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Industrial strategy fit for the future: perspectives on building a competitive UK economy

This publication brings together the views of respected thinkers from politics, business, trade unions and academia on the kind of economy the industrial strategy should be building and the role low carbon and resource efficiency can play.

Wind and solar generated 18.33 terawatt hours (TWh), with nuclear on 16.69TWh, the figures published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy show

Wind and solar make more electricity than nuclear for first time in UK

Windfarms and solar panels produced more electricity than the UK's eight nuclear power stations for the first time at the end of last year, official figures show.

Experts estimate that excessive amounts of nitrogen oxides or NOx in the air kill between 6,000 and 13,000 people in Germany every year

German court rules cities can ban diesel cars to tackle pollution

Millions of heavily polluting vehicles could eventually disappear from roads across Germany after its top administrative court ruled that cities have the right to ban diesel motors in an effort to improve deadly air quality levels.

edie Explains: ESOS Phase 2

This edie Explains guide, produced in association with Schneider Electric, will help organisations in their preparations to comply with the second phase of the UK Government's Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS).

edie Explains: ISO 14001

This updated edie Explains guide, produced in association with NQA, provides an in-depth summary of the ISO 14001 Standard which is used to establish and maintain a continuous level of environmental performance improvements.

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) insists that new policies will be required to close the remaining “emissions gap”

Clean Growth Strategy 'not enough' to meet UK's carbon targets, climate advisers warn

Urgent action is needed to flesh out current plans in the Clean Growth Strategy in order to meet the UK's fourth and fifth carbon budgets, the Government's climate change watchdog has cautioned.

MPs said they are looking for “far greater clarity on energy and climate change policy to ensure that industry can plan for the future

Ministers offer 'scant detail' on post-Brexit green policy, MPs warn

The Government has faced criticism for providing "scant detail" on areas relating to post-Brexit energy and climate change policy, such as the UK's role in the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS).

The Hinkley site has taken its first delivery of rock armour for the base of sea wall, which will be 780 metres long to protect against flooding

Hinkley C: Labour warns of 'potential timebomb' of quitting Euratom

The government's decision to quit Euratom has put a "potential timebomb" under plans to build the Hinkley C nuclear power plant, Labour's energy spokesman has warned.

Price tag for Hinkley Point C swells by £1.5bn

Less than a year after getting the final go-ahead, Hinkley Point C is already on course to breach its budget by £1.5 billion, EDF has admitted.

What the report clearly stresses is the need for a transitional arrangement to smooth the path to Brexit

Report maps UK's 'uncertain' energy landscape post-Brexit

As Britain looks set to leave the EU's Single Market, business consultants have attempted to map out the numerous challenges facing the energy sector after Brexit, making the case for a transition phase to smooth the exit path.

Hinkley Point C is among the projects expected to be negatively affected by UK’s planned withdrawal from the Euratom treaty

UK on track to miss carbon emissions target due to stalled energy policy

The UK's ambitious target of slashing carbon emissions by more than half within 13 years is at risk because of government dithering on energy policy, industry professionals have warned.

Wind energy output peaked at 9.5GW on Wednesday 7 June

Windy weather brings new renewable energy record

Windy weather brought with it a new renewable record on Wednesday lunchtime as output from wind, solar, biomass and hydro peaked at 19.3GW - more than half of all demand.

Many businesses already utilising fleet management and telematics technology have reported fuel savings of as much as two gallons per vehicle per day

Driving change: How can businesses increase efficiency for a greener fleet?

Whether it's the rollout of electric vehicles (EVs), the use of telematics, or the strategic positioning of distribution centres, there is now a multitude of options available to businesses looking to reduce fleet emissions. But which is the best route to take? edie's George Ogleby investigates.

edie explains: ISO 20400

This edie explains business guide, produced in association with edie's supporting partners Action Sustainability and BSI, provides an in- depth summary of the new ISO 20400 Standard which is the world's first international standard for sustainable procurement

For 2016, renewables supplied more than half of the global electricity demand growth, mainly through hydro technology, which accounted for half of this share

Emissions flat for third year running as economy boom continues

The decoupling trend between economic activity and emissions continued for a third straight year, after the International Energy Agency (IEA) revealed that global energy-related carbon emissions remained flat in 2016.

Of the 17 hottest years ever recorded, 16 have now occurred since 2000, and scientists expect this pattern to continue

Sustainability megatrends: It's time for business to collaborate on climate change

Continuing edie's new megatrends series of thought-leadership articles on the global impact of megatrends, World Resources Institute's Eliot Metzger and Moushumi Chaudhury explore how businesses are dealing with the widespread effects of climate change.

Carbon Trust: SCIENCE-BASED TARGETS

Setting the bar high enough: The case for science-based targets on climate change.

