A new cooling technology idea could benefit from up to £1bn of UK government funding to develop and test new technology targeted at tackling climate change in developing countries.
Boris Johnson, the UK prime minister, announced the fund ahead of his appearance at the UN Climate Action Summit in New York today.
The Ayrton Fund, named after British engineer, scientist and suffragette Hertha Ayrton, seeks to give developing countries access to the latest cutting-edge technology to help reduce their emissions and meet global climate change targets.
The fund names a number of potential ideas including innovative solar technologies, large-scale battery technology, clean stoves, low-emission and electric vehicles and ways to improve the technology behind cooling systems.
Describing Britain as a nation of innovators, Boris Johnson said: “I have always been deeply optimistic about the potential of technology to make the world a better place. If we get this right, future generations will look back on climate change as a problem that we solved by determined global action and the prowess of technology.
“The Ayrton Fund will back scientists and our world-leading tech industry – reducing emissions in the poorest countries with the help of our home-grown talent.”
