COP26 president Alok Sharma close to tears as he is forced to water down fossil fuel text November 14, 2021 Political leaders, activists and big NGOs expressed disappointment at the lack of ambition on phasing out fossil fuels and climate finance, but there was general consensus that 1.5C is still within reach. Alok Sharma, the Cop26 President was close to tears when he was forced to water down language on fossil fuels. After bringing the [...]
Transition to green economy may lead to job losses across UK November 12, 2021 Areas of the UK hardest hit by job losses from decarbonising industry will miss out on levelling-up funding and face losing more employment, new research suggests. A study of the most polluting industries warned the move to a “green” economy risks jobs, even with levelling-up funds. The Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) [...]
Mayor of London tells COP26 leaders to be ‘doers’, not ‘delayers’ November 11, 2021 Sadiq Khan is expected to call out COP26’s national governments today for being “delayers” rather than “doers” when it comes to the climate crisis.
Keep off the grass: UK wildflowers at risk of extinction November 10, 2021 Research from British conservation charity Plantlife and Renault has revealed that in the UK one in five wildflowers is at a risk of extinction due to pollution. According to the data, since the 1930s 97 per cent of the country’s grasslands and meadows have disappeared, while floral diversity plummeted on road verges, usually home to [...]
All new cars will be net zero by 2040, says COP26 declaration November 10, 2021 Representatives from several governments, businesses and other automotive stakeholders have committed for all new car sales to globally be net zero by 2040. By signing the COP26 “declaration on zero emission cars and vans”, stakeholders have agreed that in leading markets the transition to environmentally conscious vehicles will need to happen no later than 2035, [...]
Don’t make climate promises you can’t keep November 9, 2021 Company CEOs and governments have rushed recently to make “net-zero by 2050” promises. This is a very admirable sentiment but in reality, how many of those CEOs and leaders of government will be in their current positions in 2050? Likely zero. Promises are easy to make when making them is an easy way to carry [...]
COP26 one week down: Optimists and cynics on the climate summit’s progress so far November 8, 2021 The first week of the climate summit has brought some major commitments but critics say they are just more hot air. A range of high-profile climate activists have already labelled COP26 “a failure” but other voices are warning their message of doom could be as bad as denying climate change altogether. Here is a guide [...]
World to miss 1.5C climate target despite COP26 pledges, says trade secretary November 8, 2021 The world is on course to miss its target of limiting global warming to 1.5C, despite the pledges made at COP26, trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said today. Instead, it is expected that the climate will be limited to 1.8C, independent analysis has revealed. Over the last week, world leaders have committed to strings of pledges [...]
Fossil fuel industry biggest delegation at COP26 with hundreds of sector reps flooding Glasgow November 8, 2021 The fossil fuel industry has a bigger delegation than any country, with hundreds of sector representatives accredited to the key climate talks in Glasgow. Analysis of the UN’s provisional list of named attendees suggests 503 delegates at COP26 who are either directly affiliated with fossil fuel companies or are part of country delegations but are [...]
COP26: HSBC makes green push as it pumps £500m into new fund for SMEs across UK November 8, 2021 HSBC has launched a £500m Green SME Fund, the banking giant said. The new £500m fund is available for businesses with a turnover of less than £25m and will offer 1 per cent cashback on loans, starting from £1,000 to help SMEs invest in green activities, HSBC clarified. “This is the first green offering for small businesses with a [...]