Johnson tells world nation is rolling out 'green carpet' to meet its climate agenda

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson has called on the world's investors to back his nation's green ambitions.

Speaking at the United Kingdom government's Global Investment Summit on Tuesday, Johnson said his country is focused on attracting overseas investment into green UK projects.

He said both markets and governments must work collaboratively on tackling climate change.

Johnson also took the opportunity to unveil a new partnership between his government and entrepreneur Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy Catalyst that will see the billionaire direct 200 million pounds ($276 million) of investment into the UK economy, to fund green power initiatives.

The UK government will match his investment.

The Times newspaper said Gates' investment will help the UK move closer to its net-zero commitment by 2050.

The Evening Standard newspaper quoted Johnson as saying: "I want to say to each and every one of those dollars, you are very welcome to the UK and you have come to the right place at the right time."

He said in his speech to members of the business elite that both consumers and investors are clamoring for more green initiatives, which he said amounts to a "green industrial revolution".

The prime minister's office said the UK hopes to attract 9.7 billion pounds of new overseas investment into green projects, which will create 30,000 additional jobs.

The Financial Times said the event at the Science Museum in London was followed by meetings between government officials and executives from major companies about potential investments into green infrastructure and technology.

But the UK's call for green investment was overshadowed by reaction from environmental groups to the government's net-zero strategy for cutting emissions, which was published on the same day.

The BBC said environmental campaigners also expressed disappointment about the government confirming it will oppose a host of proposed amendments to its Environment Bill suggested by members of the House of Lords. The changes would have better protected ancient woodland and meant there will be less sewage in rivers.

The Greener UK coalition told the broadcaster the government's decision was "hugely disappointing", especially coming just before the COP26 climate summit.

The bill, which was introduced in 2019, sets out to improve the quality of air and water, reduce plastic pollution, reduce global warming, and restore habitat.

Also, days ahead of COP26, the United Nations has criticized the UK. It said in a report that London's intention of continuing to extract fossil fuels until the year 2030 is incompatible with ensuring global temperatures remain at safe levels.

The report singles out 15 major economies, including Australia, Russia, Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the UK, for criticism.

Ploy Achakulwisut, from the Stockholm Environment Institute, was a lead author of the report.

The BBC quoted her as saying: "The research is clear: global coal, oil, and gas production must start declining immediately and steeply to be consistent with limiting long-term warming to 1.5C."