Tees Valley will host a new £20 million competition, where successful bidders will push the boundaries of hydrogen to see how it can be used to create a cleaner and more efficient transport sector.

Hydrogen, which produces no carbon emissions when used as a fuel, has an abundance of potential yet to be unlocked. The Hydrogen Transport Hub competition will encourage growth in this vital sector.

As part of the competition, run by Innovate UK, businesses and research groups will collaborate to discover how hydrogen can be used as a reliable fuel source. From lowering carbon emissions on grocery deliveries to making the air in cities cleaner, today’s investment opens up the possibilities of hydrogen to revolutionise how people live and breathe across the country.

The competition will address challenges such as refuelling on a large scale, ensuring buses and coaches can use hydrogen in public transport ecosystems and how to make the supply chain greener with hydrogen-fuelled HGVs.

As the technologies develop, the research from this competition will help bring about the large-scale production of low-carbon hydrogen, which could also reduce the nation’s reliance on imported fossil fuels.

Today’s announcement (6 October 2022) will also see an additional £300,000 put forward to support upskilling the local workforce and foster a specialised skills base and pipeline of talent, further cementing Tees Valley’s status as the home of hydrogen. This will help grow the UK economy with a transport system that is resilient to global energy prices, environmentally friendly and could see the creation of hundreds of skilled jobs. 

Transport Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges this generation faces, and with transport contributing 24% to the UK’s CO2 levels, we are working hard to change things now and for the future.

Tees Valley continues to be the beacon for hydrogen technologies and will be further supported by £20 million going to the best and the brightest ideas that will create a world-leading industry with more skilled jobs in the heart of the north of England.

Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen said:

With ever-increasing global energy prices, a looming net zero deadline but a real chance to grab the emerging opportunity with both hands, now more than ever, we must be looking to the cleaner, safer and healthier industries of the future, such as hydrogen.

The first phase of our Hydrogen Transport Hub pilot, at sites including Teesside Airport, has already proved a great success, showing how these vehicles can be used safely, effectively and cleanly in a whole range of ways.

Now, thanks to this competition, our brilliant innovative businesses can go further to unlock the potential of hydrogen to transform our transport system and undertake vital research that – alongside plans by BP, Kellas Midstream, Northern Gas Networks and others – will cement our area as a hydrogen powerhouse.

With this new funding, the Hydrogen Transport Hub, a testing ground of hydrogen-focused businesses and expertise, will see its largest competition launch.

The previous competition earlier this year saw over £2.6 million awarded to various winners to develop 21 vehicles. That included Toyota, which provided hydrogen vehicles for local police forces and HVS trucks which developed a hydrogen-powered van for large supermarkets to deliver largescale groceries, to offer a solution for when batteries cannot. Setting a good foundation, these examples are just the touchpaper to set alight the imagination of British businesses when building a greener economy, helping consumers seamlessly transition to a lower carbon lifestyle.

As a result, the UK is one step closer to solving one of the biggest challenges to reaching net zero in seeing larger vehicles utilising hydrogen across the transport network beyond battery power, with the winning bids aiming to display their final products from Spring 2023. 

Innovate UK CEO Indro Mukerjee said:

Hydrogen innovation will play a key part in the UK’s net zero ambitions and Innovate UK is ready to work with the most innovative businesses in this field.

We are pleased to partner with the Department for Transport and Tees Valley to help deliver a cleaner, greener future economy for the region and the UK.

Today’s funding will further bolster an area that has seen renewed private investment in the last few years with fuel companies like BP, which is due to build a large-scale hydrogen production facility in Teesside.

Madam Chair,

The United Kingdom congratulates you on your appointment. We look forward to working with you and the Second Committee bureau.

As we approach the midpoint of the Sustainable Development Goals, we must all renew our commitment to achieving Agenda 2030.

Development is at the heart of the UK’s foreign policy. We remain a committed and substantial development partner, through our range of funding and expertise. The UK spends 0.5% of gross national income on ODA, and is committed to returning to 0.7% when out fiscal situation allows.

We are channelling most of our ODA towards low-income countries. We support the global goal of providing at least 0.2% of our GNI to Least Developed Countries.

The tight fiscal situation and debt distress faced by many developing countries is concerning. Scaled up and more effective financing and investment – which doesn’t increase debt – is desperately needed, from a range of sources.

Through “British Investment Partnerships”, we are working with governments and private sector to mobilise up to £8 billion annually of UK-backed financing. This will support economic growth, sustainable infrastructure, and a green and just energy transition.

During our G7 Presidency, we launched the “Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment”, which also aims to mobilise $600 billion over the next 5 years.

Countries need better access to international trade, which is why we launched the “Developing Countries Trading Scheme” to enable duty-free, quota-free trade.

