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MARITIME Minister Nusrat Ghani has hailed the Port of Blyth in Northumberland as one of the leading lights in the British maritime industry’s 'push for a greener, cleaner future.' Visiting the port, the minister saw first-hand the green revolution taking place on the site, which is developing into one of the UK’s leading offshore energy hubs. It is an example of the...

Brighton & Hove City councillors have agreed to explore the possibility of the city becoming ‘car-free’ by 2023. Members of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee last week requested a report that explores the feasibility and costs of developing a car-free city that will be presented to them in October. The report will also look at costs and practicalities of any project...

"It seems that whatever 'crap' we put into graphene, electrocatalysis increases", according to Martin Pumera from University of Chemistry and Technology at Prague, Czech Republic. Pumera’s team has added bird droppings to graphene electrodes and improved the efficiency of splitting water into oxygen and hydrogen electrochemically. The best bird dropping sample started producing hydrogen and oxygen at a graphene electrode with...

SADIQ Khan has announced a series of measures that will accelerate the move to cleaner vehicles across London. The Mayor has announced he will double payments for his van scrappage scheme to £7,000, with £9,500 also now available to those switching to electric vans. The increased funding will enable more van owners to switch to cleaner vehicles, while helping businesses...

THOUSANDS of customers on heat networks are expected to benefit from new protections under plans launched on 5 February. The proposed measures seek to ensure that customers are paying a fair price for their heating and getting a good service by bringing the regulation of heat networks into line with other utilities. This is expected to encourage the current networks to...

ENDING Scotland’s contribution to climate change, peatland restoration and low-carbon infrastructure are at the heart of the Scottish Government’s tax and spending plans for the year ahead. Setting out the Scottish Budget 2020-21, Public Finance Minister Kate Forbes announced a package of funding to accelerate Scotland’s transition to a net-zero economy, including £1.8 billion of investment in low carbon infrastructure...

The default price cap, which protects around 11 million households, is set to fall from £1,179 to £1,162 for the summer period (April - September). The pre-payment meter cap, which protects a further four million households, will fall from £1,217 to £1,200 per year for the same six month period. As a result, energy bills will fall for around 15 million households who are protected by...

MANCHESTER City Councillors have passed a motion calling for the consideration of an Ultra Low Emissions Zone within the city’s Inner Relief Route. The motion, which was agreed by a meeting of all city councillors on Wednesday 29 January, requests a feasibility study to be carried out, to understand how such a zone could work in practice, while also investigating...

NORTHERN Powergrid is seeking feedback on its digitalisation strategy which describes how it proposes to deliver progressive modernisation. The vision, which sets out emerging thinking and will help inform and shape future business plans for the next regulatory period starting 2023, is laid out in a digitalisation roadmap. As the response to climate change builds momentum over the next decade, millions...

LOCAL authorities can now apply to become the UK’s first all-electric bus town, setting the ‘gold-standard’ in environmentally friendly public transport, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced today. The winning area will receive up to £50 million to help pay for a brand-new fleet of electric buses, reducing emissions and cleaning up the air in their community. The town selected will be...