News

EV sales in UK are forecast to reach half a million units in 2023 but measures are needed to ensure a fair net zero transition. Nearly one in four new cars sold in UK in February were plug-ins, battery-powered deliveries rose 18.2 per cent with all EV cars taking almost a quarter market share, according to industry group the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) recorded the most significant growth of all fuel types, up 40.0 per cent, followed by petrol, up 35.8 per cent...

Corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs) have enabled significant growth in the commercial and industrial renewable power supply space, influencing final investment decisions from developers and investors looking to construct new renewable energy assets. Big tech companies are some of the biggest purchasers of PPAs. Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta were the top three largest corporate buyers of renewable energy through PPAs in 2021, with roughly 14.5 gigawatts secured between the three companies. According to Bill Kentrup, co-founder and head of origination at Allinfra, solar is the predominant solution for on-site or...

Net zero is driving economic growth with low carbon business activity generating £41.2 billion in 2020, according to Mission Zero. Mission Zero, the Independent Review of Net Zero, reports that there are already around 430,000 jobs in low carbon businesses and their supply chains across the country with turnover estimated at £41.2 billion in 2020. Government analysis suggests that nearly 68,000 green jobs have been created or supported since November 2020. The Independent Review of Net Zero highlights economic opportunities of net zero transition; first-mover advantage of investing ahead of...

A new UV pasteurisation system is minimising the environmental impact of salad cheese production at a Danish company. Sustainable pasteurisation has been achieved by Arla Foods Kruså by replacing its microfiltration system with a new a UV pasteurisation system from Lyras. Waste and energy consumption has been reduced while cleaning and operational processes have also become simpler and cheaper. As a result, Lyras’ UV technology, known as Raslysation, will be Arla Food Kruså’s chosen method of brine treatment for the company’s production of salad cheese. Previously Arla Foods Kruså micro-filtrated...

Rising energy costs are accelerating investment in the electrification of transport and renewable power, according to the ECIU. The Energy & Climate Intelligence Unit forecast rising investment in electrification of transport as Europe reaches a tipping point in electrification of the transport system, indicated by the number of EV models now available in Europe – at 184 models a five-fold increase compared with five years ago. An ECIU report shows global EV sales more than doubled in 2021 and similar growth was seen in 2022. Germany and Britain led the...

The majority of large companies analysed in a new report are failing in good practice climate leadership, according to Carbon Market Watch. The 2023 Corporate Climate Responsibility Monitor found the climate strategies of 15 of the 24 largest companies to be of low or very low integrity and that most of the companies’ strategies do not represent examples of good practice climate leadership. Companies’ climate change commitments do not match what their pledges might suggest. Their combined emission reduction commitments are wholly insufficient to align with 1.5°C-compatible decarbonisation trajectories; targets...

Forty-three per cent of boardrooms do not intend to approve a net zero transition plan in the next 12 months, according to a new survey. Data shows that in 2019, 16 per cent of the global economy was covered by a Net-Zero pledge by 2050 in and in 2021, this figure increased to 68 per cent. CEOs understand that sustainability and ESG factors are critical to future business success, so why have boardrooms been slow to act and what is preventing them from making significant progress to cut carbon emissions?...

The carbon footprint of homeworking can easily be overlooked when measuring a company’s environment impact. But homeworking, from an environmental reporting perspective, presents a unique challenge as little or no specific data is available on which to base the calculation of remote workers. There are significant variances in the approach to calculating and reporting these emissions and so EcoAct, in partnership with Lloyds Banking Group and NatWest Group, has produced a guide to measuring carbon footprint of homeworking to provide a standardised approach to facilitate fair comparison and transparency. Companies...

Gen Z’ers believe it is their responsibility to take action on climate change but they should not be responsible, according to new research. Gen Z is the youngest most ethnically-diverse and largest generation in American history, comprising 27 per cent of the US population. The Gen Z generation was born between 1997-2012, following millennials, and grew up with technology, the internet and social media which sometimes causes them to be stereotyped as tech-addicted, anti-social, or ‘social justice warriors’. Gen Z will soon become the largest cohort of consumers and brands who want a piece...

The UK Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 aims to restore nature and improve the environmental quality of air, water and land.  With new powers and duties from the Environment Act, Agriculture Act and Fisheries Act the new Environmental Improvement Plan 2023 provides a comprehensive delivery plan for the government’s approach to halting and then reversing the decline in nature. The new plan covers how government will: Create and restore at least 500,000 hectares of new wildlife habitats, starting with 70 new wildlife projects including 25 new or expanded National Nature Reserves...