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Guidance published this week by the Scottish Land Commission places well-being as a central consideration when assessing the business case for developing vacant or derelict land. There are an estimated 11,000 hectares of such land nationally and much of it sits in areas with the greatest poverty and deprivation. The Commission contends that using a different framework to assess the potential...

TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps will today launch the first meeting of the Net Zero Transport Board to help guide the decarbonisation of UK transport. The board will bring together high-profile leaders from a range of fields including behavioural change and policy, as well as experts from a number of prominent industry sectors including environment, science, aviation and technology. The meetings will guarantee...

KKR, a global investment firm, has successfully acquired recycling, renewable energy and waste management company Viridor for £4.2 billion today. Phil Piddington, who has been Viridor’s Managing Director since 2016, assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer. He said KKR recognised the strategic value of Viridor’s UK recycling and residual waste management platform and growth opportunities linked to a significant UK...

TODAY the Chancellor of the Exchequer backed a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic in today's emergency 'mini-budget', which should support thousands of jobs, reduce energy bills and make homes healthier and lower carbon. The Summer Economic Update announcement included: A total of £3bn to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. £2bn Grant scheme for domestic energy efficiency measures, such...

WORK is well underway to create Exeter City Council’s own solar farm and battery storage project. The scheme is one way in which the authority is continuing to deliver its ambition to be a Net Zero Carbon City by 2030, as well as demonstrating the benefits of solar power. Despite the COVID-19 outbreak the project, located on an inert landfill site...

BRITAIN'S energy professionals have added their voices to growing calls to ‘build back better’ post COVID-19, according to the Energy Institute’s Energy Barometer 2020. They fear that without immediate policy steps from the Government, the UK’s 2030 and 2050 greenhouse gas emission reduction targets will be missed; this could also undermine the UK’s credibility as the host of the COP26...

UK fashion company boohoo has launched an independent investigation following allegations of poor pay and working conditions at their Leicester factory 'Jaswal Fashions', with claims of workers being paid £3.50 an hour. This follows an undercover investigation by Sunday Times, which also highlighted lack of safety measures regards to coronavirus pandemic. Retailers including Next, Asos and Zalando have removed Boohoo products...

THE CITY of London Planning & Transportation Committee has approved plans for a deep retrofit of 81 Newgate Street, the former BT Headquarters, to be the first net zero carbon-enabled office development in London. It was designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF) for Tejat V Lux Sàrl, advised by Orion Capital Managers and Pella Real Estate Partners. The design will...

THE NEW Agriculture Bill is back in the House of Lords for the next stage in its journey to becoming law. Defra Lords Minister Lord Gardiner will be leading several sittings of the whole house as part of the Bill’s Committee stage, expected to take place over the next two weeks. Defra Minister Lord Gardiner of Kimble commented on the news:...

LEADING green groups have written to the Chancellor, urging him to prioritise capital investment in decarbonising the UK’s homes in his economic statement. The letter says this needs to include honouring a manifesto pledge to spend £9.2 billion on making buildings energy efficient and a ‘cash for clunkers’ scheme to exchange old gas and oil-fired boilers for heat pumps.   The...