George Freeman: We can’t afford Corbyn December 12, 2019 Today voters will decide the future of our country not just for the next five years but for generations to come. The nightmare prospect of another hung parliament on Friday 13th that can only deliver more confusion, squabbling and delay is perilously close. The outcome of this election is too close to call — a [...]
How global cities are promoting sustainability and helping to fight climate change December 9, 2019 The 2016 Paris Agreement gave the world a sense of hope that politicians could work together to limit temperature rises to 2 degrees centigrade. However, much has changed since the milestone agreement. More frequent extreme weather events, increasing political nationalism and growing economic inequality are making the goal of a carbon neutral world by 2050 [...]
New Octopus Renewables trust smashes target in £350m float December 6, 2019 Octopus Renewables’ new infrastructure trust smashed investor expectations this morning, successfully raising £100m more than its original target of £250m. The £350m launch makes the launch the second biggest initial public offering for an investment company this year. Read more: Octopus launches new renewables trust The net proceeds of the opening issue after costs will [...]
Two lessons from the underperformance of alternative energy December 4, 2019 Renewable energy is playing an ever-greater part in the mix of energy we use to power our daily lives. Potential investors in the sector may assume that it’s too late to get involved. Surely the best returns from companies exposed to the energy transition have already been made by now? Investors making that assumption may [...]
Electric dreams: How long until electric cars go mainstream in the UK? November 26, 2019 Visitors to the picturesque Whitby Bay beach in north Yorkshire were in for a shock earlier this month, when they encountered two giant footprints etched into the sand. The left was half the length of a football pitch, at 50 metres – the right was just 3.5 metres long. The reason? A publicity stunt by [...]
Pump priming: How the shale gas revolution has transformed the US energy industry November 26, 2019 At KD’s Bar-B-Q in Midland, Texas, one can see first hand that the energy boom is still alive and well. Oil service workers, property developers, and financiers stand in a line that snakes out onto the street to order its fabled tri-tip steaks and ribs. In less than a decade, a boom in the country’s [...]
Coal powered generation set for record fall in 2019 November 25, 2019 Global coal-fired electricity generation is on track for its biggest fall on record in 2019, with production expected to fall by around 3 per cent, according to a new report. This is equivalent to a reduction of around 300 terrawatt hours, which is more than the combined total output from coal in the UK, Germany [...]
General Election 2019: City urges rethink over Labour’s ‘hostile’ manifesto November 21, 2019 City figures have urged Labour to reconsider its combative position towards business and the City after Jeremy Corbyn revelled in the “hostility” his new manifesto would bring. Corbyn unveiled his “radical” vision for a Labour government this morning, with a document setting out the details of how the party would pay for its spending spree, [...]
Labour’s ‘self-destructive’ manifesto will drive billions away from UK, business groups warn November 21, 2019 Labour’s “self-destructive” manifesto will drive billions out of the UK, leaving everyone in the country poorer, business groups, lawyers and think tanks have warned. Jeremy Corbyn unveiled his “radical” vision for how a Labour government would tackle inequalities in Birmingham earlier today. Among the changes revealed in the manifesto in order to fund £83bn of [...]
British Gas owner Centrica sheds 107,000 customers but shares rise as it sticks to guidance November 21, 2019 Centrica has shed a further 107,000 household accounts in the last four months, but the British Gas owner said it remained on track to hit full-year targets. Investors cheered the results this morning, with shares rising five per cent to roughly 78p. Read more: Centrica wins Ofgem appeal over energy price cap The gas and [...]