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.” [...]
Net zero levy cuts are just tinkering at the edges June 25, 2025 The Industrial Strategy contains bold ambitions for cutting energy prices. Yet, for all the glossy presentation, the underlying thinking remains the same: a conviction that Whitehall can shape markets more effectively than the market itself, says Emmanuel Igwe We have learned through history that real progress emerges not from the bureaucratic designs of government but [...]
UK cement sector ‘at risk of cracking’ despite industrial strategy June 23, 2025 Production in the UK cement sector is rapidly declining, according to industry leaders, despite government efforts to slash high electricity prices as part of its industrial strategy published on Monday. Prime Minister Keir Starmer appealed to thousands of manufacturers across the country with plans to reduce energy bills by 25 per cent from 2027 after [...]
The City is distracted. Climate crisis inaction will cost us everything June 23, 2025 The City can't afford to make the climate crisis a tomorrow problem, writes City of London Corporation policy chairman Chris Hayward.
Ed Miliband forced to look again at North Sea oil and gas June 19, 2025 The UK government is mulling over a change to the law to oil and gas projects in the North Sea in a drive to lower energy bills. Michael Shanks, a minister working under energy secretary Ed Miliband, will be visiting Scotland on Thursday with a decision set to be made on the government’s intervention on [...]
Co-op boss urges Miliband to support small firms June 19, 2025 The boss of the Co-op has urged Ed Miliband to rectify the host of “far-reaching challenges” impeding small businesses’ net zero efforts, warning that a paucity of cheap finance and planning red tape were getting in the way of firms’ ambitions. In a letter seen by City AM Shirine Khoury-Haq said Britain was at a [...]
Exclusive: Government admits fossil fuels use is cheaper than net zero technology June 19, 2025 The UK government has quietly admitted that using low-carbon technologies essential to the rapid drive to net zero are more expensive than when fossil fuels are used an energy source, City AM can reveal. Labour ministers are expected to double down on expanding the use of green technologies to lower costs as the Treasury and [...]
The public don’t understand net zero – it’s time for new arguments June 16, 2025 Widespread uncertainty about the costs and implementation of net zero risks undermining support for climate action. Effective communication can shift opinions, says Sir Craig Oliver In the face of a rising tide of anti-net zero rhetoric, the battle over climate and energy policy in the UK has never been fiercer. The current arguments being made [...]
How worried should Ed Miliband be about the CBI’s net zero U-turn? June 12, 2025 Is the CBI’s about-face on the cost of net zero a case of shameless opportunism or an overdue conversion to common sense, asks James Ford We are arguably living in an age of screeching political U-turns. The government’s abrupt volte-face over withdrawing the Winter Fuel Allowance is probably the most egregious example. Others would include [...]
London Tech Week: Rio Tinto leans into UK tech to hit net zero targets June 9, 2025 The UK must invest more materials innovation and secure tech partnerships or risk being left behind in the global arms race for essential minerals needed for energy transition, mining giant Rio Tinto execs told London Tech Week. Chief executive Jakob Stausholm and chief innovation officer Dan Walker said the FTSE 100 giant is betting heavily [...]