LATEST NEWS & VIEWS
COMMITTEE ON CLIMATE CHANGE PUBLISHES SIXTH CARBON BUDGET
The UK’s Sixth Carbon Budget report was published by the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) on 9th December 2020. The carbon budgets were first introduced to the UK under the 2008 Climate Change Act. Each carbon budget provides a 5 year statutory cap on greenhouse gas...
LONG AWAITED REVISIONS TO HEAT NETWORK REGULATIONS ARE ANNOUNCED
Heat in buildings is a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, and the de-carbonisation of heat will be a critical part of the journey to meeting the UK’s Net Zero Carbon target. One policy area which has been under review by the UK government is the Heat...
BORIS JOHNSON SETS OUT 10-STEP PLAN FOR GREEN RECOVERY
The Prime Minister’s highly awaited plan for a Green Recovery was released late in the evening of Tuesday 17th November, and signals a clear intention that the UK wants to be a world-leader in an array of clean technologies. The plan is aimed at eradicating the UK’s...
BUILD IT BACK GREENER – UK ANNOUNCES FIRST GREEN BONDS AND MANDATORY TCFD DISCLOSURES
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak announced plans to launch the UK’s first green government bonds, following in the footsteps of sixteen other countries including Germany and Sweden. His announcement contained major announcements on green finance, confirming...
UK NET ZERO STRATEGY TO BE RELEASED NEXT YEAR
The UK Government has confirmed that their net zero strategy will be released prior to the COP26 conference, which is scheduled to take place in November next year. The announcement was made by government ministers, Alok Sharma and Kwasi Kwarteng, in their response to...
A BITTERSWEET ENVIRONMENT BILL FOR THE UK
By Dr Samantha Mudie, Head of Technical Development It has been both my privilege and my frustration to provide written evidence for the second reading of the UK Environment Bill over the last few weeks. The Environment Bill 2019-2021 is a vital piece of legislation...
ENVIRONMENT BILL 2020 CONSULTATION RESPONSE
HM Parliament was due to report on the Environment Bill 2019-2021, which has now been extended into December. This important Bill is a vital piece of legislation set out to meet the environmental requirements of the Brexit Withdrawal Bill. The government has hailed it...
CONSULTATION LAUNCHED ON NEW GREEN GAS LEVY
The government has opened up a consultation on a new Green Gas Levy, which will be used to help the UK to reach its 2050 net zero target. The plans for the new scheme were announced in the budget earlier this year, and according to BEIS will be applied to gas...
NEW FOSSIL FUEL CARS LIKELY TO BE BANNED BY 2030
The UK is set to bring forward its ban on new fossil fuel cars from 2040 to 2030, according to reports. If confirmed, the move will bring the UK in-line with many of its European counterparts – including Germany, Ireland and the Netherlands – and will mark a major...
EU SET TO INCREASE CLIMATE CHANGE GOALS AS CARBON PRICES SOAR
Carbon futures prices continued their dramatic price surge last week, with prices touching €30/tonne as the EU look set to announce more ambitious climate goals this month. In March of this year, in the wake of coronavirus demand destruction, EUA (European Union...