Sunak vows to make UK ‘clean energy superpower’ as PM slams Putin

Rishi Sunak pledged to make the UK a ‘green energy superpower’ (Image: Getty)Rishi Sunak has vowed to make the UK a “green energy superpower”, slamming Russian President Vladimir Putin for what the Prime Minister called “contemptible manipulation” of energy supplies. Giving an address to the House of Commons on the climate summit, which is currently taking place in Egypt, Mr Sunak said that “climate security and energy security go hand in hand”. He said Putin’s war in Russia has “reinforced the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels”.  Mr Sunak therefore pledged to “accelerate” the UK’s “transition to renewables”, committing £30 billion to support the country’s “green industrial revolution”.He told the House of Commons: “Putin’s contemptible manipulation of energy prices has only reinforced the importance of ending our dependence on fossil fuels. So we will make this country a clean energy superpower.”We will accelerate our transition to renewables, which have already grown fourfold as a proportion of electricity supply over the last decade.”We will invest in building new nuclear power stations for the first time since the 1990s.”And by committing £30billion to support our green industrial revolution, we will leverage up to £100billion of private investment to support almost half a million high-wage, high-skilled, green jobs.”He also hit out at Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer for focusing on paying climate reparations to countries abroad, pledging instead to remain “focused on creating a strong economy here at home”. The Prime Minister added: “I know the British people trust me to manage the economy, they won’t trust the Labour party.”MORE TO FOLLOW…Leaders from across the world are in Egypt for COP27 to discuss the world’s response to climate change.Mr Sunak attended the summit earlier this week, u-turning on his initial decision not to attend.Speaking at COP27, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz echoed Mr Sunak’s comments about Putin, saying that switching to renewable energy was “a security policy imperative”.Meanwhile, former US vice-president and environmentalist Al Gore said nations must “stop subsidising the culture of death” of fossil fuels.Italy’s new prime minister Giorgia Meloni said her country remained “strongly committed” to its climate goals, while UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned: “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator”.Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is also in Egypt, warned that countries should not “go weak and wobbly” on climate action.