Miliband announces £135m for green industry in developing countries

Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband used a COP31 event in Antalya on 11 November 2026 to set out the UK's green industrial case and announce new international funding.

Mr Miliband said green industrialisation is one of the great economic opportunities of the era, with nearly 10 million jobs forecast globally by 2030. In the UK, he pointed to offshore wind, power networks, carbon capture and small modular reactors as areas where the green economy is emerging.

He said that economy is growing three times faster than the economy as a whole and now supports over one million workers. He acknowledged that the government has not got everything right, but argued that the growth has come about because of the stable climate framework offered to private sector investors.

The Foreign Secretary announced the launch of the Green Industrial Demand Accelerator, backed with £90 million to help build green industrial markets in developing countries. A further £45 million will go towards piloting new technologies to help keep the 1.5 degree goal within reach.

He said too many good plans are waiting for finance, and that getting more capital to developing and emerging economies will be a priority of the UK's G20 Presidency next year. Governments, industry and finance need to work together to turn national plans into investable projects, he said.

Mr Miliband said the transition must work for workers, including a fair deal for those in fossil-fuel industries. He stressed the quality of jobs in new clean-energy sectors, the role of trade unions and high workplace standards. He said workers he has spoken to in Britain, across nuclear, offshore wind and solar, take pride in their work.