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 [...]
Supermarket fridge doors could save 1 per cent UK electricity use November 7, 2021 Putting doors on fridges in the top five supermarkets in the UK could cut the nation’s total electricity usage by 1 per cent, according to reports. The Environmental Investigation Agency, an international NGO, said supermarkets could save up to a third on their own electricity bills too, according to the BBC which first reported the [...]
Activists launch alternative climate summit to protest inaction at COP26 November 7, 2021 Climate activists disappointed with government inaction during the first week of discussions at COP26 have launched a counter conference. The People’s Summit for Climate Justice kicked off today and will run until Wednesday, hosting around 200 online and in-person sessions which platform the voices of people hit hardest by the climate crisis. People’s Summit Programme [...]
Watch as Amazon tribes first hear of Covid-19 as first vaccines for mysterious virus arrive November 6, 2021 Some residents of remote communities in Peru’s northern Amazon rainforest say they haven’t heard of the global Covid-19 pandemic, until health workers arrived by boat to their village with vaccines in October.