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Power Forward: How the largest US companies are capturing business value while addressing climate change
The largest US companies are increasing their clean energy and energy efficiency efforts while improving their bottom lines.
SDG Spotlight: How businesses can achieve Goal 13 – Climate Action
This brand-new edie report maps out exactly how the business community can collectively achieve Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 13 – Climate Action – within the next decade.
Verizon targets carbon neutrality by 2035
US-based telecommunications and technology giant Verizon has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality across its Scope 1 (direct) and Scope 2 (electricity and heat) footprints by 2035.
edie and Big Clean Switch open business survey to measure landlord engagement with renewables
edie has partnered with Big Clean Switch – the campaign which encourages people to transition to clean energy – to launch a new survey which investigates how businesses are engaging with their landlords and managing agents on the switch to renewables.
Britain notches up another coal-free record over Easter
Great Britain's power grid notched up another coal-free record over the Easter weekend, operating for nearly 92 consecutive hours without any domestic coal generation.
Landsec and RBS become first companies to join RE100, EV100 and EP100
Property developer Landsec and the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) have become the first two firms in the world to have joined all three of The Climate Group's sustainable business programmes - RE100, EV100 and EP100.
SDGs In Action: How Tetra Pak is achieving Goal 13 - Climate Action
Welcome back to edie's new editorial series which breaks down exactly how businesses are turning the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into action. Up next: multinational food packaging firm Tetra Pak unveils how it is protecting futures by championing actions to mitigate climate change.
Microsoft targets ‘zero-carbon’ status for US headquarters through hydropower deal
Technology giant Microsoft is set to achieve carbon-neutral status for its global headquarters in Puget Sound, Washington, after inking a multi-year deal to source clean energy from local hydropower facilities.
UK breaks coal-free power generation record by huge margin
Coal has historically been at the cornerstone of the UK's electricity mix, but the first three months of 2019 saw the electricity grid clock up 650 hours of coal-free generation - more than was achieved during the entirety of 2017.
JLL 'on track' for 100% renewables target by 2020
Real estate giant JLL's electricity mix consists of 90% renewables, putting the firm on track to power its direct UK operations solely with renewable sources by 2020.
Sydney's renewables aim and Ikea's 'Outstanding' store: The sustainability success stories of the week
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
![The World Bank has argued that the study “paints a distorted picture of [its] energy sector work”](https://e2k9ube.cloudimg.io/s/width/226/https://edienet.s3.amazonaws.com/news/images/full_38293.jpg?v2=12/04/2019 15:12:00)
The World Bank accused of dodging 'no-coal' pledge by funnelling billions of dollars into fossil fuels
A large-scale study on hundreds of active energy projects commissioned by The World Bank Group has concluded that the body is currently financing $21bn of fossil fuel projects, compared to $7bn in the renewables sector.
Apple to exceed 4GW renewable energy goal for supply chain
Apple has almost doubled the number of suppliers that have committed to 100% clean energy, as part of a wider goal to deliver 4GW of renewable energy into its supply chain by 2020.
Co-op to halve emissions by 2025
The Co-op has announced new goals to reduce its direct emissions by 50% and product-related emissions by 11%, after reaching a previous carbon goal three years ahead of schedule.
Renewable energy could meet 86% of global power demand by 2050, IRENA concludes
If policymakers, businesses and investors across the world collaborate to scale-up renewable energy and to electrify sectors such as transport and heavy industry, 86% of the global power demand could be met with clean energy by 2050, new research from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has found.
Amazon to support three major new wind power projects
E-commerce giant Amazon has signed a trio of agreements to support three new large-scale wind energy projects, as it strives to meet its long-term aim of sourcing 100% renewable power globally.
edie's 'Brexit Matrix' maps out green policy impact of EU departure
With the ongoing Brexit negotiations continuing to cause confusion and uncertainty, edie has pieced together a new 'Matrix' which clearly explains the impacts that the UK's various exit scenarios would have on environmental policy.
'Historic breakthrough': Norway's giant oil fund dives into renewables
Norway's $1tn oil fund, the world's largest sovereign wealth fund, is to plunge billions of dollars into wind and solar power projects.
National Grid 'ready to handle' zero-carbon network by 2025
The operating firm for National Grid has claimed that Great Britain's electricity system can operate as a zero-carbon grid by 2025.
