THE UK would not invest again in offshore coal mines or coal powered power plants, said Boris Johnson, the country’s prime minister.
“Not another penny of UK taxpayers’ money” would be directly invested in digging up coal or burning it for electricity, Johnson said in an article by the Daily Mail. Johnson was commenting during the UK Africa Investment Summit in London today. However, Johnson urged African nations to do more business in Britain.
“There is no point in the UK reducing the amount of coal we burn if we then trundle over to Africa and line our pockets by encouraging African states to use more of it,” said Johnson. “We all breathe the same air, we live beneath the same sky, we all suffer when carbon emissions rise and the planet warms,” he said.
“So from today the British government will no longer provide any new direct official development assistance… for thermal coal mining or coal power plants overseas. To put it simply not another penny of UK taxpayers’ money will be directly invested in digging up coal or burning it for electricity.”
Johnson argued it would make no sense for such investment to continue given the efforts the UK has made to clean up its own energy production.
He also set out his belief that UK’s post immigration system would enable closer links between Britain and Africa because border control will change to put “… people before passports”.
“One thing is changing: Our immigration system,” he said.
“I know that it is an issue which people have raised with me in the past but change is coming and our system is becoming fairer and more equal as between all our global friends and partners, treating people the same wherever they come from.
“By putting people before passports we will be able to attract the best talent from around the world wherever they may be.”
