archiveOctober 3, 2023

A pioneering geothermal heating plant at the Eden Project in Cornwall went live today and is now generating heat. The Eden Project plant is the UK’s first operational deep geothermal heating facility plant since 1986 and, at over 4,871 metres (just over 3 miles) deep, is the longest geothermal well in the UK. The heat is delivered via a 3.8km heat main, at around 85 degrees Centigrade, which will supply the Growing Point nursery and Eden’s Biomes and offices. The process of drilling deep into the granite at the home...

Youth stars, broadcasters and climate experts are demanding a new, serious and science-led environmental law. To highlight World Environment Day a youth delegation has personally delivered an urgent call for action to 10 Downing Street. Fronted by Mya-Rose ‘Birdgirl’ Craig (pictured) and supported by broadcasters Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall and Dr George McGavin they are demanding that the UK government urgently enact the Climate & Ecology Bill. The CE Bill establishes a framework for the UK Government to match its international environmental ambition with domestic action. It requires Ministers to meet...

Scientists have discovered that air quality monitoring stations are collecting urgently needed biodiversity data. Researchers say air quality monitoring networks could enable biodiversity monitoring on an unprecedented scale and could be a gamechanger for global efforts to protect and promote biodiversity. They found eDNA evidence for more than 180 plants and animals in just two locations. Air quality monitoring stations around the world are unwittingly recording biodiversity data in the form of environmental DNA (eDNA). Until now it was thought that the infrastructure for monitoring biodiversity at national and global...

A new report highlights vulnerabilities and dangers in the way governments are currently moving to address climate change. Commissioned by Noradapt, a research centre funded by the government of Norway to help improve the country’s climate adaptation, the report highlights the vital need for “sustainable adaptation” strategies for adapting to climate change that do not worsen greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity degradation, or social and economic inequality. Recent research has begun to focus on “maladaptation”—how attempts to protect against climate impacts might harm vulnerable groups or get in the way of greenhouse gas...

Steady Energy aims to decarbonise residential heating in Finland with small modular nuclear reactors. Steady Energy’s LDR-50 district heating reactor is a small modular nuclear reactor which has been in development at VTT since 2020. LDR-50 is a type name for a reactor with a heat output of 50MW. Designed to operate at around 150 degrees Celsius and below 10 bar (145 psi), its operating conditions are less demanding compared to those of traditional reactors, simplifying the technical solutions needed to meet the high safety standards of the nuclear industry. “The pressure required...

Three-quarters of energy leaders say that security of energy supply is the number one concern for their organisation. Energy security is the leading concern resulting from the global energy crisis that has led to a capital crunch and severely depleted investment levels, new research shows. The majority of energy leaders believe the current energy crisis is the most severe their market has ever experienced. And according to energy sector CFOs, investment levels between 2020 and 2022 were an estimated $203 billion lower than they otherwise would have been. The research...

The New Zealand government is set to collaborate with the U.S. investment giant BlackRock in its ambitious pursuit of making its electricity grid a global pioneer by relying entirely on renewable energy sources. The government has unveiled plans to assist BlackRock in launching a substantial $1.2 billion fund dedicated to accelerating investments in wind and solar energy generation, battery storage solutions, and environmentally-friendly green hydrogen production. Notably, a portion of this investment is anticipated to originate from government-owned entities. Having already achieved an impressive 82% reliance on renewable energy sources...

Research organisations worldwide face the challenge of developing climate-adapted crops and doubling crop improvement rates. Developing varieties of crops is a lengthy and costly process that can take up to a decade. During this process, thousands of potential varieties need to be evaluated. This process, known as plant phenotyping, has traditionally been performed visually or manually. However, these traditional methods are mainly ineffective in capturing the climate-smart characteristics of crops. A quantum leap in crop breeding speed, precision, and savings on labour costs is possible with the latest phenotyping technologies...

Scope 3 emissions are a minefield no matter how large or small the organisation – gaining oversight of your entire value chain is complex! Around 80-90 per cent of emissions sit in Scope 3 and yet there’s a huge disparity between its influence on net-zero and the amount of investment and progress made to address it. Jamie Ganderton, vice president of Proxima, believes that tackling the problem requires a detailed, credible strategy, which is interesting when you consider that recent research from The Carbon Disclosure Project revealed that of the...

Jeff Waller, head of sustainable finance at ENGIE Impact reveals three steps to bridge the gap to net zero with sustainable finance As decarbonisation efforts accelerate, traditional financing models are falling short when it comes to aligning organisations with their sustainability goals. Current capital allocation models leave many organisations struggling to find the necessary funds for their large-scale decarbonisation strategies. Narrow investment criteria limited internal budgets and strict payback periods prevent organisations from unlocking the scale and speed of change required by net-zero targets. The solution? Organisations need to reimagine their capital...