Collision of Covid-19 and Brexit fuels a £700bn blow to economic output May 11, 2021 The UK economy has been forecast to suffer an over £700bn blow to output due to the collision of Covid-19 and Brexit, the National Institute of Economic and Social Research warned today. The bruising figure was made worse by the government’s “poor Covid-19 response”, the think tank said, adding that it has left the UK [...]
London’s bosses call on Khan and Shapps to fix ‘broken’ transport system May 11, 2021 The capital’s business leaders have called on Sadiq Khan and Grant Shapps today to fix London’s ‘broken’ transport system. The top signatories included bosses of Canary Wharf, Arcadis, the ExCeL and the New West End Company, who all signed off on the joint letter to the Mayor and Transport Secretary. The letter follows months of political [...]
SSE and Equinor to build Scotland’s first carbon capture power station May 11, 2021 Energy heavyweights SSE and Equinor have tabled plans to build Scotland’s first power station using carbon capture technology, in a step towards a low carbon future. If repurposed, the gas-fired unit at Peterhead, Aberdeenshire, could catch up to 1.5m tonnes of carbon dioxide from its emissions each year. The plans are still dependant on securing [...]
Mining sector needs $1.7 trillion investment for decarbonisation May 10, 2021 Mining companies need to invest an eyewatering $1.7 trillion over the next 15 years to stick to Paris Agreement commitments, according to consultancy Wood Mackenzie. The decarbonisation investment figure comes as UK mining group Weir released a report today which found that the mining industry uses around 3.5 per cent of global energy. “Mining needs [...]
Monzo quietly introduces paid leave for loss of pregnancy May 10, 2021 Online bank Monzo has introduced paid leave for employees who are impacted by the loss of a pregnancy, as one of the first companies in the UK to do so. The pioneering policy forms part of the bank’s new mental health focus, which followed its founder and former chief executive, Tom Blomfield, step down from [...]
Inovio confirms its Covid vaccine is safe in mid-stage trials May 10, 2021 Inovio Pharmaceuticals has confirmed its Covid-19 vaccine candidate is safe in a mid-stage clinical trial, as it produces immune responses against the virus in all tested age groups. The trial, which included around 400 participants aged 18 years and older at 16 US sites, used a 2mg dose for the phase three segment of the trial. The [...]
Climate change brews trouble for Brits beloved tea May 10, 2021 The British cup of tea is at risk, a new report has warned, as climate change prompts extreme weather and rising temperatures in tea-growing regions. The UK and Ireland drink more tea per person than any other country in the world. Meanwhile, the world’s biggest tea exporter, Kenya, which produces half of the black tea [...]
BNP Paribas urges investors to pressure politicians on climate rules May 10, 2021 Bank BNP Paribas has begun urging investors to press politicians to commit to the Paris Agreement with policy and make rules for net-zero targets. Investors are failing to chase strong climate policies, global head of sustainability at BNP Paribas Asset Management, Jane Ambachtsheer, told Bloomberg. Instead of chasing policies, however, investors should start chasing politicians [...]
Government raised £40.8bn in green taxes in 2020, just six per cent of total May 10, 2021 The government raised £40.8bn through ‘green taxes’ last year, just six per cent of the £633bn raised through taxes overall, according to law firm Pinsent Masons. Over the last decade, the money raked in by green taxes has only risen 19 per cent which has clashed with the 53 per cent surge in taxes as [...]
Refugee nurses channelled into the NHS through new scheme May 10, 2021 Refugee nurses are being channelled into the NHS as part of a Liverpool-based scheme, giving asylum seekers the opportunity to use their qualifications to live an independent life in the UK. Palestinian national from Lebanon, Walid Jarad, had lived in just two t-shirts and two pairs of jeans for a whole year, until last month. [...]
