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LEGISLATION that seeks to 'transform' British farming moves a step forward today, with Environment Secretary Theresa Villiers leading the Second Reading of the Agriculture Bill in the House of Commons. The Bill was introduced on 16 January and will replace the EU’s Common Agriculture Policy with a system where farmers are rewarded with public money for public goods, such as...

AN EXTENSION to Centre for Sustainable Energy's Warm Homes Fund work in Wiltshire will see the project continue until February 2022. The Warm Homes Fund is a £150m fund provided by the National Grid and administered by Affordable Warmth Solutions. It's purpose is to 'support local authorities, registered social landlords and other organisations working in partnership with them to address some of the...

CARBON Price Support has led to the proportion of electricity generated from coal falling from 40% to 3% over six years, according to research led by UCL. British electricity generated from coal fell from 13.1 TWh in 2013 to 0.97 TWh in September 2019, and was replaced by other less emission-heavy forms of generation such as gas. The decline in coal...

THE DEADLINE for Greenhouse Gas permit holders to submit their Annual Emissions Reports for the 2019 scheme year via ETSWAP is 31 March 2020. Operators must also enter their 2019 reportable emissions via their Operator Holding Account in the UK Registry and ensure this is approved by an accredited verifier by 31 March 2020. Operators must then surrender their allowances in...

THE PRIME Minister is joined by Sir David Attenborough and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte as he launches the next UN climate conference COP26 today. At the event, Boris Johnson will set out the UK’s position as a world leader in the response to climate change, having made a legal commitment to achieve net zero emissions, and call all nations...

CONSTRUCTION of a district heating scheme utilising abandoned mines is set to begin this spring in County Durham. The Seaham Garden Village development will consist of 750 affordable homes, 750 private homes, a school, shops, and medical and innovation centres. The scheme is close to existing commercial buildings, a supermarket and the coastal village of Seaham, with a population of around...

DIPLOMATS' official cars are being replaced with low-carbon vehicles by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as part of an ambitious programme to cut emissions and become 'the greenest diplomatic service in the world.' The UK’s Oslo and Holy See Embassies have already replaced their cars, and 30 other UK posts around the world will be among the first to receive...

On his first day in office, Ofgem’s new chief executive Jonathan Brearley announced the regulator's Decarbonisation Action Plan. Mr Brearley commented on the Plan: “Britain has come a long way. It has decarbonised faster than any other major economy, but we must go further, particularly on heat and transport. "We are taking an approach that recognises that our role protecting consumers...

CARBON emissions across the south coast are pushing the brake after Stagecoach and the University of Chichester unveiled new eco-friendly buses which will carry students to their lectures across the region. The modern double-deckers, which replace the nearly eight-year-old vehicles currently in service, are fitted with technologically-advanced Euro6 engines designed to cut pollution between stops. John Kingdon, University Director of Estates,...

FUTURE vision of the connected and autonomous vehicle industry in Scotland has been laid out by the Scottish Government. Newly published CAV Roadmap sets out how Scotland can benefit from and contribute to the industry. Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity Michael Matheson said: “I am delighted to launch the CAV Roadmap and deliver one of the key commitments from...