Gorton and Denton by-election will be a snapshot of Britain in chaos Opinion The upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election is a four-way fight with each party pitching itself as the best way to block the other, says Helen Thomas The upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election is shaping up to be one of the most frenzied of recent times. By-elections are often used by voters to send a message [...]
Small businesses ditch green agenda as ‘survival’ becomes priority Business Small businesses are ditching green finance initiatives as “ensuring survival” becomes a bigger focus for firms amid the pressures of rising costs. The latest business growth tracker from Natwest showed prioritising of sustainability was at an all time low among small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by the end of 2025. Just 30 per cent of [...]
Budget: Octopus boss Greg Jackson hails cuts to energy bills Energy Octopus Energy boss Greg Jackson has hailed the cuts to energy bills announced in today’s Budget, as the Chancellor slashed multiple renewable levies. Jackson welcomed the energy bill cuts as a “positive step” as Rachel Reeves described energy costs as “one of the greatest drivers of the rising cost of living”. Reeves said she will scrap [...]
Conservatives pledge to scrap ‘stifling’ ESG reporting for British businesses November 9, 2025 The Conservatives have pledged to scrap all mandatory reporting related to sustainability and climate change as they focus on business-friendly policy commitments. The party has argued that environmental, social and governance (ESG) reporting has “mutated” into a thicket of red tape which reduces the competitiveness of British business. “[There] is no evidence that [reporting measures] [...]
City minister doubles down on green finance as firms turn sour June 30, 2025 The City minister has reaffirmed the government’s ambition for a green transition across the financial services sector, despite the industry pivoting on climate priorities. Speaking at City Week on Monday, Emma Reynolds said: “The UK has a world leading financial and related professional services ecosystem and the research that is needed to integrate sustainable finance.” [...]
Financial services firms expected to dump green finance and DEI June 18, 2025 The financial services industry is taking a dramatic step back from green finance and diversity policies. Over half of UK senior financial professionals believe their leadership will place less focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) policies in the coming years. Meanwhile, a similar proportion, 54 per cent, believe diversity, equality and inclusion commitments will [...]
Tandem Bank: ‘Greener’ UK fintech bolsters profit April 24, 2025 Digital bank Tandem reported its third year of profitability in the 2024 financial year. The fintech – which brands itself as “the UK’s greener digital bank” – recorded a 40 per cent jump in underlying profit to £24.1m. This was up from £17.2m in 2023. Tandem’s assets under management topped £1.5bn at the end of [...]
Grangemouth: Green future for oil refinery needs £3.5bn, report finds March 19, 2025 Delivering a green future for the Grangemouth oil refinery will require around £3.5bn in private investment, a report has found. The long-awaited Project Willow study, which itself cost £1.5m, sets out nine options for the future of the industrial cluster in central Scotland. Hundreds of jobs are set to be lost this year when the [...]
Underground air to heat London’s iconic buildings November 6, 2024 Excess heat from London’s Underground will power iconic buildings in a new £1bn net zero scheme. This low-carbon network will soon channel excess heat from the Underground to power several sites in central London, namely Downing Street and the National Gallery. This comes following last week’s Budget, in which chancellor Rachel Reeves announced significant investments [...]
Balfour Beatty awarded part of National Grid’s upgrade project September 13, 2024 International infrastructure group Balfour Beatty has been awarded a £363m contract as part of National Grid’s RIIO-2 framework. The contract is part of the Bamford to Twinstead Reinforcement project, which aims to reinforce East Anglia’s electricity network as part of the country’s green energy build-out. The company will replace the existing electricity network with a [...]