Consumers will pay for Starmer’s green targets November 14, 2024 It’s easy to be cynical about a climate conference that sees plutocrats flying their private jets to a petrostate claiming they’re going to save the world. That’s certainly the position of Greta Thunberg, who has dismissed COP29 as an exercise in greenwashing Azerbaijan’s human rights violations, a view shared – in City AM recently – [...]
Did Rachel Reeves deliver a net zero Budget? November 4, 2024 The UK’s recent Budget included a series of measures which have prompted debate over its impact on achieving net zero. While Rachel Reeves announced significant investments in green energy, hydrogen projects and electric vehicle incentives, a number of her decisions have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the UK’s environmental sector. While Wednesday’s Budget announced [...]
COP29 will determine who pays for net zero November 4, 2024 Policymakers are descending on Baku for COP29 to mobilise finance to support climate action in developing countries – and London is leading those efforts, says Chris Hayward Hundreds of ministers, policymakers and financiers descending on Baku this month for COP29 will be met by an in-tray of crucial climate policy decisions. Dubbed the ‘finance COP’, [...]
Transition finance is critical to reaching net zero October 25, 2024 The UK is well positioned to lead the world in transition financing, says Irem Yerdelen There is no room for complacency or delays in the transition to net zero. Not only have countless governments and companies committed publicly to net zero, but the pressures of climate change are being felt increasingly across the world. Earlier [...]
Will carbon capture work? Nobody knows – and that’s the problem October 16, 2024 UK’s clumsy carbon capture punt is result of top down intervention – but there’s a better way, writes Paul Ormerod The government confirmed this month the funding for the UK’s first carbon capture sites. The technology, it is claimed, captures CO2 emissions before they reach the atmosphere and stores them away safely. Based on Merseyside [...]
Centrica-owned Hive continues in the red despite sales rise October 9, 2024 Hive, the smart home devices brand owned by Centrica, continued in the red despite its revenue rising during its latest financial year. The business has reported a pre-tax loss of £28.2m for 2023, having also made a loss of £25.6m in 2022. Hive has never made a pre-tax profit since it was launched over a [...]
Scotland and the City are leading the way to net zero October 7, 2024 Scotland is a natural home for green finance and working together with the City, we can achieve our net zero ambitions, says Chris Hayward With COP29 just over a month away, attention is turning back to the progress the UK has made towards its net zero targets. The City of London has been at the [...]
Want climate action for grownups? Become a climate Yimby October 5, 2024 Instead of throwing soup at artwork, do something actually constructive and become a climate Yimby, suggests Chis Hocknell
Demise of coal power is end of an era, but not an end in itself October 1, 2024 A quiet revolution occurred in the very earliest moments of this morning, probably while you were asleep. You went to bed in one sort of country, and woke up in another sort entirely. The difference is largely invisible but undeniably huge: yesterday, the UK’s last coal power station was still operational and by this morning [...]
How to make the national wealth fund work September 30, 2024 The national wealth fund must do more than just plug funding holes, through targeted and successive interventions it can help a project to reach a growing number of investors and momentum until finally it is no longer needed, says Zvi Wohlgemuth So far, many investors and equity and debt providers to energy transition projects in [...]