Feed aggregator

Country already trails well behind Europe and PM’s backtracking on climate policies could widen the gap

The UK has fallen well behind the rest of Europe in the growth of electric vehicle sales and risks falling further back after Rishi Sunak’s “screeching U-turn” on its climate policies, according to industry analysts.

UK sales of electric vehicles grew by 31% in the 12 months to July, one of the slowest rates of growth in Europe, according to data analysed by Cornwall Insight and the law firm Shoosmiths.

Continue reading...

The UK and Germany will partner up to further advance hydrogen developments, the two countries announced in a joint press release on Tuesday, as a report published on the same day finds that domestic production of the low-carbon gas for European nations is likely to prove much cheaper than import reliance.

European carbon prices dropped by the most in nearly four weeks on Tuesday morning before consolidating, while gas prices fell back after a short squeeze on Monday had boosted prices by 11% as the market prepared for the expiry of the September TTF options contract.

The economy will thrive under the energy transition, not suffer. So why is the government rowing back on its green pledges?

• Chris Skidmore is a former energy minister

Last week’s announcement that the government would delay key net-zero targets came as a surprise to anyone who has followed the policy. The existing targets were fair and well considered, and enjoyed wide political support. It’s strange to cite our world-leading progress in reducing emissions and developing low-carbon technologies, then decide that is a reason for slowing down, especially when doing so risks surrendering that position and those investment opportunities to other countries.

Make no mistake, the government cannot stop our collective progress towards net zero. But it can, all too easily, slow progress at a critical time when we should be accelerating our efforts. Businesses and innovators are in a global race to create and deploy the technologies that will help us get there, and with a lack of clear political commitment Britain is lagging in some areas. Up until recently, Britain was the global leader in offshore wind power. It is now China.

Chris Skidmore is Conservative MP for Kingswood, the former energy minister who signed net zero into law, and chair of the Mission Zero independent review of net zero

Continue reading...

An international NGO has denied local media allegations that it forcibly removed residents and burned homes as part of conservation efforts near a REDD+ project in Cambodia.

German renewable energy giant RWE has begun testing an innovative wind power technology which uses massive kites to generate power.

The post Germany energy giant begins testing kite power in Ireland appeared first on RenewEconomy.

A global investor initiative has listed some of the world's largest companies that its financial sector partners will now pressure for tangible progress on addressing nature-related risks and dependencies.

Japan’s three largest shipowners on Tuesday announced their newly acquired stakes in a joint venture, as part of their effort to build up a global liquefied hydrogen (LH2) supply chain.

Australia could see a huge export boon and get closer to its targeted 43% drop in emissions by 2030 via investing to green three iron, ammonia, and aluminium, according to a report released Tuesday.

Regulator Ofwat orders companies to return £114m to households by cutting bills after missing targets.

New IEA report warns there is no slow route to net zero emissions. Rather, the world needs to add 11,000GW of new renewables by 2030 and electrify everything.

The post “Electricity is the new oil:” IEA lays out new net zero roadmap for 2030 appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Proposal to build Australia's first commercial scale LFP battery cathode facility at Middle Arm takes step forward, but concerns raised over Fortescue hydrogen plan after office closed.

The post Battery plant advances for Middle Arm, as questions raised over Fortescue hydrogen appeared first on RenewEconomy.

IEA’s Fatih Birol says uptake of solar power and EVs is in line with net zero goal but rich countries must hasten their broader plans

The prospects of the world staying within the 1.5C limit on global heating have brightened owing to the “staggering” growth of renewable energy and green investment in the past two years, the chief of the world’s energy watchdog has said.

Fatih Birol, executive director of the International Energy Agency, and the world’s foremost energy economist, said much more needed to be done but that the rapid uptake of solar power and electric vehicles were encouraging.

Continue reading...

Plans involve doubling use of such energy but not everybody wants to live near power lines

There are two big tensions in how, and how quickly, the UK gets to net zero. One was the main focus of Rishi Sunak’s speech last week in which the phasing out of sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles was delayed and gas boilers got a semi-reprieve. But the other aspect, only briefly referenced, deserves more attention: it is the reform of planning rules to allow the UK to build new electricity infrastructure, including hated pylons, at twice the pace we usually manage.

For a prime minister who says “consent” is “the only realistic path to net zero”, there is potential for more trouble. Net zero involves doubling the UK’s use of electricity, which plainly requires more kit, but not everybody wants to live near a new high-voltage transmission line suspended on 50-metre stilts. It is hard to see how the government’s target of decarbonising the power network by 2035 (a target that survived last week’s bonfire of deadlines) can be met without upsetting a few local interests.

Continue reading...

Governments need to separate climate from geopolitics so the transition to renewable energy can go much faster using tools the world already has, in order to keep on the narrowing path to curb global warming, according to the IEA in a report published Tuesday. 

Indonesian Prime Minister Joko Widodo launched the country’s national carbon exchange on Tuesday, as market observers say it will likely be primarily used by domestic players initially with several barriers to limit international interest for now.

The slow rollout of new wind, solar and storage has continued into the new financial year. But households are going all out for rooftop solar and heat pumps.

The post No new solar: Latest data shows new renewable projects at near standstill on the grid appeared first on RenewEconomy.

Robert Habeck said supporters of climate action must have the most compelling arguments

• Europe live –latest updates
• Is the world’s most powerful green politician doomed to fail?

Germany’s vice-chancellor has called on supporters of environmental reforms to shed their reputation for “moral superiority” and focus on having “the better arguments” amid a backlash against climate policies across Europe.

Robert Habeck, the minister for economic affairs and climate action and a leading Green politician, said environmental parties had to push back against their instincts if they wanted their climate agenda to succeed in the long run.

Continue reading...

Project demonstrating how intelligent management of consumer resources can deliver cheaper and more reliable energy for all has won an industry award.

The post Project that calmed network fears about rooftop solar wins innovation award appeared first on RenewEconomy.

You might look at the task ahead of weaning ourselves off fossil fuels and despair. But we’ve changed energy sources many times before – and it’s never a straightforward process. Liz Conor, ARC Future Fellow, La Trobe University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.