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A new study looking at litter in the UK, led by Loughborough University geographer Dr Tom Stanton, found the majority of UK litter is made up of plastic, and the most common items discarded into the environment are drinks packaging. Dr Stanton says the findings are ‘surprising’ given the European-wide initiatives in place that look to reduce single-use plastic and...

Energy regulator Ofgem has published its findings following a six-month review launched in December 2021 to establish what went wrong and what industry needs to change to provide a more effective response to severe weather events. The review focussed on whether the power outages could have been prevented, whether correct and timely information was given to customers affected, whether power was...

The amount of plastic waste produced globally is on track to almost triple by 2060, with around half ending up in landfill and less than a fifth recycled, according to a new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report. Titled 'Global Plastics Outlook: Policy Scenarios to 2060', the report states that without radical action to curb demand, increase product...

We need to rethink how we train the next generation of battery engineers, Frank Gielen, Education Director at EIT InnoEnergy, writes in his thought piece for ICON.       In 2021, global electric vehicle sales were up 109 per cent on the previous year, with 2.3 million sold in Europe as the continent increases its share of the market. Europe’s growing appetite...

The European Commission has decided to register a European Citizens' Initiative (ECI) which calls on the Commission to propose legislation requiring companies in the garment and footwear sector to carry out due diligence in respect of living wages in their supply chains. The organisers of the initiative, Entitled ‘Good Clothes, Fair Pay', list six objectives of such a due diligence...

MOSL, the market operator of the non-household retail water market, have announced the winners of the second Market Improvement Fund round. The Fund offers individuals or groups up to £150k from a £1.5m fund for projects that improve the non-household market. MOSL received 13 bids in total, equating to over £1.4m in requested funding. All bids were reviewed for eligibility and scored...

From residential to commercial buildings, the UK’s built environment is responsible for 25% of the UK’s greenhouse gas emissions. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has warned that to date there has been a lack of Government impetus or policy levers to assess and reduce these emissions. Environmental Audit Committee Chairman, Philip Dunne, commented: “From homes to offices, retail units to hospitality...

New research from Lloyds Bank Business found that over three-quarters (77%) of small businesses do not have – or are unsure of – their business strategy to reduce their carbon footprint in the next three years.  With over 5.5 million small businesses in the UK this could equate to more than 4.2 million having no plan on how they will...

The survey conducted by Net Zero Technology Centre (NZTC), who accelerate real-world development and deployment of ground-breaking technologies for an affordable net zero energy industry, captured the opinion of those at the heart of the renewables sector. Survey respondents ranked wind (35%), green hydrogen (18%) and electrification (13%) as most important for an optimum energy mix, whilst solar and carbon...

Scotland has become the first part of the UK to implement a ban on many of the most problematic single-use plastics, as legislation comes into force on 1 June 2022. The ban means it will be an offence for businesses in Scotland to provide the items – which include plastic cutlery, plates and stirrers. Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater commented on...