International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has announced a new programme to promote the UK’s green export capabilities around the world.

The Clean Growth programme will see trade and investment teams in British embassies promote domestic clean-growth companies and connect UK exporters to international opportunities.

Launched today (Friday 12 November) on the last day of COP26 at an event co-hosted by the Department for International Trade (DIT) and all-electric motorsport Formula E, the programme highlights that the sector could be worth £1.8 trillion by 2030.

Green exports

Trevelyan said: “Using green technology is crucial to combatting climate change. Through opening up new markets and providing export support, my department’s Clean Growth programme will help unleash the potential of UK businesses who are creating ground-breaking innovations in this area.”

During the COP26 summit DIT announced 11 investments aligned to the UK government’s Ten Point Plan, totalling £9.2bn and creating almost 23,000 jobs.

By 2050, there could be more than 1.2 million full time workers directly employed in England’s low carbon industries.

Fossil fuel landmark

On the last day of COP26, a new draft agreement has softened government requirements to reduce fossil fuel and coal use, reports the BBC.

However, the inclusion of the commitment in a final deal would still be seen as a landmark moment.

According to Politico, Britain’s leadership in fighting climate change is also in question as it confirmed it won’t join a New Zealand-led green trade pact to end billions in subsidies for the fossil fuel sector.

British ministers and officials say the UK won’t join the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability (ACCTS) because it wants to keep the subsidies and certain tariffs on environmentally-friendly goods and services the deal would eliminate.

Final push

The Guardian reports that COP26 president Alok Sharma has urged negotiators to find a “final injection of that can-do spirit to get this shared endeavour over the line” as the summit struggles to keep the 1.5C promise alive.

A report on the final outcome of the COP26 summit will be published over the weekend, with a second draft issued today.

Meanwhile civil society groups showed their frustration with COP26 by staging a walk-out of the UN conference’s final day, protesting at what they see as a lack of results from the two-week summit.