in company ethos but also in setting the bar for a more renewable way forward.”

United Gas & Power are on a mission to provide businesses with renewable energy and one day 100% green energy. We believe that the role businesses have to play in protecting our planet for future generations is fundamental and the single, most impactful change that you can make as a business is to switch your energy contract to a renewable energy supplier.

We help our customers to reduce their carbon footprint and enhance their sustainability agendas by ONLY supplying great value 100% renewable power at no additional cost to the customer.

The government has come under fire in recent months for failing to set out plans for a green recovery that would put the UK on track to meet its goal of reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Apart from £3bn for insulating homes, there were no green measures in the Covid-19 recovery plan.

Therefore, some are sceptical that Boris Johnson’s plans are rooted in an earnest effort to make the country greener and not just a distraction from the current crisis, what are your thoughts?