As Ministers announce fresh details on the biggest shake-up in agricultural policy in 50 years, questions remain as to how effective promised subsidy reforms will prove The government has today set out its much-anticipated roadmap for delivering “the biggest change in agricultural policy in half a century”, as it seeks to gradually replace the EU’s […]

Johnson urged by major energy companies to emulate US president-elect Joe Biden and set a deadline for the decarbonisation of Britain’s power system ahead of 2050 net zero goal SSE, Drax, Shell, BP, Sembcorp, and National Grid ESO have urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to set a clear deadline to reduce emissions from Britain’s power […]

Ministers from many of the world’s largest auto markets team up to collectively advance transition to zero emission road transport The UK government has hosted the first formal meeting of the newly-formed Zero Emission Vehicle Transition Council, which aims to bring together Ministers from some of the world’s largest and most progressive car markets to […]

Designed by French start-up Searoutes, new tool uses route data and vessel characteristics to calculate CO2 emissions A new tool promises to help firms cut emissions from their supply chains and shippers maximise their contribution to tackling the climate crisis by choosing shipping services that emit the least CO2. Named Searoutes and designed by a […]

ScottishPower’s Keith Anderson argues that the growing band of businesses and investors committed to accelerating the net zero transition need the government to submit a suitably ambitious national climate action plan to the UN As 2020 draws to an end and we look forward optimistically to a path out of the pandemic, we can begin […]

VIDEO: What Schroders’ analysis tell us about global warming and investments? Schroders has integrated climate change into its global investment returns forecasts for the next three decades, uncovering the stark impact global warming is set to have on international markets. Here, broadcaster Aaron Safir introduces Schroders economist Irene Lauro, head of sustainable investment Andy Howard, […]

VIDEO: Leading scientist, policy advisor and author talks to BusinessGreen’s James Murray about her new book on everyday climate actions, the challenges of COP negotiations, and the links between climate change and human rights Dr Tara Shine has been an environmental scientist, policy advisor and science communicator for over 20 years, during which time she […]

Ofgem announces fresh funding awards for cutting-edge hydrogen gas network and advanced transmission technology projects Ofgem has this morning announced fresh funding awards for two cutting edge projects designed to slash emissions from the UK’s energy systems. National Grid confirmed it is to proceed with a £9.2m project to upgrade overhead electricity lines that is […]

Solar and wind are forecast to power 62 per cent of electricity generation by 2050 – but this is not enough to reach net-zero, DNV warns Norwegian environmental auditing giant DNV argues more radical climate action is needed across five key strategic areas in a new report published today For many climate observers, November has […]

Making UK buildings net-zero remains one of the biggest challenges facing the country in the low-carbon transition New guidance and rating systems aim to help property developers and managers green their buildings, but an analysis warns Spending Review commitments could cover barely a thousandth of the total cost of making UK buildings net zero compatible […]

As Andrew Warren argues, the high profile re-run election for Georgia’s two Senate seats could yet determine the direction of US – and by extension global – climate efforts for years to come Everyone now knows that, come January 20, America will have a new President, Joe Biden. Everyone that is except perhaps an increasingly […]

Drax’s power station in North Yorkshire symbolises the shift in energy sources, having switched from coal to biomass as part of the firm’s ambitious decarbonisation strategy New report finds that the UK has decarbonised its electricity system twice as fast any another major economy The UK has halved the carbon intensity of its electricity system […]

Net Zero Festival Net Zero Festival is the world’s first business festival dedicated to exploring, advancing, and celebrating the global transition to a net zero emission economy. Join us at BusinessGreen’s Net Zero Festival – for leaders who won’t wait until 2050 to build a better business, and a better world. Date: 30 Sep 2021 Worldwide

Unilever is among the firms providing advice on integrating sustainability into everyday business practices New guide draws on the expertise of recognised corporate sustainability leaders such as Ikea and Unilever to set out 10 principles for effectively embedding environmental action within an organisation How can businesses ensure they integrate and deliver sustainable practices throughout their […]

New study released to coincide with Black Friday concludes that efforts to tackle the climate crisis would be strengthened by major reforms to the advertising industry Pressure on the advertising industry to reassess its engagement with polluting and environmentally damaging clients ratcheted up another gear this week, with the publication of a new report exploring […]

IKEA Baltimore location / Credit: Distributed Solar Development The global retail giant is beefing up its take-back service to mark Black Friday, but its sweeping sustainability plans extend far beyond recycling and re-use Black Friday is upon us. For IKEA, that marks the expanded launch of a program to buy back furniture in an effort […]