The thinktank’s analysis found that high carbon infrastructure, which it defines as fossil fuel power stations, airports and road building, was faring little better

Renewables investment in UK will fall 95% over next three years - study

Investment in windfarms will fall off a "cliff edge" over the next three years and put the UK's greenhouse gas reduction targets at risk, according to a new analysis.

BNEF chairman Michael Liebreich felt that the private sector should set and provide “volume signals” to indicate that it was committed to renewable deployment and improve investor confidence

Michael Liebreich: Policy alignment needed to make Britain a low-carbon leader

The UK can "truly be a leader" in the global low-carbon economy, but only if a policy alignment is introduced that allows considerations of the energy mix to also shape trade, tax and research and development (R&D) legislation, the chairman of Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) has said.

Will new Chancellor Philip Hammond dedicate any part of his first Autumn Statement to the green economy? Stay tuned to edie on Wednesday

Autumn Statement 2016: 10 green policy hopes for Philip Hammond's first budget announcement

From unveiling a low-carbon Industrial Strategy and confirming post-Brexit support for renewables through to enabling a smart, flexible energy system and providing more expenditure to prevent flooding - will new Chancellor Philip Hammond deliver on our green policy wishlist in his first Autumn Statement?

During Q3 2016, coal accounted for just 3% of the UK's electricity

Low-carbon sources claim majority share in UK energy mix

For the first time, more than half of the UK's electricity was generated from low-carbon sources in the third quarter of 2016, a stark contrast from five years ago when the figure stood at little over 25%.

The tracker revealed a record high of 71% of people supporting onshore wind, up from the previous high of 70% in 2014

Public support for renewables rises as nuclear and fracking falls

Public backing for nuclear energy and fracking has fallen in recent months while support for clean energy continues to surge, according to the latest opinion tracker from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

John Lewis's Birmingham branch is designed to be the company's most efficient full-line department store, utilising LEDs, heat pumps and combined cooling, heating and power

10 top tips to deliver a sustainable built environment

Continuing edie's 'green buildings month' of editorial content, John Lewis's sustainable development manager Phil Birch offers up 10 tips to successfully accelerate sustainable development within the built environment, despite an ongoing period of "political uncertainty".

An artist's impression of Hinkley Point C, which was approved by the UK Government last week

Energy policy cannot be dependent on any single project, says UK climate watchdog

Energy policy is about more than just Hinkley and "cannot be dependent on any single project", the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has warned.

Davey told Newsnight the most pressing concern with Hinkley is that it could be unbuildable

Ed Davey: Irresponsible Tories betting the nation on gas and nuclear

Former Energy Secretary Ed Davey has accused the current Government of playing "fast and loose" with the UK's long-term energy security by prioritising gas and nuclear investment over support for low-carbon and renewable energy sources.

The controversial scheme in Somerset has been approved by Theresa May more than a decade after Tony Blair gave his backing for the development of new nuclear

From Blair to May: A complete timeline of Hinkley Point's approval

As Prime Minister Theresa May finally gives the green light for Hinkley Point, edie takes a look back at the various twists and turns of the controversial nuclear energy project which has taken more than a decade to gain Government approval.

The controversial £18bn scheme in Somerset, which has been criticised over costs and national security worries, will proceed after a new agreement was struck with EDF

Hinkley Point: Green economy reacts as Government approves nuclear power deal

The Hinkley Point C nuclear power station in Somerset has today (15 September) been given the go-ahead by UK Prime Minister Theresa May, ending months of speculation and dividing opinion among Britain's industry groups and environmentalists.

Unnerved by GMB’s claims, Flexitricity are looking to introduce DR into the domestic sector, saying there is “untapped potential”

Demand response 'vital' even if Hinkley gets green light, says Flexitricity

Demand response will form a "vital part of a secure, affordable and sustainable energy future" and shouldn't necessarily be viewed as a competitive alternative to the delayed Hinkley Point C nuclear project.

The union added that National Grid’s policy of paying companies to stop working using consumer’s money is a “bonkers policy that only a natural monopoly would dare to implement”

DSR is 'fanciful nonsense', says union

GMB has slammed National Grid as being "naively complacent" over its intention to use demand-side response (DSR) to avoid blackouts, and has called for the company to be stripped of its system operator role.

The new epoch would be defined by nuclear bomb tests, plastic pollution, power plant soot and the bones of domesticated chickens among other factors

The Anthropocene epoch: scientists declare dawn of human-influenced age

Humanity's impact on the Earth is now so profound that a new geological epoch - the Anthropocene - needs to be declared, according to an official expert group who presented the recommendation to the International Geological Congress in Cape Town on Monday.

EDF’s new nuclear power station, Hinkley Point C, got the go-ahead from the supplier at the end of July but the Government then delayed its confirmation

'State of flux': Hinkley alternatives would be cheaper and simpler, ECIU finds

The UK could meet its future energy and climate change targets without constructing the Hinkley Point C nuclear power station, and the continued development of renewables and energy efficiency measures would in fact work out cheaper, a major new report has found.

