UK green trade missionaries set off for the USA
After a budget criticised for lacking the fuel to fire a green economic boom, Climate Change Minister Greg Barker is in the U.S. this week hoping to attract investment in the UK green sector. Barker is taking green business leaders to various American cities to make the case for the low-carbon sector to U.S. investors.
Greg Barker, UK Climate Change Minister, is leading the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) first green trade mission to the U.S. with six UK companies.
The mission will last five days, touring Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Charlotte and Columbia in the hopes of boosting the UK’s green economy.
Barker and the business leaders from the UK low-carbon sector will meet politicians, investors, business groups and regional development bodies in the hopes of gaining inward investment.
The Minister plans to tell the people he meets about the changes in the UK economy brought about by recent Coalition policy such as the Green Deal, electricity market reform and the Green Investment Bank.
He said: “My message will be that Britain is open for green business investment.”
The companies joining Barker in the U.S. are varied and include a brewer, Adnams Southwold, and a wind turbine constructor, The RES Group.
According to DECC, the trade mission aims “to help UK companies break into the U.S. market, demonstrate the opportunities presented by the green economy and highlight the massive investment opportunities back in the UK”.
Adnams Southwold, as well as targeting the eco-conscious beer drinker with a “zero-carbon” beer, has a number of sustainability initiatives to stand out in a competitive market including using their brewery waste to create gas for heating and eventually to fuel their trucks.
Andy Wood, Adnams’ Chief Executive, said: “I am delighted to join the Minister on the Department’s first green trade mission and look forward to learning more about the US market and to be part of a showcase of UK companies investing in environmental initiatives.”
The RES Group has been operating in the UK for over 25 years and already has a U.S. presence – they built around 15 per cent of the American wind energy capacity.
Ian Mays, CEO of RES Group said: “We know [the U.S.] is a market that will see huge growth in clean, secure and renewable energy like wind and solar power and we are pleased to be joining the Minister on this mission to showcase our expertise.”
The other companies attempting to woo U.S. investors are Jupiter Asset Management, The Mark Group, Intelligent Energy and Willis Group Holdings plc.
Barker said: “I am proud to be a cheerleader for Britain’s green businesses and am in America this week flying the flag for those firms that are breaking into the U.S. market.”
Image: Celso Flores | Flickr