In 2017, Hazel Technologies was a plucky young startup with enough scientific success to raise $800,000 in seed funding and score a $600,000 development grant from the US Department of Agriculture. In late 2020, the company is finding early commercial success in its mission to decrease food waste through its innovative packaging. Hazel creates packaging inserts, or sachets, […]

A target for all new homes to be built without fossil fuel heating was initially announced, then de-announced, for 2023 – but how realistic is that target date, ponders ECIU’s Jess Ralston Underneath the headlines on electric cars, one of the most intriguing aspects of the Prime Ministers 10-point-plan was the announcement and then de-announcement […]

European Ombudsman calls on EU to update its conflict of interest guidelines for procurement contracts following its decision to hire a business division of world’s leading fossil fuel financier to develop ESG banking regulation study The European Union’s watchdog has ruled the European Commission failed to adequately consider conflicts of interest when it appointed BlackRock […]

Department for Transport announces second round of winners from the ‘ideas fund’ for its Restoring Your Railway Fund, geared at resuscitating mothballed railway lines and stations Fifteen communities across the UK have clinched government funding to support plans to revive railways lines and stations shuttered during the infamous Beeching cuts that slashed Britain’s railway network […]

Landmark report from EU aviation regulator into non-CO2 emissions produced by jet engines sets out new financial, fuel, and air traffic measures that would target the full gamut of aviation emissions Aviation emissions are harming the planet at a far more severe rate than previously thought, according to a major new study from the European […]

Europe’s biggest gas pipeline company unveils multi-billion Euro investment plan to transition to hydrogen and biomethane Italian gas and energy infrastructure giant Snam has set its sights on becoming a carbon neutral company by 2040, pledging to invest €7.5bn over the next four years in hydrogen, biomethane, energy efficiency, and digitisation to help drive its […]

Just one week left to sign up for the UK’s premier clean tech pitch event and hear from some of the country’s most exciting green start-ups BusinessGreen has confirmed the full line-up for the annual BusinessGreen Technology and Investment Forum, which will take place from 10:30 on the morning of Thursday 3rd December. Hosted in […]

Campaign estimates 122 billion plastic sachets containing free samples of perfumes, skincare, and other products are produced each year Top business leaders, MPs, and campaigners have today stepped up calls for an EU-wide ban on plastic sachets used to provide free samples of beauty, skincare, and household cleaning products, warning that hundreds of millions of […]

The Dogger Bank project is set to have the same capacity as Hinkley Point C | Credit: Equinor Plans for phase one and two of world’s largest offshore wind project in North Sea formally reach financial close SSE and Equinor have reached financial close on the first two phases of the Dogger Bank offshore wind […]

Ford to supply 151 plug-in hybrid engineering vans to Sky following successful 12-month trial of prototype featuring geo-fencing technology that switches to electric mode in low emission areas Sky has ordered 151 plug-in hybrid vans from Ford in a move designed to reduce emissions from its fleet of engineering vehicles in the near-term, as it […]

Climate change and the green recovery was notably sidelined by Rishi Sunak in a speech that added little to the ‘Build Back Better’ vision the government touted over the summer As John Cleese famously observed in the 1986 film Clockwise, “it’s not the despair. I can take the despair. It’s the hope I can’t stand”. […]

Innovative financial models could help place the world’s food system on a sustainable footing A new report has compiled more than 50 examples of financial projects aimed at generating more than $1bn in capital for sustainable land-use projects Transforming today’s food and land use system so it is aligned with a sustainable future could unlock […]

The government has said net zero is a leading priority BusinessGreen rounds up the top green headlines from government’s latest slew of fiscal and policy announcements Following the £12bn green investment drive underpinning the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution last week, there was cautious hope in the green economy that […]

Electronic waste is among the world’s most pressing environmental crises Environmental Audit Commitee argues electronic and retail giants need to join their brick and mortar rivals in contributing more to a circular economy, but the tech powerhouses insist they are leading efforts to tackle global e-waste mountain MPs have accused tech giants such as Amazon […]

Devastating floods across parts of the UK in recent years have caused huge damage to homes and businesses Environment Agency on track to meet flood protection defence targets, but many gaps in data remain, says NAO The government’s spending watchdog has raised concerns about England’s flood protection programme as the winter nears, warning that while […]