EDF’s new nuclear power station, Hinkley Point C got the go-ahead from the supplier last week but the government has since delayed its confirmation

Energy efficiency would be cheaper than Hinkley

Installing energy efficiency could be £12 billion cheaper than the construction of the Hinkley Point C new nuclear power plant.

The Telegraph said both EDF and government sources had thought that ministers would sign off the subsidy deal for the plant today

UK government delays Hinkley decision

Hinkley has suffered a setback almost immediately, as the government delays a decision on whether or not to approve the £18 billion nuclear project until the autumn.

A computer-generated image of the Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant. Photograph: EDF Energy

Hinkley Point C to go ahead after EDF board approves project

Britain is set to get its first new nuclear power station for a generation after EDF's directors voted in favour of building Hinkley Point C.

Achim Steiner, executive director of UN Environment Programme. Photo: UNEP

UK renewables cuts 'risk slowing shift to clean energy'

The UK government risks slowing the shift to clean energy sources by cutting support for renewable energy and strongly backing gas as a transitional fuel, according to the UN's environment chief.

Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom said contingency plans were in place to protect the UK energy security in the event of sustained Hinkley postponements

New nuclear remains in pole position to drive Britain's decarbonisation, says DECC

Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom has today (24 May) underlined the Government's prioritisation of nuclear energy, insisting it remains in "pole position" to drive down Britain's emissions, ahead of other technologies due to its comparatively low-cost to the UK taxpayer.

Beyond the Perfect Storm: The Corporate Sustainability Challenge

Transforming the world to sustainability requires organisational leadership, skilled professionals and a desire for change. Concerns that were once viewed as distant and risks that were uncertain are now increasingly having an impact on businesses, economic prosperity and communities, health and wellbeing. Climate change, population growth, threats to nature, resource concerns, and global development pressures all combine to herald a ‘perfect storm’.

Solar installations remain the popular choice for renewables among the public, while support for biomass has wavered slightly

Six charts that show how public support for UK renewables has reached record levels

Public support for the UK's renewables revolution has reached an all-time high, with the latest Public Attitudes survey from the Department of Energy & Climate Change (DECC) revealing that eight in 10 Brits support the uptake of clean technology.

The report says that Hinkley Point C would be the most expensive building on Earth

Scrapping Hinkley for renewable alternatives will save 'tens of billions'

Scrapping plans for new nuclear reactors at Hinkley Point in Somerset and building huge amounts of renewable power instead would save the UK tens of billions of pounds, according to an analysis that compares likely future costs.

Investors have called on the Government to help them understand how the Levy Control Framework is calculated to provide more stability and clarity

Treasury insists low investor confidence is due to volatile energy prices

Low investor confidence in the UK energy sector is more due to "staggering volatility" of energy prices than Government policy on low-carbon, the Treasury has said.

Record falls in coal production were coupled with a significant rise in crude oil production

UK's low-carbon energy generation soared in 2015, but so did oil production

Low-carbon energy sources rose to account for 43% of the UK's electricity supply last year, but oil production saw its first significant increase this millennium, provisional figures released today (25 February) have revealed.

It is ‘almost impossible’ for UK electricity demand to be met by 2025, engineers say

Engineers warn of looming UK energy gap

The UK is facing an unprecedented "energy gap" in a decade's time, according to engineers, with demand for electricity likely to outstrip supply by more than 40%, which could lead to black outs .

The ETI said the key to reducing the cost of CCS is delivering a small number of large plants sequentially

CCS decision will add billions to cost of UK decarbonisation, says ETI

The Government's controversial decision to scrap carbon capture and storage (CCS) funding in the UK could add £1bn-2bn a year to the cost of decarbonisation throughout the 2020's, new analysis from the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has warned.

RWE is effectively splitting the company in two as two thirds of its current 60,000 strong staff will now operate the new renewables entity

German energy giant unveils $42bn renewables branch

Germany's second largest utility company RWE has announced plans to separate its growing renewable energy initiatives from its conventional energy business in a drive that is expected to deliver $42bn in annual revenues.

The 10 year plan to close coal-fired plans will form part of a policy to make energy affordable and secure

Amber Rudd to 'reset' Britain's energy policy with coal phase-out

Energy Secretary Amber Rudd has announced plans to "reset" Britain's energy policy by prioritising the closure of all traditional coal-fired plants by 2025 as Britain commits to building new infrastructure "fit for the 21st century".

CDP Climate Change Report 2015

CDP was set up, almost 15 years ago, to serve investors. A small group of 35 institutions, managing US$4 trillion in assets, wanted to see companies reporting reliable, comprehensive information about climate change risks and opportunities.

