Jeremy Corbyn hit the road on his bike today ahead of Labour’s annual conference with a pledge to launch a “green industrial revolution”.
Global warming will be a key focus of the party rally in Brighton next week, with Tuesday devoted to tackling the climate emergency.
The party is expected to adopt elements of the Green New Deal proposals for a zero-carbon-emissions target of 2030, against the Government’s current deadline of 2050.
Mr Corbyn told the Standard: “It is undeniable that we face a climate emergency and for too long it has been ignored.
“Young people and workers are coming out to say enough is enough. I’m proud to be joining London’s largest climate change mobilisation to demand action.
“The government I lead will kick-start a green industrial revolution and protect our planet.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, is expected to reveal plans for an “NHS forest” of a million trees to be planted at hospitals across the UK under a Labour government.
It came as the cost of offshore wind continued to tumble, with the price for power from new schemes falling as low as £39.65 per megawatt hour of electricity. Some 12 renewable energy projects have secured contracts to provide enough power for more than seven million homes.
It means that for the first time renewables are expected to come online below market prices and without an additional subsidy on bills, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy said.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “The UK is leading the way in the fight against climate change and it’s great news that millions more homes will be powered by clean energy at record-low prices.”
