PM's 'New Deal' could benefit clean tech

Climate change issues and clean tech could benefit in 2009 as part of Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s Roosevelt-like ‘New Deal’ investment plans.

In interviews with the Observer newspaper and Andrew Marr on the BBC, Brown revealed plans to tackle the recession and unemployment by creating 100,000 jobs through public investment in the UK’s schools, hospitals, transport and communications infrastructure.

In the interview he also dismissed suggestions that the tough economic climate would relegate environmental and climate change issues down the investment pecking order.

He said:

“Rather than pushing the environment into a lower order of priority, the environment is part of the solution.”

Lots of rhetoric and little detail, as usual with Brown, but he did say the government is studying 10 specific projects on alternative energy sources.

More – but not much – on the Number 10 website here or read more of the interview in The Observer.