UK trade policy must set an ambitious new precedent that supports green growth and accelerates global action on climate and biodiversity, writes Aldersgate Group’s Kate Young With its departure from the European Union, the UK has the opportunity to develop its own trade policy for the first time in 40 years, enabled through the Trade […]

The government should introduce dedicated annual auctions for onshore wind and solar that can boost their deployment, argues RSPB’s Seb Berry In an otherwise encouraging set of announcements, surprisingly, the Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan failed to say anything about solar PV, or the other cheapest renewable, onshore wind. Twenty years…

Green brewer brings together leading B Corp food brands to launch new campaign to raise awareness of sector’s huge environmental impacts Toast Ale has this week announced plans to launch a new range of limited edition beers in support of a major new campaign to raise awareness of the environmental impacts of the global food […]

Smart technology can help optimise energy use in the home, cutting emissions and reducing bills Collaboration follows new research showing nearly two-thirds of UK households do not use technology to help run their home more efficiently Communications giant BT and environmental campaign group Hubbub are teaming up to encourage households to boost their energy efficiency […]

The Army Corps of Engineers on Wednesday denied a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, likely dealing a death blow to a long-disputed project that aimed to extract one of the world’s largest deposits of copper and gold ore, but which threatened breeding grounds for salmon in the pristine Bristol Bay region. The […]

All the green details from the government’s new Spending Review and National Infrastructure Strategy Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled his first Spending Review to Parliament this afternoon, outlining a raft of public spending plans geared at resuscitating the UK economy as the nation battles through the ongoing health and economic crises. With UK GDP expected to […]

National Infrastructure Bank welcomed, but failure to build on government’s new 10 Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution is roundly condemned by green groups Chancellor Rishi Sunak today reiterated the Treasury’s commitment to delivering on the UK’s net zero emissions goal, announcing plans for a new National Infrastructure Bank, record investment in new infrastructure…

But speech provides little new support for green recovery, as Rishi Sunak details bleak economic outlook and controversially cuts overseas development aid Chancellor Rishi Sunak has warned the UK is facing the worst economic contraction in over 300 years as a result of the coronavirus crisis, as he today unveiled plans for a “once in […]

Almost 8GW of offshore wind projects could be eligible for CfDs in next year’s auction | Credit: E.ON EY’s annual league table sees UK climb two places after wave of supportive policy measures for wind and solar in 2020 On the same day as the government announced plans to secure 12GW of new renewables capacity, […]

Energy giant Enel is aiming to cut carbon emissions by 80 per cent by 2030, on its way to reaching net-zero by 2050 European energy giant unveils investment strategy that will see it invest €160bn directly in green infrastructure, while leveraging a further €30bn from other parties Italian energy giant Enel has outlined plans to […]

President-elect’s ambitious climate strategy secures first victory, as General Motors ditches support for emissions standards legal battle President-elect Joe Biden yesterday used a day of major announcements from his transition team to reiterate how climate action will be at the heart of his administration, confirming that John Kerry has been nominated as the White House’s […]

The ad and PR sector is facing growing pressure to ditch fossil fuel clients Agencies facing fresh calls to cut their ties with laggard fossil fuel firms, leaving many in the advertising and PR sector with difficult decisions to make As fossil fuel companies’ social license to operate becomes increasingly frayed, more and more industries […]

A volunteer delivers food via electric bike. Credit: Hubbub Series of reports and policy documents published by the Department for Transport this week seek to advance ‘future of transport’ programme and spur new wave of low carbon transport innovation From e-bikes to drone deliveries and digital mapping, the government has this week launched a fresh […]

JTI claims to have the largest market volume share of any UK tobacco company | Credit: Irina Irisa Japan Tobacco International touts plan to reach net zero emissions by end of decade through fleet electrification, energy efficiency measures, and transition to clean energy The owner of Benson & Hedges, Camel, Silk Cut, and American Spirit […]

Groups as diverse as Tesco and Greenpeace back letter urging government to deliver stronger and more consistent carbon pricing regime Ahead of today’s Spending Review the government is facing fresh calls to reform the UK’s carbon pricing regime in support of the net zero transition. Yesterday, a group of 50 leading businesses, campaign groups, and […]

A new product has been launched today which brings machine learning into the energy management arena. Reduct is the new game-changing platform developed by Verco. Time is the biggest constraint on effective energy management Many users of Monitoring & Targeting (M&T) platforms will know about the benefits but also the challenges that exist in extracting […]