LONDON, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- Around 30 of Britain's largest companies, from financial services to high street retailers, have unveiled plans to help cut emissions, from installing solar panels on office roofs to provide power for thousands of homes, to overhauling fleets of diesel trucks, the government said on Tuesday.
Among these companies, HSBC has pledged an investment of 250 million pounds (330 million U.S. dollars) in solar parks and wind farms, while the John Lewis Partnership has committed to overhauling 500-strong fleet of diesel trucks.
Amazon also announced it had signed a deal to power its UK buildings with 100 percent renewable energy as well as planning to deploy up to 20 megawatts of large-scale rooftop solar systems on 10 of its fulfillment centers in the UK over the coming 18 months, generating the equivalent amount of electricity required to power over 4,500 UK homes.
These pledges come as the government pushes for a greener economy. Britain has cut emissions by more than 40 percent since 1990, and the number of "green collar" job opportunities could reach 2 million by 2030, according to government figures.
"Governments cannot confront this unprecedented global challenge alone," said Britain's energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry.
"We need businesses around the world to step up to the mark and today our largest companies are leading the way, making significant pledges worth millions to cut emissions while continuing to grow the green economy," Perry also said.
