NZF Pathway – Nature 2021 Net Zero Nature brings together global experts, business leaders, NGO’s and innovators to explore why protecting and restoring nature is fundamental to global economic prosperity, investigate the transformative changes businesses must make now to avoid extinction, and consider best practices and latest developments. Register now to secure your place for […]
Stena Bulk targets net zero shipping fleet and cargo by 2050
The Swedish shipping firm’s low emissions tanker concept | Credit: Stena Bulk Swedish tanker shipping giant sets out roadmap to decarbonise its fleet, as it steps up focus on zero emissions technologies and carbon neutral fuels Tanker shipping giant Stena Bulk has set its sights on ensuring its entire operations, indirect business, and even the […]
'Undemocratic': Greta Thunberg raises alarm over Covid impact on COP26 Climate Summit
Greta Thunberg | Credit: Anders Hellberg One of world’s highest profile climate activists suggests further postponement of crucial Climate Summit may be required, but warns any delay must not impact climate action Greta Thunberg has said she does not currently plan to attend the COP26 Climate Summit in Glasgow later this year amid concerns over […]
Crypto Climate Accord: UN-backed plan targets net zero digital currencies by 2040
Bitcoin and other crypto currencies are increasingly moving into the mainstream financial world Inspired by the Paris Agreement, the Accord aims to secure commitments right across crypto and fintech sector ahead of COP26 A major UN-backed initiative aimed at tackling the growing climate impact of the burgeoning crypto currency industry has been launched today, in […]
OVO Energy to directly purchase power from Ørsted's Barrow offshore wind farm
The 90MW Barrow offshore wind farm in the Irish Sea | Credit: Ørsted Energy supplier strikes power purchase deal for 100 per cent of the electricity generated from the 90MW Irish Sea wind farm OVO Energy has struck a major deal to buy all of the electricity generated by Ørsted’s 90MW Barrow offshore wind farm […]
'No plausible argument for inaction': What can climate policy learn from the Covid-19 crisis?
The vaccine rollout holds lessons for developing responses and to climate change, the report argues The pandemic has offered a crash course in how to effectively deliver climate action, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change argues Many comparisons have been drawn between the Covid-19 pandemic and the climate crisis over the past year. The […]
Shell ponders Australia trade body exit over climate 'misalignment'
Shell is considering its membership of several leading global trade bodies over climate policy concerns Oil and gas giant details climate policy misalignments with several major global trade associations in latest review Shell has detailed disagreements on climate policy with several trade bodies it is a member of worldwide, as it gears up to take […]
Ahead of COP26 the government must make waves with maritime
Net zero is not possible without decarbonising maritime, and if the government fully commits to the mission our industry stands ready to play its part, explains Maritime UK chief executive Ben Murray Anyone who tuned into the Budget would be forgiven for wondering if we even have a net zero target at all. The government […]
'Greenest ever': Britain's power grid CO2 falls to record low on Easter Monday
CO2 intensity of Britain’s power sources reached a record low on Easter Monday | Credit: National Grid ESO Low demand for power sees carbon intensity on grid plummet to lowest ever level, National Grid ESO confirms Britain’s power grid was the greenest it has ever been at around lunchtime on Easter Monday, with the carbon […]
Electric and hybrid vehicle sales reach new UK market share record
Plug-in car sales continue to surge in the UK Sales of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles achieved combined 14 per cent market share in March, SMMT figures show Sales of battery electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles together reached their highest ever volume in the UK last month, with automakers now offering more electric car […]
Apple reveals 110 of its global suppliers on track to meet 100 per cent clean power goal
Apple’s headquarters in California | Credit: Apple Tech giant reveals almost 8GW of clean power is due to come online via its manufacturing partners More than 110 of Apple’s manufacturing partners worldwide are moving to 100 per cent renewable electricity for the goods they supply to the tech giant, supported by almost 8GW of new […]
Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google urged to ramp-up pro-climate action lobbying
Amazon boasts 68 solar rooftops on fulfillment centers and sort centers | Credit: Amazon New campaign led by Climate Voice urges big four tech firms to commit to spending a fifth of their lobbying budget on efforts to push for bold climate policy action America’s big four tech giants are being urged to commit at […]
Co-op to ban peat-based compost from stores to help 'prune' emissions
