‘Lack of policies’ jeopardising UK climate targets June 24, 2021 A lack of policies on net zero emissions by 2050 risks jeopardising the UK’s chance of meeting the target, climate advisers have said. In 2019 the UK became the G7 first member to set a net zero target, which will require wholesale changes in the way residents travel, eat and consume electricity. The country is [...]
Dominic Raab meets with Cambodian officials to discuss trade and COP26 June 23, 2021 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has met with his Cambodian counterpart today, as the UK leans towards trade pursuits in the Asia-Pacific region. In the first meeting with a British foreign secretary since 1953, Raab will speak with Cambodian foreign minister Prak Sokhonn in Phnom Penh, the country’s capital. Raab landed in Hanoi, Vietnam earlier in [...]
New North Sea oil field set for approval ahead of COP26 June 23, 2021 Ministers are reportedly preparing to approve a new oil and gas project in the North Sea despite growing opposition from environmental groups. Independent exploratory firm Siccar Point has submitted plans to develop the Cambo heavy cruel field off the coast of the Shetland Islands, the Times reported. The field is expected to produce 150m barrels [...]
London launches England’s first hydrogen-powered double decker buses June 23, 2021 Transport for London (TFL) will today add 20 new environmentally friendly hydrogen double decker buses to its fleet. Launched by London mayor Sadiq Khan in Ealing, the buses will provide commuters with smoother, quieter journeys thanks to less vibrations. Free-to-use USB charging ports will also be available onboard. They will join more than 500 electric [...]
FCA tables new climate disclosure rules to tackle fossil fuel investment chains June 22, 2021 The UK’s financial watchdog has tabled new proposals on climate-related disclosure rules for listed companies and certain regulated firms in the UK today. As climate-conscious commitments and environmental disclosure climb in importance for investors and consumers alike, the Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) new rules help ensure climate-related risks are known across the investment chain. “The climate change [...]
Protecting the green belt is not about the environment, it’s blinkered self-interest June 22, 2021 The UK needs approximately 345,000 new homes per year if we are to tackle our housing crisis. It is also estimated that by developing just 5.2 per cent of the existing Green Belt, we could build 1.4 million homes. Everybody knows the UK is in the throes of a housing crisis, yet we refuse to [...]
Medical leaders pile pressure on Boris Johnson to slash legal air pollution levels June 21, 2021 Prime minister Boris Johnson has been urged to cut legal levels of air pollution in the UK by the country’s top medical organisations in a letter today. Following the death of London nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah, the first person in the UK to have pollution listed as a cause of death, the World Health Organisation (WHO) [...]
Mindy Lubber, CEO of Ceres, on why the private sector must wake up to the economic impact of climate change June 18, 2021 | City Talk As President and CEO of Ceres, Mindy Lubber is a world-leading voice on sustainability and finance. She tells Laurence Eastham why the private sector must act now on climate change or risk being left behind. Ceres has been there from the very start. The sustainability advocacy organisation, founded in the wake of the Exxon Valdez [...]
Britain can win the race for hydrogen supremacy if it faces down competition from Japan June 17, 2021 Japan has made an unprecedented commitment to hydrogen power as an alternative energy source, investing US$19.2 billion in the technology in new funding alone. As first out of the starting blocks, Japan has staked its claim as the world leader in the industry. We are at a critical juncture, however, and there is a golden [...]
A UK-Australia trade deal must address Canberra’s reluctance to tackle climate change June 16, 2021 The new trade deal with Australia is the first building block in the Prime Minister’s vision for a Global Britain, and sets the UK on a firm path to joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. There has already been fierce debate over the contents of the agreement. Environmental concerns must be at [...]