Engineers to tackle global climate change with £1bn Ayrton Fund boost

Large-scale battery storage, efficient cooling systems and lower-carbon factories could help tackle climate change and environmental damage in developing countries thanks to a £1bn boost.

The Ayrton Fund, announced today (23 September) by prime minister Boris Johnson at the UN General Assembly, will support British engineers and scientists in the development and testing of new technology. Named after engineer, scientist and suffragette Hertha Ayrton, the fund aims to give developing countries access to the latest cutting-edge technology to reduce emissions and meet global climate change targets.

The UK has expertise in several sustainable sectors, including renewable energy. The £1bn investment will focus on areas including affordable small-scale solar energy for some of the billion people living off-grid and large batteries to replace polluting diesel generators.

Other investments include:

• The design of ‘clean’ stoves such as electric pressure cookers for some of the 2.7bn people who still rely on firewood, which is damaging to health as well as the environment
• Working with factories in polluting industries like iron, steel, petrochemicals and cement to reduce carbon output
• Improving cooling system technology to prevent wastage. Residential air conditioning alone is expected to raise global temperatures by 0.5°C in the years ahead
• The design of low-emission and electric vehicles to cut pollution and make transport systems cleaner and greener.

Business and energy secretary Andrea Leadsom said: “We’re proud to work with the poorest countries, who suffer most from the impacts of climate change, to develop and deploy wind, solar and battery technology to help drive the clean-energy transition.”

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