Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe: UK chemical manufacturing ‘having the life squeezed out of it’ January 13, 2025 Ineos boss Sir Jim Ratcliffe has warned British chemicals manufacturing is having the “life squeezed out of it” by the government, and is on the verge of extinction. The business titan slammed the de-industrialising of Britain, which started in the 1970s and 1980s, and criticised the government for a lack of energy strategy and high [...]
A New Year’s resolution for government: Stop setting targets January 9, 2025 From HS2 to Net Zero, governments have a habit of setting ambitious long-term goals and failing to deliver. Instead of targets, we need long-term plans to fix the nation’s problems, says John Oxley The New Year almost always brings with it talk of resolutions, intentions and targets. This is true of governments too . In [...]
Myenergi crashes into the red as jobs cut December 20, 2024 Smart home start-up Myenergi has crashed into the red after its sales were cut and it shed more than 100 jobs. The Lincolnshire-based business has reported a pre-tax loss of £24.5m for the year to 31 May, 2024, after having generated a pre-tax profit of £8.8m in the prior year. Newly-filed accounts with Companies House [...]
Investors want to see ‘ambition’ from UK on climate change, Pinchbeck says December 8, 2024 Private investors are keen to see “ambition” from the UK government on climate change, the head of an influential emissions body has warned politicians. Emma Pinchbeck, chief executive of the Climate Change Committee, which advises the government on emissions targets, stressed that the private sector “likes a bit of ambition”. The former Energy UK CEO [...]
Vauxhall job losses are an inevitable result of destructive net zero policies November 28, 2024 The self-destructive petrol car ban has incentivised Vauxhall to destroy a productive car factory with potential to manufacture EVs instead of investing in green technology, says Andy Mayer The decision by Vauxhall owner Stellantis to close their Luton van production plant, risking 1,100 jobs, only nine months after announcing expansion plans that included a new [...]
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 [...]