Latest news with #wind power
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Not very green, Keir: PM joins Trump for 250-mile flight across Scotland in Air Force One for Aberdeen dinner date after meeting to discuss trade, Gaza
Keir Starmer risked the wrath of green groups and his own backbenchers tonight as he joined Donald Trump for a 250mile flight in Air Force One just so they could have dinner together. The Prime Minister waved as he boarded the US presidential Boeing 747 at Prestwick tonight after talks and a chaotic press conference at Trump's Turnberry golf resort. The president advised his 'not too liberal' friend to cut taxes and immigration if he wanted to beat Nigel Farage at the next election. And he gently pressed the PM on giving the go-ahead for new oil and gas exploration in the North Sea, while slamming funding for wind power. The PM stood up for green energy hours before boarding the ageing American behemoth, which is built for long-haul journeys rather than a short hop across Scotland. 'We believe in a mix, and obviously oil and gas will be with us for a very long time, and that'll be part of the mix, but also wind, solar, increasingly nuclear (power),' he said. The flight will land at RAF Lossiemouth, due to Aberdeen Airport having too short a runway for the 747, which burns up to 11 tons of fuel per hour. It was the PM's second flight of the day, having arrived in Scotland from Switzerland, where he watched the Lionesses retain their Women's Euros title last night. The Prime Minister waved as he boarded the US presidential Boeing 747 at Prestwick tonight after talks and a chaotic press conference at Trump's Turnberry golf resort. The PM stood up for green energy hours before boarding the ageing American behemoth, which is built for long-haul journeys rather than a short hop across Scotland. Without any awkwardness about playing one mate off against the other the president used the hour-long televised bromantic encounter to tell the PM to cut taxes and stop 'murderers and drug dealers' from coming to Britain. While Sir Keir sat beside him with an impassive look on his face he also attacked subsidies for wind power and - gently - suggested he should back fresh drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea instead. He was full of praise for the Prime Minister and the way he was running the country, despite their ideological differences, saying Sir Keir was was 'liberal ..but not too liberal' in his approach. Mr Trump added: 'I think the one that's toughest and most competent on immigration is going to win the election, but then you add… low taxes, and you add the economy. '(Sir Keir) did a great thing with the economy, because a lot of money is going to come in because of the deal that was made. But I think that, I think that immigration is now bigger than ever before.' The president had earlier told Sir Keir Britain and the rest of Europe it must stop illegal immigration to avoid 'ruin' as the two leaders met in Scotland today. Mr Farage is not meeting Mr Trump during the visit. The American leader attacked Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan as a 'nasty person' and hailed both Sir Keir and Nigel Farage as 'great men' as the leaders took a series of questions across domestic and foreign affairs. The president also indicated that the US may not impose heavy tariffs on British pharmaceuticals, telling reporters that 'we certainly feel a lot better' about the UK working on drugs that will be sold in the States compared to other nations. The president had earlier said that he thinks Sir Keir, who has been in office for more than a year, will be 'a tax cutter.' The president had earlier spoken out as he met Sir Keir and Lady Victoria on the clubhouse steps at his Ayrshire golf course. During the president's 'working holiday' in the country of his mother's birth he spoke to reporters as bagpipes played in the background. He spoke out about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza - which the leaders will discuss further - and had criticism for Vladimir Putin over the Ukraine war. But he also addressed the wider issue of immigration facing Europe he added that it was becoming a 'different place' - and praised Sir Keir for taking a strong stance against it. 'This is a magnificent part of the world, and you cannot ruin it, you cannot let people come here illegally,' the president said.
The Independent
7 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
UN says booming solar, wind and other green energy hits global tipping point for ever lower costs
The global switch to renewable energy has passed a 'positive tipping point' where solar and wind power will become even cheaper and more widespread, according to two United Nations reports released Tuesday, describing a bright spot amid otherwise gloomy progress to curb climate change. Last year, 74% of the growth in electricity generated worldwide was from wind, solar and other green sources, according to the U.N.'s multiagency report, called Seizing the Moment of Opportunity. It found that 92.5% of all new electricity capacity added to the grid worldwide in that time period came from renewables. Meanwhile, sales of electric vehicles are up from 500,000 in 2015 to more than 17 million in 2024. The three cheapest electricity sources globally last year were onshore wind, solar panels and new hydropower, according to an energy cost report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). Solar power now is 41% cheaper and wind power is 53% cheaper globally than the lowest-cost fossil fuel, the reports said. Fossil fuels, which are the chief cause of climate change, include coal, oil and natural gas. 'The fossil fuel age is flailing and failing,' United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in Tuesday morning speech unveiling the reports. 'We are in the dawn of a new energy era. An era where cheap, clean, abundant energy powers a world rich in economic opportunity.' 'Just follow the money,' Guterres said, quoting the reports that showed last year there was $2 trillion in investment in green energy, which is about $800 billion more than in fossil fuels. UN officials say switch to renewables needs to speed up Still, United Nations officials said the switch to renewable energy, while remarkable compared to 10 years ago, is not happening fast enough. The global renewables growth has been mostly in developed countries such as China — where one-tenth of the economy is tied up in green energy — as well as countries such as India and Brazil. Yet Africa represented less than 2% of the new green energy capacity installed last year despite having great electrification needs, the reports said. United Nations officials blamed the high cost of capital for the Global South. 'The Global South must be empowered to generate its own electricity without adding to already unsustainable level of debts,' said Bahamian climate scientist Adelle Thomas of the Natural Resources Defense Council. Thomas, who did not work on the reports, added that they debunk the myth that clean energy cannot compete with fossil fuels, instead showing a clean energy future is not just possible but likely inevitable. The U.N. reports are 'right on the money," said University of Michigan environment dean Jonathan Overpeck, who also wasn't part of the studies. He said the economic tipping point leads to a cycle that keeps driving renewable costs down and makes fossil fuel power less and less desirable. Renewables grow despite high subsidies for fossil fuels And renewables are booming despite fossil fuels getting nearly nine times the government consumption subsidies as they do, Guterres and the reports said. In 2023, global fossil fuel subsidies amounted to $620 billion, compared to $70 billion for renewables, the U.N. report said. But just as renewables are booming, fossil fuel production globally is still increasing, instead of going down in response. United Nations officials said that's because power demand is increasing overall, spurred by developing countries, artificial intelligence data centers and the need for cooling in an ever warmer world. 'A typical AI data center eats up as much electricity as 100,000 homes,' Guterres said. 'By 2030 data centers could consume as much electricity as all of Japan does today.' So Guterres called on the world's major tech firms to power data centers completely with renewables by 2030. Solar and wind power face US cuts to renewable energy programs In the United States, solar and wind power had been growing at a rate of 12.3% per year from 2018 to 2023, the IRENA report said. But since President Donald Trump took office earlier this year, his administration has withdrawn the nation from the landmark Paris climate accord and cut many federal renewable energy programs, with a renewed emphasis on fossil fuels. Guterres warned nations hanging on to fossil fuels that they were heading down a dangerous path that would make them poorer not richer, without naming the United States specifically. 'Countries that cling to fossil fuels are not protecting their economies, they sabotaging them. Driving up costs. Undermining competitiveness. Locking in stranded assets,' Guterres said. Renewables are the smart way to go for energy security, Guterres said. With renewables, he said, 'there are no price spikes for sunlight. No embargoes on wind.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
