- Foreign Secretary is in Scotland one year on
from COP26 in Glasgow. He’ll go to the University of
Strathclyde to meet scientists and engineers developing lower
cost, recyclable battery tech
- UK Government funded research aims
to improve clean energy access for 25 million of world’s poorest
people and save nearly 2.5million tonnes of carbon emissions
- Foreign Secretary to also visit the
Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office’s joint HQ in East
Kilbride, which employs almost 1,000 staff in Scotland
Foreign Secretary today met with scientists
and engineers developing revolutionary battery technologies in
Glasgow – a year on from world leaders gathering in the city for
the COP26 climate summit.
The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) is
supporting the Faraday Institution and researchers from the
University of Strathclyde and the University of St Andrews,
through itsTransforming Energy Access (TEA)
programme to help offer lower cost, more recyclable battery
technology to developing countries.
The UK Government announced £126million of new scale-up funding
for TEA during Energy Day at COP26 – focused on reducing carbon
emissions by 2.5 million tonnes and securing better access to
clean energy for 25 million people.
Since TEA was launched in 2015, it has provided 16 million of the
world’s poorest people with improved access to clean energy and
generated 96,000 green jobs.
The Foreign Secretary also visited the FCDO’s joint HQ at
Abercrombie House, in East Kilbride, where almost 1,000 staff are
at the heart of shaping and delivering UK foreign policy on
issues such as climate change, including through the TEA
programme.
Foreign Secretary said:
“Today’s visit is hugely important for me, to see first-hand how
people in Scotland are building on the legacy of the UK’s COP
Presidency in Glasgow to make progress in the fight against
climate change.
“Scotland is famous as an innovation superpower. It has given the
world the television, telephone and penicillin, so it was
wonderful to learn how Scottish scientists are continuing this
rich tradition to develop the revolutionary new batteries of the
future fuelled by cleaner energy.
“The UK Government is proud to support vital work at the
universities of Strathclyde and St Andrews which will help
developing countries to access battery technologies to drive
green growth and give millions a ladder out of poverty.”
Nearly a tenth of the world’s population – 733 million people –
do not have access to the electricity they need to light their
homes, refrigerate their food, or keep cool in rising
temperatures. Around 2.4billion people rely on dirty biomass
fuels such as charcoal, firewood, or animal waste for cooking.
The Foreign Secretary used his COP26 anniversary visit to witness
the start of refurbishment work at the FCDO’s joint HQ in East
Kilbride.
The Foreign Secretary was shown a research project led by the
University of Strathclyde, which is developing a low-cost battery
which is expected to last longer and be more easily recycled.
St Andrews demonstrated battery technology made from common salt,
which could enable a move away from materials such as lithium and
cobalt which are more expensive, rarer and harder on the
environment to source.
Both technologies are expected to be ready to test this year.
Notes to Editors:
- Images of the Foreign Secretary’s
visit can be found here.
- More information on Transforming
Energy Access (TEA) programme can be found here.
-
The UK Government
announced £126 million of new scale-up funding for TEA
during Energy Day at COP26, increasing the programme’s budget
to £225 million, with the aim of improving clean energy access
for 25 million people in developing countries and saving 2.5
million tonnes of carbon emissions.
- According to the World Bank’s
‘Tracking SDG 7 – The
Energy Progress Report 2022’, nearly a tenth of the world’s
population – 733 million people – do not have access to the
electricity grid. Around 2.4billion people rely on dirty
biomass fuels such as charcoal, firewood, or animal waste for
cooking.
