EU member states give green light on US trade talks despite French resistance April 15, 2019 The European Union has voted to kick off trade talks with the US in the face of French resistance, it announced today. Read more: US threatens tariffs on $11bn of EU goods A meeting of member states today voted overwhelmingly to give the European Commission, which deals with trade policy, the green light to start negotiations [...]
London Oxford Street traffic brought to standstill by climate change protest April 12, 2019 Around 1,000 student strikers caused traffic chaos in central London today as part of a climate change demonstration. Read more: Working groups established to help finance sector deal with climate change The protesters blocked Oxford Street at the intersection with Regent Street as the third nationwide climate protest turned into a march. Queuing traffic spilled [...]
Dutch drivers given carbon offset option at Shell pumping stations April 8, 2019 Dutch car owners will be able to offset their carbon emissions at Shell garages from next week as the oil giant launches a three-year $300m drive to flaunt its green credentials. The company said the initiative is part of a plan to reduce its net carbon footprint by between two and three percent in three years. [...]
The cheek of it: Climate activists strip off in protest in House of Commons as Brexit debate rages on April 1, 2019 Cracks in the House of Commons were laid bare today by something other than MPs arguing over Brexit, as 12 protesters stripped off in the public viewing gallery. Politicians were shocked as semi-naked protesters glued their hands to the glass partition above the debate, resulting in their eventual arrest. Read more: Climate change activists Extinction Rebellion [...]
UK emissions fall for the sixth year running as coal is phased out, but rate of decline slows March 28, 2019 Greenhouse gas emissions fell three per cent in the UK last year as more coal power plants came offline. The fall, which includes a two per cent drop in carbon dioxide emissions, follows a long-term decline in Britain. Read more: Global emissions reach record high as energy demand speeds up Total greenhouse gas emissions have [...]
Thames Water unveils £1bn tech investment in bid to boost efficiency March 26, 2019 Thames Water has unveiled plans to invest £1bn in new technology for its water and waste operations in a bid to boost efficiency by 20 per cent. The investment, which will be rolled out over the next six years, will help boost the utility company’s data management for a range of issues such as fixing [...]
World Water Day: Awareness isn’t enough to save the planet’s water supply March 22, 2019 Water is taken for granted. When my great-great-grandfather, Daniel Swarovski, set up his company in the Austrian Alps in 1895, he chose the area because of the abundance of water, which he needed for creating crystal. Read more: Ofwat pours cold water on providers' business plans Water was, and still is, the essential resource for [...]
Stop overlooking small businesses – they can be a massive force for good March 18, 2019 Small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) make up 99 per cent of companies, and employ 60 per cent of private sector workers in the UK. And yet, they are often overlooked when we talk about responsible business. When SMEs take action on responsible business, they make a huge difference to London’s communities, to our environment, to [...]
Climate change protests: London brought to standstill as students demonstrate against climate change March 15, 2019 Students protesting against climate change brought parts of London to a standstill today as they demonstrated across bridges and in busy tourist spots. The walkout started at 11am in Parliament Square, where the same group brought traffic to a standstill in February. Under the banner YouthStrike4Climate, students demanded the declaration of a state of climate [...]
Norway has grown rich on oil, so why is its state-owned fund divesting from fossil fuels? March 12, 2019 Last week, one of the largest planned divestments of fossil fuel assets in history was announced. The Norwegian government publicly declared its intention to sell off ownership in oil and gas companies, to the tune of 66bn Norwegian krone (£5.7bn). This massive decision sent ripples through the markets, and the international benchmark Brent Crude was [...]