News
News
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UK needs local carbon plans, says Climate Committee
Local authorities in the UK should have a duty to develop and implement low-carbon plans as part of the country’s emissions reduction commitments, according to the Committee on Climate Change (CCC). In a report published today by the influential government advisory body, the CCC says that local authorities have a crucial role in contributing to […]
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UK government launches £1 billion low-carbon procurement drive
The UK government is launching a new initiative to drive low-carbon procurement that could be worth some £1 billion of spending. The initiative led by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) and the Prince of Wales Corporate Leaders Group on Climate Change aims to create more demand for low- and zero-carbon products in […]
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Energy companies warn UK government over support for renewables
A group of energy companies including SSE, Good Energy and Ecotricity have warned the UK government that it’s proposed Energy Bill may not provide the necessary support for renewables. The Energy Bill, which promises to deliver a secure and decarbonised electricity system, was announced in the Queen’s speech last week. But concerns hinge around the […]
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European ‘traded’ emissions down 2% in 2011
Greenhouse gas emissions covered by the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (EU-ETS) were down 2% last year, according to official figures. The EU-ETS covers more than 12,000 power plants and manufacturing facilities in 27 member states, Norway, Liechtenstein and, controversially, all airlines flying in or out of European airports. The total amount of verified emissions […]
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US jacks up import tariffs on Chinese solar panels
The US authorities have hiked import tariffs on Chinese solar panels to 30% or more, after ruling that manufacturers have dumped cut-price panels on the market. Earlier this year, the Department of Commerce (DOC) announced levies on solar panels manufactured in China of around 3-5% after it emerged that companies had received illegal subsidies. A […]
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UK fuel poverty figures show slight decrease in 2010
Official UK government figures show a slight fall in the number of households living in fuel poverty from 5.5 million in 2009 to 4.75 million in 2010. The government has welcomed the figures, putting the improvement down to rising incomes, particularly among lower income households, better energy efficiency and more installations of energy efficient boilers, […]
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Saudia Arabia launches renewable energy programme
The Kingdom of Saudia Arabia has unveiled plans for a major solar energy strategy that will ultimately save up to 520,000 barrels of oil a day by 2032. The King Abdullah City for Atomic and Renewable Energy (KACARE) will implement the strategy, aiming for some 54 GW of renewable power over the next 20 years. […]
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Companies sign up to UK £1 billion CCS competition
Sixteen companies including Centrica, Shell, SSE, Doosan Power Projects and National Grid have signalled their intention to bid for funding under the government’s re-launched carbon capture and storage (CCS) competition. After the previous £1 billion competition to set up a CCS commercial-scale demonstration project failed at the final hurdle, the Coalition last month relaunched a […]
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Google-backed wind power transmission line moves ahead
A $5 billion project for a new transmission line from wind farms off the east coast of the US being backed by internet giant Google is moving ahead. The US Department of Interior stated this week that there was “no overlapping competitive interest” in the scheme, which means it can move onto the environmental review […]
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Re-elected London Mayor redoubles green efforts
Re-elected Mayor of London Boris Johnson yesterday announced key appointments to his team in a bid to re-energise his efforts to create a greener city. Matthew Pencharz, former broadcaster and the Mayor’s political advisor for his previous term, is to be the new environment advisor replacing Kulveer Ranger. He will be responsible for coordinating action […]
Quotes
The cheapest kWh of energy is the one you don't use Delvin Lane, Head of Energy 360, British Gas