Energy Policy

This could be the year of opportunity for the United Kingdom – and far beyond it – in securing real action on tackling the climate crisis: reformed trade rules could provide a climate dividend of the rancorous Brexit process of leaving the European Union. Success could earn the UK government an honoured place among the politicians visionary enough to confront probably the worst threat facing humankind. Failure would damn this generation of British leaders as a lightweight irrelevance.

Climate News Network 20th Jan 2021 read more »

The default tariff price cap is predicted to increase by £66 from April 2021 as wholesale power prices jump. According to forecasts from Cornwall Insight, this will see the typical dual fuel direct debit customer’s energy costs increase from the current level of £1,042 to £1,108 per year.

Current 20th Jan 2021 read more »

The Mayor of London “took advantage of the pandemic” to “push through” more cycle lanes and road closures to make the capital car-free, the High Court has ruled. In an embarrassing defeat for Sadiq Khan, two black cab drivers’ organisations have proven the mayor’s schemes to promote walking and cycling were “seriously flawed” and “not a rational response” to the issues created by Covid-19. In her judgment, Mrs Justice Lang ordered Mr Khan and Transport for London (TfL) to “reconsider” and “substantially amend” its Streetspace policy and a ban on taxis on a bus-only road because “it was both unfair and irrational to introduce such extreme measures”.

Telegraph 20th Jan 2021 read more »

The race to net zero will play out in ‘local issues’ – we must not ignore them. As we strive to tackle emissions in all sectors of our economy, decisions made at the regional level will become increasingly important. The need to tackle emissions will increasingly involve decisions made at the local level, Green party peer and former leader Natalie Bennett tells The Independent. Local leaders require more support in order to understand how to make decisions that are in line with the UK’s net zero goal, says Prof Forster – director of the Priestley International Centre for Climate at the University of Leeds and a member of the UK’s Climate Change Committee (CCC): “There are situations where it would have been good for the government to step in, as with the building of the Cumbrian coal mine,” he says. “But that can’t be the answer for everything. “By far the better solution is to really make sure that local authorities understand what the government’s priorities are. “We have to give our local authorities appropriate long-term financing to be able to take part in the net zero delivery, and we have to give them the flexibility to be able to to make the changes appropriate for their communities.”

Independent 19th Jan 2021 read more »

Local authorities in the UK will play host to just 35 on-street electric vehicle (EV) chargers on average by 2025, new research from Centrica has concluded.

Edie 19th Jan 2021 read more »

Last month, four years after the Brexit referendum, the UK and the EU agreed on a trade deal just days before the 31 December deadline. As well as guaranteeing tariff-free trade on many goods, the deal includes extensive references to the importance of tackling the “existential threat to humanity” posed by climate change. Carbon Brief has extracted the key components relating to climate and energy from the 1,250-page document, as well as gauging the views of experts. Some welcomed it as the best free trade deal on climate ever agreed – a potential “game changer” that enshrines in the text both sides’ net-zero targets and a commitment to the Paris Agreement. However, there is also concern about weakening environmental regulations due to the UK’s efforts to “water down” the climate language and distance itself from European oversight.

Carbon Brief 18th Jan 2021 read more »

Prime Minister Boris Johnson launches the Build Back Better Council to unlock investment, boost job creation and level up the whole of the UK. Today the Prime Minister will chair the first meeting of a new Business Council established to work with government to fuel COVID-19 economic recovery and future growth plans. The Build Back Better Council will bring together a broad range of business leaders from across the whole British economy to work in partnership with the government to unlock investment, boost job creation, promote Global Britain and level up the whole of the UK.

Downing Street 18th Jan 2021 read more »

So much for the PM’s Green Industrial Revolution. In the first meeting of the UK’s Build Back Better Council the virtual room will incl several CEOs from the UK’s most polluting sectors – incl BP’s Bernard Looney – and none of its green business leaders.

Jillian Ambrose 18th Jan 2021 read more »

Sir Ian Wood and BP CEO Bernard Looney have been announced as members of the new UK Government “Build Back Better” Council. The group, aimed at helping the UK recover post-Covid, was announced ahead of its first meeting today. Aberdeen-based Sir Ian, founder of Wood plc, and Mr Looney are the only energy sector names on the list of 30, also including the likes of Google, John Lewis Partnerships and Jaguar Land Rover.

Energy Voice 18th Jan 2021 read more »