UK Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng met with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer M Granholm on 4 November at the UN COP26 summit in Glasgow, where they discussed “strengthening cooperation to accelerate the global transition to clean energy and build back better ambitions”, according to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).
The meeting marked the launch of the US-UK Strategic Energy Dialogue, a commitment made by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President Joe Biden in June 2021, to deepen collaboration in areas such as clean energy technologies, industrial decarbonisation, nuclear energy, and energy security, as well as science and innovation.
Granholm and Kwarteng set out their visions for how the Strategic Energy Dialogue will steer collaboration and global leadership in the coming years – recognising the critical role energy will play for both nations’ shared climate objectives, national and economic security, and the foundation for a robust clean energy economy.
They announced that the next Strategic Energy Dialogue ministerial meeting will be held in Spring 2022, and that future meetings would continue to prioritise the global transition to net zero emissions, while facilitating public-private sector engagement. They emphasised that sustaining the momentum achieved at COP26, and implementing its objectives is “a bilateral priority”.
They agreed to leverage the strong bilateral relationship between the US and UK, to help drive more ambitious action at fora such as the G7, G20, International Energy Agency, Clean Energy Ministerial, and Mission Innovation. They also recommitted to the success of the G7 Industrial Decarbonisation Agenda which they led in creating this year, BEIS said. The ministers highlighted the vital role international organisations fulfil through their convening power, analytical expertise, and capacity to drive public attention towards these critical issues.
Kwarteng said: “The United Kingdom and United States are showing how the world can reap the benefits of this global green industrial revolution – from unlocking well paid jobs to creating thriving new green industries that will help secure a cleaner and more prosperous future for the global economy. Drawing on this unique partnership with our closest ally will enable both nations to chart the course to net zero emissions by 2050 while supporting countries across the world in this global clean energy transition as we build back better.”