Peat-based compost is to be removed from sale across all Co-op stores nationwide | Credit: Co-op Retailer to roll out ‘specially-formulated’ peat-free alternatives and remove peat-based compost across all 1,100 of its UK stores The Co-op is to stop selling peat-based compost and begin rolling out specially-formulated, environmentally-friendly alternatives across its 1,100 UK stores and […]
Global Briefing: President Biden unveils $1tr green infrastructure blitz
Credit: Biden-Harris Transition Team American Jobs Plan promises massive wave of new investment in clean energy generation, grids, electric vehicles, and green buildings Biden pledges to deliver ‘once-in-a-generation investment’ in clean infrastructure The Biden administration yesterday unveiled a $2tr infrastructure investment plan, around half of which is expected…
Institute for Government: Green Homes Grant Scheme 'badly undermined' by Whitehall
Think tank argues green homes policy hampered by poor delivery, optimistic timetables, and lack of Whitehall coordination The government must quickly learn lessons from the failure of its flagship green homes upgrade voucher scheme or it will fail to decarbonise the UK’s notoriously draughty housing stock, which remains responsible for a sizeable chunk of the […]
Dividing lines, deadlocks, and milestones: Seven key takeaways from the IEA-COP26 Net Zero Summit
COP26 President Alok Sharma addressing the IEA Net Zero Summit As time ticks away before COP26, Alok Sharma and the International Energy Agency hosted a major global climate summit aimed at cranking up the climate urgency COP26 President Alok Sharma yesterday sought to ramp up pressure on countries worldwide to enhance their commitments to accelerate […]
British Airways leads $24.3m investment in hydrogen aircraft developer ZeroAvia
ZeroAvia claims its hydrogen-electric technology could be commercially available as soon as 2024 | Credit: British Airways / ZeroAvia Shell and Systemiq also among investors in developer which aims to begin operating first commercial-scale 50-seater aircraft by 2026 Hydrogen-electric flight specialist ZeroAvia has secured further financial backing to help accelerate the development of its first […]
G20 central banks failing to turn climate advocacy into action, research finds
The European Central Bank Despite growing focus on risk disclosure and green investing, few central banks have taken concrete actions to cut off support for fossil fuels, Positive Money claims Central banks and financial authorities across the world’s leading economies are still failing to deliver concrete actions that limit financial support for fossil fuel infrastructure, […]
Ditching Green Homes Grant scheme will hit north hardest, think tank warns
Regions of northern England most likely to miss out on urgently needed upgrade work when Green Homes Grant voucher scheme closes for applications today, ECIU warns The government’s shock decision to ditch its flagship Green Homes Grant vouchers scheme is set to disproportionately hit northern regions of England, where 223,000 homes are expected to miss […]
Confidence is evaporating: How fossil fuel share offerings plummet $123bn since 2012
The Bayswater coal power plant in the Australian Upper Hunter Valley | Credit: Zetter Finds raised through stock market flotations for companies involved in fossil fuels have dwindles, while clean energy IPOs begin to surge, analysis suggests Evidence of the growing financial dangers of investing in oil, gas and coal continues to mount, with fresh […]
EU risks 'overestimating' costs of meeting 2030 climate goals, businesses warn
The European Commission has proposed increasing the bloc’s 2030 CO2 reduction target to 55 per cent from 1990 levels European Commission’s economic and energy modelling must be improved to avoid inflating costs, European Corporate Leaders Group warns EU economic and energy modelling could be overestimating the cost of achieving the Europe’s 2030 climate goals, which […]
Climate-safe sex? Durex owner Reckitt signs up as 'hygiene partner' for COP26
Reckitt has agreed to pay Fair Trade premiums for the rubber it uses to make Durex products Consumer goods firm signs on as latest sponsor for Glasgow climate summit as it teams up with WWF and commits to producing Fair Trade condoms A combination of social distancing guidelines and sleep deprivation means most delegates attending […]
Green Homes Grant: Why was it axed and what happens next?
Decarbonising the UK’s notoriously draughty housing stock remains one of the country’s biggest net zero challenges Amid anger and frustration that yet another green homes policy has died an early death, experts assess the wreckage and explore possible steps forward for the UK’s faltering energy efficiency agenda So it’s over, before it ever really began. […]
Do the UK's hydrogen ambitions risk being 'captured' by fossil fuel companies?
Green hydrogen is a zero emissions resource produced using renewable electricity Fossil fuel firms are increasingly eyeing up plans for blue hydrogen production, but think tank E3G fears the nascent sector risks locking in a new generation of high carbon infrastructure and jobs The UK’s burgeoning hydrogen ambitions risk being “captured” by fossil fuel companies […]
'Wholesale transformation': Could net zero mission deliver 1.7 million UK green jobs by 2030?
