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UK tech firms join forces to tackle climate crisis and accelerate towards net zero

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 23: Prime Minister Boris Johnson chairs a session of the UN Security Council on climate and security at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office on February 23, 2021 in London, England. The United Kingdom holds the security council's rotating presidency and is the host nation of this year's COP26 UN climate summit in Glasgow. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau-WPA Pool/Getty Images)
The ‘Tech Zero taskforce’ aims to accelerate the government’s plans for reaching net zero emissions and make Britain the top global destination for green investment. Photo: Stefan Rousseau-WPA Pool/Getty Images

The prime minister’s net zero business advisor, Andrew Griffith, is working with fifteen of the fastest-growing technology companies in the UK to tackle the climate crisis.

The ‘Tech Zero taskforce’ aims to accelerate the government’s plans for reaching net zero emissions and make Britain the top global destination for green investment.

Founding members of the taskforce include the leaders of companies such as, Bulb, Citymapper, GoCardless, Habito, MoneySuperMarket Group, Revolut and Starling Bank, backed by industry body Tech Nation.

It will be led by Hayden Wood, co-founder and chief executive of Bulb and will work in partnership with the government's Council for Sustainable Business.

Bosses of the founding taskforce members are set to hold a launch summit in the coming months, where they’ll agree on commitments to reach net zero, boost green investment and help consumers make greener choices.

Britain has vowed to cut emissions by 68% of its 1990 levels by 2030.

“We need bold action to avert the climate crisis, so we’ve brought together the UK’s most exciting and innovative tech companies to determine the best path to net zero as fast as possible,” Hayden Wood of Bulb said. “Tech Zero will go beyond targets - we want to boost access to finance and make the UK the number one destination for green investment in the world.”

Meanwhile, Andrew Griffith said: “There’s never been a better time for companies to pledge to take action on climate,” said. “The UK is one of the global leaders in technology so it's fantastic to see our country's leading tech companies come together to commit to net zero in the run up to COP26,”

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The group aims to get at least 1,000 UK tech firms to sign up before COP26, the UN climate conference, held in Glasgow later this year.

The COP26 conference, which is being held between 1 and 12 November, will be the largest summit the UK has ever hosted. It will have dozens of world leaders in attendance and bring together representatives from nearly 200 countries, including experts and campaigners.

It was originally scheduled for November 2020 but was delayed by a year due to the coronavirus pandemic. It will be the largest summit that the UK has ever chaired and has been described as the most significant climate event since the global Paris Agreement was secured in 2015.

In January, Alok Sharma resigned from his role as UK business minister in order to lead the United Nations COP26 climate change summit.

Sharma, who is president of this year’s climate summit, told Boris Johnson that he would rather give up his position as business secretary than leave his role in the climate change envoy.

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