£3.25m support for food redistribution during COVID-19 pandemic announced
THE GOVERNMENT has announced a £3 million fund for food redistribution organisations help them cut food waste during the coronavirus pandemic.
Food redistribution organisations across England are benefiting from £3.25 million of government funding to help them cut food waste and redistribute up to 14,000 tonnes of surplus.
From overcoming operational barriers in obtaining, storing and transporting food safely from restaurants...
Coronavirus could push half a billion people into poverty, research warns
THE ECONOMIC crisis caused by coronavirus could push over half a billion people into poverty unless urgent and dramatic action is taken, new analysis warns.
The research in new report 'Dignity Not Destitution', which was conducted at Oxfam’s suggestion by researchers at King’s College London and the Australian National University, suggests that between six and eight per cent of the...
CCC delays the sixth Carbon Budget to include impact of COVID-19
THE SIXTH Carbon Budget will be delayed until December due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Committee on Climate Change has announced.
The Committee will be amending its programme for 2020, refocusing its annual Progress Report to Parliament in June to include advice on supporting a resilient recovery following the pandemic, alongside the statutory assessment of the UK’s progress in reducing...
Southern Water starts paying £123m Ofwat rebates
AS PART of the settlement reached with Ofwat last year, Southern Water are reducing wastewater charges to existing customers and making payments to eligible former customers totalling £123 million over five years.
The penalty was ordered in October following a two-year investigation and was referred to as 'the biggest penalties and rebates package Ofwat has ever imposed.'
Ian McAulay, Southern Water’s...
InterGen to pay £37m to Ofgem over energy market abuse
OFGEM has imposed payments of £37.2m on InterGen after an investigation found that the company sent misleading signals to National Grid Electricity System Operator in winter 2016 about the energy it could supply to make substantial profits.
In May 2017 Ofgem launched an investigation into InterGen, which owns four power stations in the UK, following an alert from another market...
Coronavirus lockdown to deliver large (but hopefully temporary) shock to the economy and public finances, says analysis
OFFICE for Budget Responsibility has published an illustrative scenario showing how the economic disruption associated with the spread of the coronavirus – and the Government’s policy response – might feed through to the public finances.
Describing one economic scenario where the lockdown lasts for three months, the Office states that in addition to its impact on public health, the coronavirus...
Global electric vehicle sales expected to drop 43%, new analysis says
THE NUMBER of global electric vehicle sales is expected to drop 43% to 1.3 million by the end of 2020, according to new research from Wood Mackenzie.
The coronavirus outbreak, potential delays to fleet purchasing due to lower oil price and a wait-and-see approach to buying new models have all contributed to this decrease in projected sales.
Wood Mackenzie’s analysis notes...
Labour announces lineup for Ed Miliband’s Shadow team
THE TEAM working under Ed Miliband in the Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy has been confirmed as the new Labour leader Keir Starmer completes the party's front bench lineup.
Mr Starmer commented on the announcement: “This is a new team that will take the Labour Party forward in a new era.
"Under my leadership, the Labour Party will be utterly...
OPEC, Russia approve biggest-ever oil cut to support prices amid coronavirus pandemic
OPEC and allies led by Russia agreed on Sunday to a record cut in output to prop up oil prices amid the coronavirus pandemic in an unprecedented deal with fellow oil nations, including the United States, that could curb global oil supply by 20%, according to Reuters.
Measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus have destroyed demand for fuel...
Ten EU countries urge bloc to pursue ‘green’ coronavirus recovery plan
TEN countries, including Italy, the Netherlands and Spain have urged the European Union to adopt a "green" recovery plan on Thursday, as fears grow that the economic hit caused by the coronavirus pandemic could weaken action on climate change, Reuters has reported.
In an open letter, 10 environment and climate ministers said any rescue package should support the European Commission's...