UK-listed firms are most likely to pledge net zero targets, but few will reach them October 11, 2021 UK-listed firms are the most likely to have set a net zero target for their emissions output than their European counterparts, according to a new report. Though just five per cent across the continent are on track to meet their targets. The study, by consulting and outsourcing giant Accenture, found that less fossil-fuel reliant industries [...]
Less than half of Brits think the UK will achieve net zero by 2050 October 11, 2021 Less than half of Brits think the UK will achieve its emissions target of net zero by 2050, according to a new report shared with City A.M. today. The report, by market intelligence firm Savanta, revealed that 42 per cent of the UK think the government’s pledge is ‘likely’, while 46 per cent think it [...]
The UK should ban domestic flights, says advocacy group October 11, 2021 British advocacy group Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the government to ban some domestic flights to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions produced domestically by aviation. If introduced, the ban would end several short-haul routes such as London to Manchester, London to Edinburgh and Birmingham to Glasgow. Travellers would be offered train tickets [...]
HSBC’s £36bn pension scheme pledges to be net zero by 2050 at the latest October 8, 2021 HSBC’s pension scheme, one of the largest corporate pension schemes in the UK, has pledged to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner. In the run up to COP26, an increasing number of activists have zeroed in on fossil-fuel investing pension funds and wider financial institutions like HSBC and Lloyds for carbon-heavy investments. [...]
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 [...]