Can saving the world from climate chaos go hand in hand with saving the UK economy? Yes, if UK politicians are to be believed. The parties have begun unveiling their manifestos ahead of the general election on 7聽May. Promises to boost green and renewable technology suggest that most parties are keen to tap the industry鈥檚 apparent potential for creating jobs and prosperity.
On Monday, the . By boosting investment and research in renewable tech, it hopes to create a million new jobs by 2025, and decarbonise electricity production by 2030.
The Conservative Party claims to already be 鈥渢he greenest government ever鈥�. In its manifesto launched on Tuesday, it says . New pledges include committing an extra 拢1 billion to schemes for capturing and storing carbon dioxide and pushing for a deal at the United Nations climate talks in Paris in December that restricts future global warming to 2聽掳C.
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Not in my back yard
One quirk of the Conservative manifesto is a vow to end subsidies for onshore wind farms, which, despite providing renewable energy, often meet .
The Scottish National Party, and are also pledging to invest in renewable energy.
However, it will take something of a sea change in attitude and funding for the green tech promises to bring lasting economic prosperity as well as cleaner air.
Research and development in home-grown technology generally has been missing in the UK since the 1970s, says of Manchester Business School, when governments stopped spending money on large-scale development, in areas such as defence, computing and aerospace. Other countries have ploughed ahead through organisations such as the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in the US, and the 90 or so Fraunhofer technical institutes in Germany.
Serious investment needed
鈥淥n science, the UK is probably second strongest in the world, but we鈥檝e not invested large scale in technology since the 1980s,鈥� says Flanagan. UK companies have failed to fill the void with private funding and, as a result, the UK struggles to turn its excellent science into world-beating companies and technologies, something that is required if the country is going to be a green-tech powerhouse.
The parties have yet to spell out how much they鈥檙e willing to spend, but major investment will be required to really make a difference, says Flanagan. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e serious about low-carbon technology, you must invest serious amounts,鈥� he says.
of King鈥檚 College London, a historian of technology development, is sceptical that investment in technology can improve prosperity. He says there is no evidence that it has worked for the country before, but green technologies could be a good start. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 something governments could support big-time, but you would have to get serious about it,鈥� he says.
So what about money for science?
The Liberal Democrats, who , are the only political party so far to openly commit to protecting the existing science budget, of about 拢5 billion. Party leader, Nick Clegg, that he would ring fence the science budget and ensure that by 2020 spending kept pace with inflation.
The Green Party has proved the most gung-ho, saying it would double the proportion of national wealth (GDP) spent on science to 1 per cent.
Labour is vaguer about its plans. 鈥淲e will introduce a new long-term funding and policy framework for science and innovation,鈥� it says in its business manifesto.
The Conservative Party, meanwhile, boasts that it ring fenced the budget over the past five years 鈥渂y making difficult choices to reduce spending in other areas鈥�, but makes no promises about keeping it so. It also promises to invest 拢6.9 billion on research infrastructure up to 2021, on new equipment, labs and research institutes.