The green jobs boost far outweighs the transition risks in high carbon regions if managed carefully, according to Onward Net zero transition promises major jobs boost but poses risks for high carbon regions in the Midlands, North, and Scotland, according to a wide-ranging new analysis Setting the UK on a net zero pathway could create […]
British Land targets 'stretching' science-based CO2 cuts across £10bn property portfolio
One of the UK’s biggest property firms secures approval for science-based targets to more than halve CO2 across its portfolio and value chain by 2030 British Land, one of the UK’s largest property companies, has secured approval for its climate targets from the Science-Based Targets initiative, committing the firm to more than halving greenhouse gas […]
UK greenhouse gases plummet almost nine per cent during Covid-hit 2020
The empty M20 Motorway in Kent during the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 But green groups warn without drastic action emissions could creep back up again this year after freak 2020 UK greenhouse gas emissions fell 8.9 per cent during 2020 amid the unprecedented disruption to the economy wrought by the coronavirus crisis, the latest official […]
Octopus on Octopus: Energy supplier to take on 2.8GW renewable power portfolio
Octopus Energy Group is set to become one of the largest renewables operations and investors in Europe | Credit: Octopus Energy Octopus Energy to bring retail business and 2.8GW renewables portfolio under single roof as it aims to match supply with generation Octopus Energy is set to bring an additional £3.4bn-worth of renewable energy generation […]
Octopus on Octopus: Energy supplier to acquire 2.8GW renewable power portfolio
Octopus Energy Group is set to become one of the largest renewables operations and investors in Europe | Credit: Octopus Energy Octopus Energy to bring retail business and 2.8GW renewables portfolio under single roof as it aims to match supply with generation Octopus Energy is set to bring an additional £3.4bn-worth of renewable energy generation […]
Resource efficiency offers huge 'overlooked' climate benefits, study finds
Making better use of materials and combating consumerism are key to delivering net zero emissions, according to WRAP Less waste, healthier diets, and shifting from sales to rental offer huge climate benefits, WRAP estimates Simple changes that reduce waste, use greener materials, extend the life of existing products, and encourage healthier diets across the UK […]
Green heat: How can the UK drive mass heat pump adoption in the 2020s?
The UK could surpass its current 600,000 heat pump installations target by 2028 with the right policy framework, research argues The UK must ramp up heat pump installations at least 25-fold by 2028 to meet current goals, but governance, incentives, and funding support are lacking, a new report argues Efforts to solve the UK’s heat […]
'Economic injury': How the UK's electricity and transport networks could be racking up £264bn in hidden societal costs
Drax’s North Yorkshire power plant seen from a distance Exclusive: Researchers have sought to calculate the external environmental, social and health costs of from fossil fuels, renewables, road transport and aviation The additional environmental, social, and health costs that fossil fuels, road transport, aviation, and renewable electricity impose on UK society have been totted up […]
'Green and red together': Labour steps up critique of a government 'asleep at the wheel' of the green recovery
Labour is urging the government to go much further and faster in supporting the electric vehicle transition Ed Miliband is to unveil sweeping plans for an electric vehicle revolution, as opposition accuses government of delivering a badly ‘underpowered’ green industrial strategy The opposition is set to step up its critique of the government’s green plans […]
Government plots recycling reforms as it delays deposit return scheme to 2024
A growing number of retailers have begun trialing and implementing their own deposit return systems | Credit: Morrisons Plans to make manufacturers pay full costs of recycling their packaging and develop consistent household collections nationwide unveiled Long-awaited details underpinning key elements of the government’s waste-busting agenda were finally unveiled yesterday in a wave of consultations […]
'Critical step': Government plots mandatory climate risk rules for 1,600 UK firms
TCFD disclosures are likely to become mandatory for large UK firms from April 2022 Government sets out proposals to make TCFD disclosures mandatory for large publicly quoted companies, large private companies, and LLPs Around 1,600 large listed and private UK companies could be legally required to measure and publicly disclose the risks posed to their […]
Report: Shelving clean air plans could load costs on to northern cities
Green Alliance estimates multi-million pound environmental, economic and health benefits for regions which implement clean air zones The delayed roll out of Clean Air Zones in polluted city centres across parts of the North of England is likely to see these regions miss out on tens of millions of pounds in local environmental, economic, and […]
Legal & General ties boardroom bonuses to expanded net zero goals
Legal & General is targeting net zero asset portfolio by 2050 Pensions, insurance, property and asset management giant unveils fresh interim climate commitments as part of drive to net zero portfolio emissions by 2050 Legal & General has pledged to halve the carbon intensity of its entire £95bn proprietary investment portfolio by the end of […]
