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Government confirms plans for water efficiency labels on toilets, sinks, and dishwashers

Toilets, sinks, dishwashers, and washing machines will soon be sold with water efficiency labels, providing consumers with information that could help cut water and energy bills by £250m over the coming years. Announcing the move this afternoon, the government said a…

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Seaweed and sport: How UEFA is giving sustainable packaging start-ups the chance to scale

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E-scooter trials, hydrogen partnerships, and a column by Caroline Lucas: BusinessGreen’s most read stories of the week

'A question of ambition': Wind and solar could meet Britain's energy demand in 2050, study finds Britain's wind and solar resources are more than sufficient to meet all its energy needs, accroding to policy briefing prepared by researchers at the University…

Continue ReadingE-scooter trials, hydrogen partnerships, and a column by Caroline Lucas: BusinessGreen’s most read stories of the week

Prime Minister accused of ‘evoking conspiracy theories’ with plan to restrict traffic calming measures

The Prime Minister has today been accused of "considering evoking conspiracy theories" following reports his upcoming Party Conference speech is set to include an attack on traffic calming measures that local authorities have deployed to tackle air pollution and improve road…

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Fire Brigades Union: UK ‘woefully under-prepared’ for increasing wildfire threat

A stark new report into the UK's resilience to wildfires from the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) has revealed a "dangerous" lack of UK-wide strategy, planning, and investment, warning that cuts and under-resourcing mean people and property are facing a growing threat.…

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‘Deplastify’: European food giants accused of failing to make progress in tackling plastic pollution

Nestlé, Danone, and McDonalds France are among nine major food and beverage companies to come under fire today, after being accused of failing to do enough to reduce their use of plastic.  A new report was published this week to mark…

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‘Misguided’: £1.5tr investor group slams government over green policy rollback

Aviva Investors, the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum, and Jupiter Asset Management are among a raft of major investors to have this week warned Prime Minister Rishi Sunak that his rollback of green policy measures could hurt inward investment in the…

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Pensions regulator issues first-ever climate reporting fine to ExxonMobil Pension Plan

The Pensions Regulator (TPR) has issued a fine against the ExxonMobil Pension Plan for failing to report against the Taskforce for Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) requirements, in the first of its kind against a pension scheme. The fine of £5,000 was…

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‘Fully prepared’: National Grid ESO plots winter expansion of demand flexibility service

National Grid ESO has confirmed it anticipates energy supplies this winter will be sufficient to meet demand, with the expansion of the grid operator's Demand Flexibility Service set to play a growing role in shoring up the energy system's resilience and…

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‘It is not too late to save the industry’: Why the UK auto sector needs help to seize the EV opportunity

The UK auto industry may have been divided in its response to the government's controversial decision to delay the date for ending the sale of new internal combustion engine cars by five years, but there...

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Government announces £80m funding boost to improve England’s bus services

The government has announced it is investing an extra £80m in England's bus services in a bid to improve and protect "essential" routes across the country. Roads Minister Richard Holden this morning confirmed funding allocations for 64 local authorities from the…

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‘Fundamental necessity’: Report warns direct air capture essential to net zero goals

Delivering on the UK's goal of net zero emissions by 2050 is likely to require the deployment at scale of Direct Air Carbon Capture and Storage (DACCS) technologies capable of remiving carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is the central conclusion…

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‘Yet another blow to sustainable development’: Government reportedly set to delay Biodiversity Net Gain at ‘eleventh hour’

New rules designed to improve natural habitats across the UK will not be introduced as a mandatory part of the planning system in England from November as expected, according to media reports today, dealing a further blow to hopes the UK…

Continue Reading‘Yet another blow to sustainable development’: Government reportedly set to delay Biodiversity Net Gain at ‘eleventh hour’

PPA advisory specialist Pexapark raises €20m in latest funding round

Pexapark has announced it has raised €20m in its latest funding round, providing a major boost to its plan to extend its power purchase agreement (PPA) price reference and portfolio management software and advisory services into new markets. The Zurich-based company…

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Regulators give green light to controversial Rosebank oil and gas field

Regulators have this morning approved plans to exploit the Rosebank oil and gas field off the coast of Shetland, sparking furious condemnation from environmental campaigners. As had been widely expected following the government's confirmation earlier this summer that it wanted to…

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New global framework seeks to streamline regenerative agriculture practices

Sustainable Agriculture non-profit The Sustainable Agriculture Initiative Platform (SAI Platform) has today announced the launch of a new framework, which aims to provide the farming industry with a globally aligned approach for navigating the transition to more regenerative practices. The SAI…

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‘Very disappointing’: Ofwat orders water firms to repay customers £114m over under-performance

Water regulator Ofwat has today ordered water companies to pay back £114m to customers, after failing to deliver on previously set targets for improving customer service and reducing environmental impacts. In its performance latest report for 2022-23, the watchdog accused the…

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Caroline Lucas accuses Prime Minister of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ approach to net zero

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has today been accused of jeopardising the UK's climate targets and damaging investment in the green economy, so as to curry favour with 'climate delayers' on the Tory right. Writing on BusinessGreen, Green MP Caroline Lucas warned…

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Nature Action 100: Global investors call on corporates to tackle biodiversity impacts

The Nature Action 100 initiative has today revealed how the 190 global investors that are signed up to the group have sent letters to 100 corporates around the world, calling on them to deliver "necessary and urgent" reforms to better protect…

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IEA: Surging clean energy market is keeping alive slim hopes of meeting 1.5C goal

Narrow hopes of capping global temperature increases at 1.5C are being kept on life support by the record growth in clean energy technology markets, the International Energy Agency (IEA) has concluded in the first major update to its flagship Net Zero…

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‘Home-grown energy’: UK closes in on record solar rooftop installations

The UK could this year surpass the record for solar rooftop installations set back in 2011 during the peak of the boom triggered by the government's feed-in tariff incentives. That is according to new data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS),…

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Poll: Public supportive of taxpayer funds being used to reduce costs of EVs and heat pumps

The British public is broadly supportive of taxpayer funds being assigned to policies that can bring down the cost of green technologies such as heat pumps and electric vehicles, new polling has shown. A survey of 4,000 consumers, published by consultancy…

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‘Get the UK back on the front foot’: CBI calls on Chancellor to unleash ‘high value’ green markets

The CBI has today released a new three-point plan calling on the government to prioritise upskilling and talent development, maximise investment opportunities, and redouble efforts to accelerate the UK's net zero transition ahead of November's Autumn Statement. The influential business group…

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