COP26: UK and global accountancy bodies aim for net zero emissions October 8, 2021 The UK professional body for accountants has joined global peers in making a public commitment to net zero emissions. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) yesterday announced it will sign a commitment to net zero emissions and create plans to achieve this, alongside a network of global accountancy bodies. The 13 [...]
Housebuilder Vistry ties bosses pay to carbon cutting efforts September 3, 2021 Housebuilder Vistry has confirmed it will link its executives pay to sustainability targets from next year onwards, amid the UK’s push for net zero. The new practice appears a tangible effort to make the carbon-heavy construction and housebuilding sector more sustainable, ahead of the UN’s flagship climate conference COP26 in November. While bosses have been [...]
Households with gas boilers could be taxed for the higher-carbon option August 23, 2021 UK households with gas boilers could be taxed for the high-carbon option, a strategy review has suggested, as the government races to meet its net-zero target. In a bid to transition households towards low-carbon solutions, the Heat and Building Strategy is looking like it will conclude that gas users could face higher bills and charges. [...]
UK’s first fossil-fuel-free development to be built on London’s South Bank July 23, 2021 The UK’s first fossil-fuel-free major property development is set to be built in London and will be worth some £2.5bn. The new South Bank neighbourhood, by property developer Native Land, will see the 1.4m sq ft space known as Bankside Yards be built with zero emissions in operation. It includes more than 350,000 sq ft [...]
Six million SMEs risk ‘being forgotten’ in net zero transition, banks warn July 22, 2021 The UK’s six million small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) could be “forgotten or left behind” in the country’s net zero transition, warns Bankers for Net Zero in a report. The initiative – supported by Barclays, Handelsbanken, Triodos, Ecology Building Society, ClearBank and Tide – argues that measures need to be implemented to avoid leaving SMEs unprepared [...]
Every UK job has the potential to be green, government-backed taskforce says July 14, 2021 Every job in the UK has the potential to be green, according to an independent report today, as long as the right investment is unlocked. The Green Jobs Taskforce, which wrote the report and is backed by the UK government, has been set up to build the workforce needed for prime minister Boris Johnson’s ‘green [...]
UK fiscal watchdog puts cost of reaching net zero at £1.4 trillion July 6, 2021 The cost of the UK reaching net zero by 2050 could be as high as £1.4 trillion, according to figures included in a report published by Britain’s fiscal watchdog today. The UK economy will require over £1 trillion in investment over the next three decades to hit the government’s target of making Britain carbon neutral, [...]
SSE Networks bows to stakeholders and plots a £4bn net zero investment July 1, 2021 Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN) may pledge over £4bn in the push for net zero, the energy giant said in a draft business plan today. The draft plan for 2023 to 2028, which was led by stakeholders according to SSEN, set goals like cutting unplanned power interruptions by 20 per cent and connecting a [...]
Danske Bank launches UK’s first carbon-neutral mortgage June 29, 2021 Danske Bank has launched the UK’s first carbon-neutral mortgage, to tackle emissions generated throughout the mortgage life cycle. The mortgages, certified as carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust, will ensure physical paperwork is limited and recycled in Danske’s offices. The Carbon Trust calculated that each mortgage produces around 96kg of carbon, equivalent to driving 241 [...]
European Parliament approves landmark law to make emissions targets legally binding June 24, 2021 The European Parliament has approved a landmark law today which makes emissions targets within the European Union legally binding. Earlier today, the UK’s Committee on Climate Change (CCC) said the government’s lack of policies jeopardise the country’s chances of meeting its net zero emissions by 2050 target. “Today is a historic day,” Swedish Social Democrat [...]