Industrial Evolution: Making British manufacturing sustainable

This report, compiled over the course of a nine-month inquiry with input from across business, academia, the public sector and the civil service, sets out how we can start redesigning our industrial system to make it more sustainable, improve our national security, and ultimately enhance our quality of life.

The deal guarantees plant operators EDF a 35-year Contract for Difference strike price of £92.50

Hinkley nuclear deal: 6 things green businesses need to know

The Hinkley Point nuclear reactor could be producing power in 2025 after the UK Government secured a £8bn investment from its Chinese counterpart yesterday.

The removal of coal from Ovo's energy mix has cut its carbon emissions by 34%

Ovo Energy shuns coal and nuclear

Independent energy supplier Ovo Energy has announced it has removed coal and nuclear generation from its entire fuel mix.

Although the ETI report doesn't mention Hinkley Point by name, its central argument is calling for more of these large-scale projects

ETI: New nuclear key for Britan's low-carbon transition

New nuclear reactors have a major role to play in delivering low-carbon electricity in the UK, the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has claimed.

Carbon Reporting Performance of the FTSE 100 - Carbon Clear

This is the fifth year that Carbon Clear have carried out research into the carbon reporting performance of the FTSE 100. Each year, it aims to refine and rethink the scoring criteria to reflect best practice in carbon reporting and to incorporate findings from the previous year. The criteria will get continually tougher as the report recognises those companies that are truly pushing the boundaries and remove ‘easy win’ points for activities that all companies should be carrying out.

The cost of solar generated electricity fell by around $300/Mwh in five years from 2010

Tumbling renewable energy costs close in on fossil fuels

The cost of generating electricity from renewable resources such as solar and wind has more than halved in the last five years according to the International Energy Association.

New ABDA figures showed that AD now provides more capacity than the Wylfa nuclear power plant in Wales

UK's AD capacity now greater than a nuclear power station

The UK's anaerobic digestion (AD) industry has surpassed the 500MW capacity milestone, with 411 plants across the farming, waste and water sectors.

Air pollution is killing an average of 4,000 Chinese every day

China's air pollution crisis killing 1.6 million each year

Air pollution kills an average of 4,000 people every day in China, according to a new study by researchers at Berkeley Earth.

As climate change causes temperatures to rise even higher in the second half of the century, even more serious food shocks - where production drops by up to 10% - are also likely to occur much more often by 2070

Food production shocks 'will happen more often because of extreme weather'

Major "shocks" to global food production will be three times more likely within 25 years because of an increase in extreme weather brought about by global warming, warns a new report.

Jeremy Corbyn's ambitious environmental strategy comes after a number of cuts to renewable energy

Labour frontrunner launches ambitious environmental manifesto

Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn has announced a far-reaching green vision for his environmental policy in an announcement today (7 August).

Just 19% of companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange reported on their greenhouse gas emissions

19% of Asia's blue chips disclose green performance

Companies on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange are slowly improving their carbon reporting measures, but the emissions of those companies are continuing to rise.

We have failed to address the system risks of climate change, warns the report

UK Foreign Office: Climate change threat must be handled like nuclear proliferation

Climate change should be treated with the same gravity as the threat of nuclear war, a major new report from the UK Foreign Office has warned.

Will Osborne deliver the green budget the industry wants?

Summer Budget: 8 things green business wants to see

Chancellor George Osborne will deliver his second Budget in four months on Wednesday, and the first all-Conservative budget in nearly 20 years.

Green Slam: How tennis tournaments are embracing sustainability

The professional tennis tour is not, by its very nature, a green endeavour. It is essentially hundreds of people flying endlessly around the world to play a child's game.

The wrong side of history? 7 baffling climate-sceptic quotes

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

85% of edie readers responded to our survey suggesting they are in favour of subsidies for nuclear energy

Sustainability stats: This week in numbers

This week has produced some surprising numbers, from edie readers' views on nuclear power to the Government's planned part-privatisation of the Green Investment Bank.

More than 350 edie readers responded to a question asking whether the UK Government should continue to support and subsidise nuclear power

Poll: 85% of sustainability professionals support nuclear subsidies

More than 85% of sustainability professionals and green experts currently support the continued subsidisation of nuclear power in the UK, a new edie poll has found.

The Don't Nuke The Climate campaign, is led by the Netherland's World Information Service on Energy (WISE)

Ban nuclear from Paris talks, green groups urge

An international coalition of clean energy groups have launched a new campaign asking for the nuclear power industry to be barred from the UN climate talks in Paris.

The subsidies required to fund this renewable capacity 'oversupply' would cost £9.1bn - £1.5bn more than the Treasury's Levy Control Framework limit.

Renewables projects could be £1.6bn over Government budget

The UK is spending billions of pounds of taxpayer money on 'generous' subsidies for renewable energy which is resulting in a 'significant oversupply' relative to EU renewable targets.