The international financing system isn’t working for many countries. The UK has signed up to the G20 ambition of channelling $100 billion Special Drawing Rights to climate-vulnerable countries. We have committed to channel $4 billion of SDRs via the IMF’s new Resilience & Sustainability Trust.

Madam Chair,

The UK is proud of our COP26 Presidency and the historic Glasgow Climate Pact.

As we approach COP27 in Sharm el-Sheik and the CBD COP15 in Montreal, we will work with Egypt, China, Canada and others to maintain focus on the goals of the Paris Agreement and Glasgow Climate Pact. These agreements must be the starting point for all climate discussions, including in Second Committee. We will resist any attempt to row back from these agreements.

The UK was the first major economy to commit to bringing all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. We are committed to ‘No New Coal’.

We have promised to double our International Climate Finance to at least £11.6 billion to 2026. We will ensure a balance between mitigation and adaptation finance.

At UNGA High-Level Week, we launched a 10 Point Plan for Financing Biodiversity, with Ecuador, Gabon and the Maldives. This reinforces the need for all domestic financing and ODA to be nature-positive and eliminate harmful subsidies.

We are also hopeful about a new Global Biodiversity Framework with targets to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030.

The UK has been a strong supporter of multilateralism as the core of how to support global health in our interconnected world.

Madam Chair

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the UK has committed $2.37 billion to help low and middle-income countries to manage impacts on the most vulnerable.

Through COVAX, the UK supported distribution of 1.5 billion COVID-19 vaccines to 87 developing countries. The UK is prioritising equitable access to vaccinations, therapeutics and diagnostics to support the ‘One Health Approach’.

We look forward to discussing how to better prepare for future pandemics, at the upcoming UN High-Level meetings on PPPR and Antimicrobial Resistance.

We are acutely aware of how interlinked economic, social and environmental challenges affect countries in special situations such as SIDS, LDCs and LLDCs.

Last year, the UK co-authored the ‘SIDS Call to Action’ with Belize, Fiji and AOSIS, pressing for vulnerability to guide financial allocations, as set out in Glasgow.

We welcome publication of the interim report on development of a Multidimensional Vulnerability Index, and look forward to the final report. We encourage Second Committee’s support and consideration of SIDS and LDCs across discussions.

Gender equality must be at the heart of our efforts, and a cross-cutting focus in Second Committee.

We commend the Secretary General for the Transforming Education Summit, and action to advance gender equality and girls’ and women’s empowerment in and through education.

With 8 years left until 2030, we still have time left to muster our hope, commitment and courage, and work together to realize the SDGs. We must leave no one behind.

Thank you.

Thank you President and I also thank ASG Khiari for his informative briefing.

President, as we’ve heard, at around half-past seven on Tuesday morning, as commuters in Northern Japan were making their way to work, evacuation alerts sent people rushing to shelters. Public transport came to a halt as a ballistic missile, launched without warning by North Korea, flew overhead.

The threat to international peace and security presented by North Korea’s reckless and illegal ballistic missile tests could not be clearer. North Korea’s latest launch of an Intermediate-range ballistic missile violates multiple UNSCRs. We stand in solidarity with the people of Japan, and of states in the region threatened by this unacceptable behaviour.

This latest test is a serious escalation, but the broader trend is just as concerning. This year alone North Korea has launched 39 ballistic missiles; seven of which were launched in the last ten days.

We urge Council members to meet these violations with a firm and united response.  North Korea has been emboldened by the Council’s inaction, and the use of the veto by two Council members. Diplomacy is the only route to sustained peace on the peninsula, but it is right that this Council continues to take appropriate, targeted measures to slow the pace of proliferation.

We again call on all member states to implement in full existing Security Council resolutions on North Korea. They are an essential part of efforts to counter the continued development of North Korea’s prohibited programmes.

Let me be clear too that Council sanctions are not targeted at the North Korean people. We fully support the delivery of humanitarian support to the most vulnerable and therefore call on North Korea to allow an independent assessment of the humanitarian situation, and to allow aid to flow freely into the country.

Joint statement to the press delivered by Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative at the United States Mission to the United Nations on behalf of Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom

The United States, Albania, Brazil, France, India, Ireland, Japan, Norway, the Republic of Korea, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, strongly condemn the DPRK’s long-range ballistic missile launch which overflew Japan on October 4 and its seven other ballistic missile launches conducted since September 25. The DPRK has now launched over 35 ballistic missiles this year alone.

These launches violate multiple Security Council resolutions and pose a threat to not only the region, but to the entire international community.  

The United States, and those who have joined me at the podium today remain committed to diplomacy and continue to call on the DPRK to return to dialogue.  But we will not stay silent as the DPRK works to undermine the global nonproliferation regime and threaten the international community. 

The DPRK made its intentions clear in April and September when its leader signaled an effort to accelerate the DPRK’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs and even alluded to pre-emptive use of nuclear forces. We are witnessing the DPRK’s pursuit of this objective.

