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Lord Browne, who now chairs BeyondNetZero, a fund investing in carbon transition technologies, told Laura Kuenssberg some of the government's plans were "too bullish" and would take more time than planned.

Percolating in the background, however, has been a resistance to AI technology, rooted in the conservative movement’s skepticism of Big Tech.

But this ecological controversy is an example of how the demand for the metals needed to power battery technology - for electric cars and other low carbon energy sources - can damage the environment.

Retail security firm Facewatch, which provides the technology, said: "We acknowledge and understand how distressing this experience must have been and the retailer has since undertaken additional staff training."

A landmark trilateral agreement between the US, UK and Australia - which would give the latter cutting-edge nuclear submarine technology in exchange for more help policing China in the Asia-Pacific - was under review.