Government sets out plans to cut taxes on flights within UK
Treasury consults on slashing Air Passenger Duty for domestic flights, yet also moves to tweak tax bands to combat CO2 from long-haul flights Proposals to cut taxes on domestic flights within the UK while potentially increasing the duty paid on long-haul international aviation have been unveiled by the government today, in a move it claimed […]
'Breakthrough': Unilever sets out net zero plans for shareholder vote
Consumer goods giant’s CEO Alan Jope said he hoped other businesses would soon start to follow suit in offering shareholders a say on climate plans Unilever has become one of the first multinational companies in the world to publish a corporate net zero action plan for oversight by its shareholders, as it prepares to put […]
Church of England plots science-based nature targets for £8.7bn investment portfolio
The Church Commissioners for England to help Science-Based Targets initiative design framework for businesses and investors tackle nature loss The Church of England’s £8.7bn asset management arm has become the first investor to join a new initiative to develop a framework for tackling nature loss in line with scientific guidance, as it today…
Church of England plots science-based nature targets for $8.7bn investment portfolio
The Church Commissioners for England to help Science-Based Targets initiative design framework for businesses and investors tackle nature loss The Church of England’s $8.7bn asset management arm has become the first investor to join a new initiative to develop a framework for tackling nature loss in line with scientific guidance, as it today announced plans […]
EDF to close 2GW West Burton coal power station in 2022
The 2GW West Burton A coal station is to close by September 2022 | Credit: EDF The closure would leave Uniper’s 2GW Ratcliffe facility as the UK’s last remaining coal-fired power station EDF’s sole remaining coal power station at West Burton in Nottinghamshire will close for good in September next year, the French energy giant […]
Avoiding a climate culture war: How can the UK maintain broad support for net zero action?
Extinction Rebellion protestors blocking a road in Westminster in 2019 Difficult policy questions lie ahead that could sow seeds of division – but could a ‘patriotic sense of national mission’ help smooth the path to net zero emissions? Just as the UK finds itself leading the world’s efforts to set out on an epoch-defining economic […]
'Dodged scrutiny for years': Coal mine methane poses major climate threat, study claims
Coal mines emit vast amounts of methane into the atmosphere, even before the coal is burned to produce energy, according to the study First-of-its-kind study lays bare scale of potential climate impact from hundreds of new coal mines planned worldwide The climate impact of methane emissions from hundreds of new coal mines currently planned worldwide […]
'So far off track': UK air pollution data prompts court action warning
The ultra low emission zone in London is being expanded to cover a wider area of the city later in 2021 ClientEarth urges government to overhaul Clean Air Strategy as figures show UK is still off track for meeting a raft of legal targets The government could yet again find itself in court over dangerous […]
Green Homes Grant: Only fraction of vouchers issued despite strong demand
The Green Homes Grant Scheme continues to face administrative struggles Little more than a quarter of vouchers sought by householders have been issued over the past six months, official data shows The embattled Green Homes Grant Scheme is still facing major administrative problems, with the latest official figures showing little more a quarter of vouchers […]
National Grid swoops for Western Power Distribution in £7.8bn deal
Deal forms part of ‘strategic pivot towards electricity’ for National Grid as it also set out plans to explore creating a major UK hydrogen gas network National Grid has moved to snap up local power networks company Western Power Distribution (WPD) in a £7.8bn deal, as it today announced a wider “strategic pivot towards electricity” […]
Government proposes plan to make UK fashion firms pay more towards textile recycling
Defra proposals form part of wider package targeting waste from construction, textiles, electronics, cars, furniture, plastics, and food, as Ministers pledge to end the ‘throwaway culture as we build back greener’ Clothing and textiles manufacturers could be forced to pay more towards the costs of recycling their products at the end of their lifespan, as […]
Industrial Decarbonisation Strategy: All the key policies at a glance
Decarbonising manufacturing and industry is ‘essential’ to reaching net zero by 2050, the government has said An all-you-need-to-know guide to the green measures unveiled in the government’s plan to cut CO2 from industry, schools and hospitals Heavy industry is widely regarded as one of the tougher challenges – among many – on the path towards […]
Zoom in on Net Zero – with explorer and solar-powered flight pioneer Bertrand Piccard
VIDEO: Pilot and chairman of the Solar Impulse Foundation joins BusinessGreen’s Michael Holder to discuss circumnavigating the globe, clean technologies and his passionate environmentalism It is hard to know where to start with Bertrand Piccard’s impressive CV. Among his long list of career achievements, he is a doctor, psychiatrist, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, a pilot […]