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A “net zero solution centre” and hydrogen hub are among the projects expected to be supported by a £62 million energy transition fund from the Scottish government.
4 years ago
Yorkshire has converted an LGV tanker to run on hydrogen as it embarks on a 10-year plan to decarbonise its fleet of vehicles
The dual challenges of coronavirus and climate change should trigger an urgent rethink of the way low-carbon infrastructure investment is incentivised and rewarded, said industry experts at a Utility Week debate hosted in association with National Grid.
Laura Sandys examines how the government can go about putting climate change at the heart of its post-lockdown economic recovery plan. She sets out a vision that abandons the 19th Century economic wisdom of focussing on GDP as the main measure of growth and instead lays out the ambition of creating a modern, highly-productive, efficient, healthy and clean economy.
Utility Week policy correspondent David Blackman gives his latest insight into what’s happening in the (virtual) corridors of power. This week, he discusses recent research showing the majority of the public have never heard of the term ‘net zero’.
The prime minister will help to shape the next phase of the UK’s emission reduction plan, a BEIS civil servant has revealed.
Two thirds of the population have not heard of the concept of “net zero”, according to new government figures. The latest BEIS Public Attitudes Tracker also shows a year-on-year drop in the number of people concerned about climate change.
Former Labour leader and DECC secretary Ed Miliband made a surprise return to his old brief when he was appointed to Sir Keir Starmer’s shadow cabinet. But what influence will he have and how have his years in the political wilderness changed his thinking on energy issues? David Blackman talks to former colleagues - and adversaries - of Miliband about his views on decarbonisation, energy prices, nationalisation and what approach he is likely to take in holding the government to account.
Utilities companies must focus on the upsides to customers of decarbonisation of heat if they are to overcome a widespread reluctance to act on the issue, an expert has told Utility Week. Energy Systems Catapult has published a survey showing that although there is consensus on the need for climate action, less than half of those polled believed gas central heating was a contributor to climate change and only 2 per cent have switched to a low-carbon alternative. Cost and convenience are seen as the biggest barriers to transition.
The chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change talks to Utility Week about how coronavirus will affect the transition to net zero and whether behaviour changes adopted during lockdown can be sustained. Chris Stark looks at lessons from the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash and areas where a post-pandemic UK can immediately get back on track to decarbonisation.
Despite the all-consuming challenges of the Covid-19 crisis, utilities cannot afford to lose sight of their future goals, says Utility Week magazine editor, Suzanne Heneghan
Twelve months on from the signing of the landmark Offshore Wind Sector Deal, Orsted's UK Country Manager for offshore wind business, Benj Sykes, looks back at just how far the industry has now come
News that the long awaited National Infrastructure Strategy had been delayed caused widespread frustration among Utility Week sources this week, long hoping to hear precisely how the £100billion earmarked for UK infrastructure investment will be used, writes Utility Week magazine editor Suzanne Heneghan
As Rishi Sunak prepares to deliver his first Budget, George Webb, chief executive of Liquid Gas UK, ponders the practical steps the chancellor can take to support off-grid rural homes in decarbonisation. Webb argues that it is vital that decarbonising rural communities doesn’t end up as another broadband scenario, resulting with the haves and the have nots.
Analysis by Carbon Brief has found that the UK reduced carbon emissions by 28 per cent over the last decade, with 2019 seeing a 3 per cent reduction. In its efforts to reach net zero by 2050, the UK is aiming to reduce emissions by 57 per cent by 2030, on 1990 levels.
Energy UK’s interim chief executive, Audrey Gallacher, writes for Utility Week about the immediate actions government can take to unleash the sector’s potential to drive forward the decarbonisation agenda.
The government has pledged to eliminate coal power generation from the grid by 2024 – a year earlier than previously planned. Boris Johnson has also confirmed plans to bring forward the ban on petrol and diesel cars – including hybrids – by five years, to 2035. David Blackman looks at the figures behind the plans and gauges industry reaction.