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Paul Johnston

Ambassador to Ireland

Part of UK in Sweden

4th February 2013

Green deal and greener dealing

Last week, two notable “green” events came to my attention.

First, the UK government launched The Green Deal.

This encourages property owners to make energy-saving improvements by allowing them to off-set costs against reductions in their bills. In other words, you can now pay for the the improvements over time on your electricity bill, rather than having to find the money up front. The typical household’s monthly saving on energy costs is expected to be more than the cost of the monthly repayments.

This programme is expected to:

•    Boost the low carbon economy through the creation of up to 60,000 jobs in the insulation sector alone by 2015

•    Provide new financing opportunities for consumers

•    Enable businesses to better compete for energy efficiency opportunities; and

•    Open up the energy efficiency market to new consumers and producers.

The Green Deal should also provide significant further opportunities for Swedish business to invest in the UK energy sector. Our UKTI team (Jenny Gardner and Daniel Nutley in the Embassy) can provide more information.

Also last week, the Sustainable Fashion Academy in Sweden gave its Global Leadership Award for Sustainable Apparel to the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the UK non-profit organization, Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP).

The Award aims to identify and share best practice in order to accelerate sustainability within the clothing and fashion industry. DEFRA and WRAP were recognised for their leadership in demonstrating the role of government in ensuring the clothing and fashion industries respond successfully to global trends – particularly, environmental and social challenges.

1 comment on “Green deal and greener dealing”

  1. Dear Paul,
    your article impressed me a lot . Although – after reading it (3!) times I would have chosen a headline like, i.e.; “Big deal and geener healing”. Nevertheless : This report contains everything of what is making a good one into a very good one. A very good report into an excellent one. It ´s also the 1st. article since years at all of which I ´ve made excessive use of the “tags” or “links”. But these 6 ones were worth of it. So I didn ´t wasted any time.
    Most notable to me (isn ´t that logical?Isn ´t it ?) : “THE GREEN DEAL”. I t ´s good to read about a boost of the low carbon economy and it ´s very important that they are able to create more as 60.000 new jobs.It ´s also a big step into a better future if you are able to fight and compete for improved / better efficiency chances for you will become a much more important competitor- worldwide. You are then able to act/handle faster and with more effectivity to your clients and producers.
    To conclude : I have developed a strong sympathy with this W.R.A.P.,
    British non-profit organization.Because this “Waste & Resources Action Programme ” is to me worth to support. So thanks a lot for tthis whole loading of interesting and useful informations.
    Bw, Ingo-Steven Wais, Stuttgart/Wuerttemberg, Caerdydd/Cymru

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About Paul Johnston

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially. He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide…

Paul Johnston joined the UK Civil Service in 1990, working for the Ministry of Defence initially.

He has served in Paris and New York and has also had a wide range of political and security roles in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in London. Paul joined the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1993 as Desk Officer for Bosnia. As part of this role he was also Private Secretary to EU negotiator Lord Owen and his representative on Bosnia Contact Group.

His first foreign posting was to Paris in 1995-99 as Second Secretary Political. He was Private Secretary to the Ambassador and latterly part of the UK delegation to the Kosovo Rambouillet negotiations. Then he returned to London as Head of the Kosovo Policy Team, leading work on post-conflict policy in the EU, NATO, UN and G8.

Before his second overseas posting to New York in 2005, Paul held a variety of other EU policy and security appointments in London, such as Head of European Defence Section between 2000-01 and Head of Security Policy Department between 2002-04.

As Head of the Political Section in UKMIS New York, he advised on major policy issues for the UK on the Security Council and the UN World Summit, including the UK EU Presidency in 2005.

Paul returned to London in 2008 as Director, International Security for the FCO. He was responsible for policy on UN, NATO, European Security, arms control and disarmament, human rights and good governance.

Paul was British Ambassador to Sweden from August 2011 to August 2015 and then was Deputy Permanent Representative to NATO.

He was UK Ambassador to the EU for Political and Security affairs from 2017 to January 2020 and became Ambassador to Ireland in September 2020.

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DEFRA energy fashion Green Deal ukti WRAP