We call on all UN Member States, especially Council members, to join us in condemning this reckless behavior and in urging the DPRK to abandon in a complete, verifiable, and irreversible manner its unlawful weapons programs and engage in diplomacy toward denuclearization.  We also recall the Council’s decision in resolution 2397 referring to further significant measures.

We call on Member States to fully implement the relevant Security Council resolutions. Let us reaffirm that full implementation of the 1718 Committee mandate is necessary to effectively slow down and restrict the DPRK’s weapons advancements. 

Following the DPRK’s provocations and escalatory behavior in 2017, the Council came together and unanimously took action to hold the DPRK accountable for its unlawful actions. 

Now again the DPRK is testing the Council’s resolve and we must act accordingly.

• Mr Sharma will meet newly-elected President Ruto and cabinet ministers to discuss Kenya’s continued climate leadership ahead of COP27

• The COP President will visit wind and geothermal sites contributing to Kenya’s clean energy transition

• Mr Sharma will also meet with youth, civil society and private finance representatives to discuss local implementation of policies that honour the Glasgow Climate Pact

COP26 President Alok Sharma will travel to Kenya from 5-7 October, following his attendance at Pre-COP in the DRC. The visit is an opportunity to engage with the new Kenyan administration on its commitment to maintain global climate leadership, and make a final call ahead of COP27 for countries to honour the Glasgow Climate Pact by accelerating their own clean energy transitions.

On his third visit to the country, Mr Sharma will spotlight key progress being made in this sector towards limiting global temperature rises to below 1.5 degrees. He will encourage President Ruto and his senior ministers to help build momentum for further change ahead of COP27 in the face of challenging global circumstances.

The COP President will travel to several renewable energy generation sites around Nairobi including Ngong Hills Wind Farm and Olkaria Geothermal Power Station, which has grown to the largest geothermal facility in Africa since being seed funded

by the UK Government in 1981. He will highlight this infrastructure as a model of how other countries can deploy renewables.

While in Nairobi, Mr Sharma will attend a roundtable with youth climate leaders and members of civil society to hear about how climate policy can be transformed into impactful local action.

The COP President will also engage with key figures in Kenyan finance at a climate finance event to understand how private capital is being mobilised in the country to combat climate change through green bonds, carbon credits, and climate-related financial disclosures.

Alok Sharma, COP26 President, said:

“Kenya continues to set an example to the rest of the African continent and the world, demonstrating an appetite to pursue green economic growth and achieve a just, renewable energy transition.

“I am pleased to see President Ruto reaffirm Kenya’s commitment to transition to 100% clean energy by 2030, and look forward to the positive impact this will have on growth, jobs and access to energy.

“But the drought currently afflicting this country is a stark reminder that, in order to save and safeguard lives from the devastating impacts of climate change, we must all redouble our efforts to go further and faster in delivering on the promises of the Glasgow Climate Pact.”

After his visit to Kenya, the COP26 President will travel to Washington DC to attend the 2022 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group (WBG) from 14-16 October.

-ENDS-

Colonel Stewart initiated his new role as the UK’s Defence Attaché to Guatemala. He takes on the role with over 20 years of operational experience in the USA, the Middle East, Europe and Africa.

During this initial visit, Colonel Stewart and the British Ambassador, Nick Whittingham, met with the Guatemalan Minister of Defence, Major General Henry Yovani Reyes Chigua. Colonel Stewart reiterated the UK’s eagerness to work alongside Guatemalan counterparts while enhancing cooperation between armed forces.

Colonel Stewart also met with the Commander of the Guatemalan Air Force, Colonel Juan Carlos Ponce and visited the Air Force Defence Unit along with Colonel Roderico Stoardo Guzmán Barrera, head of the Unit. Colonel Stewart discussed new opportunities for cooperation, training and exchange programmes between the UK and Guatemala.

Colonel Stewart also paid a visit to Ms Claudia Herrera, Director of the Coordination Centre for Disaster Prevention in Central America and the Dominican Republic (CEPREDENAC), an organisation that promotes and coordinates international cooperation and the exchange of information, experiences and technical and scientific advice on disaster prevention, mitigation, care and response.

The British Ministry of Defence’s (MOD) mission is to protect the security, independence and interests of the UK at home and abroad, working closely with allies and partners. Colonel Stewart is also the UK’s observer for the Conference of the Central American Armed Forces (CFAC), he will be residing in Mexico and he will visit Guatemala on a regular basis.

During his visit to Guatemala Colonel Stewart said:

Guatemala is a strategically important country for the entire region and I look forward to working closely with the Armed Forces of Guatemala in partnership and friendship. I was very impressed by the military professionalism and innovation I witnessed and I have also taken inspiration from the drive, determination and skill displayed with regard to humanitarian assistance at CEPREDENAC. Guatemala is a stunningly beautiful country with a great culture and I am excited to explore it more.