SC Johnson to power US headquarters with geothermal energy
US-based consumer goods giant SC Johnson has revealed plans to use geothermal energy for the heating and cooling of its headquarters in Racine, Wisconsin.
Rolls-Royce and ABB partner to develop microgrid solution for business
Rolls-Royce's Power Systems arm has secured a partnership with robotics and technology firm ABB, which will see the companies collaboratively developing a new microgrid solution for commercial and industrial applications.
Corporate giants target 60GW of US renewable energy
Google, Facebook and Walmart are amongst the businesses to commit to bringing more than 60GW of renewable energy online in the US through the Renewable Energy Buyers Alliance (REBA).
How are big oil and gas firms approaching the low-carbon transition?
Faced with increased stakeholder pressure, the world’s largest oil and gas firms are beginning to realise the need to radically decarbonise their businesses. Here, edie explores the differing levels of ambitions of these companies and whether they are spurring or hindering the low-carbon transition.
Battery storage and solar farms to power 100 UK 'Electric Forecourts'
Green technology firm Gridserve has unveiled a £1bn programme to construct more than 100 "Electric Forecourts" across the UK, which combine renewable energy, battery storage and rapid chargers to meet the needs of electric vehicle (EV) drivers.
Green Alliance: Feed-In Tariff closure a 'major blow' for community solar
The Government's decision to axe the Feed-In Tariff (FiT) scheme will leave dozens of UK community groups "struggling to make the business case" for new small-scale solar projects, think tank Green Alliance has warned.
EU on track for 50% emission cuts by 2030, study says
While Germany and Eastern European countries continue to oppose raising the EU's 40% emission reduction target for 2030, a new analysis insists the bloc will actually manage at least 50% cuts under a business-as-usual scenario taking into account the latest coal phase-out pledges.
In charts: The UK's record-breaking year for low-carbon energy generation
With the latest Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) statistics revealing that 2018 was a record-breaking year for renewables and low-carbon generation, edie dives into the data to pull out the key achievements.
BNEF: Battery storage costs have 'plummeted' in past year
The average costs associated with building and operating large-scale lithium-ion battery storage arrays has fallen by 35% since last June, paving the way for more government and business support for the technology.
First Utility rebrands as Shell Energy and switches 700,000 customers to renewable energy
A year after Shell acquired First Utility it has rebranded the supplier as Shell Energy Retail and has today (25 March) confirmed it has switched more than 700,000 homes in Britain to 100% renewable electricity.
Doubts raised over viability of 'subsidy-free' renewables
Senior figures from the energy and finance industries have declared doubts over the feasibility of building "subsidy-free" renewables at scale without some form of revenue stabilisation.
Study charts six scenarios for fossil-free energy by 2050
Cutting energy use in buildings, ramping up renewable electricity and developing large-scale storage with hydrogen are clear options in bringing energy emissions down to zero by 2050, according to a new study.
European lawsuit on biomass rules threatens Drax plant
A coalition of environmental campaigners has launched a court bid to stop the European Commission treating forest grown wood as a renewable source of energy.
Ikea creates blockchain solution to "democratise" renewable energy
Plans have been created by furniture giant Ikea's innovation lab Space 10 to develop a blockchain-powered solar microgrid.
Five EU countries call for 100% renewable energy by 2050
The European Union's 28 energy ministers had their first public debate on the European Commission's 2050 climate plan on Monday (4 March) but five member states derided the lack of a 100% renewable energy scenario among the EU executive's proposed options.
Northumbrian Water seals UK's first offshore wind PPA deal with Ørsted
Northumbrian Water has signed a long-term Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with energy giant Ørsted, the first deal of its type in the UK to secure procurement from an offshore windfarm.
Government throws its weight behind offshore wind power expansion
The government will throw its weight behind an expansion in the use of offshore wind power in the hope the renewable energy source will provide a third of the UK's electricity by 2030.
We need to put jobs and poverty at the centre of climate action
Discussions around climate change are in need of a new narrative that outlines the opportunities of a low-carbon transition, as renowned environmentalist Jeremy Leggett and Xynteo's Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Philip Smith explain.
3M pledges to source 100% renewable electricity
Multinational consumer goods, healthcare and industry firm 3M has become the latest corporate to join The Climate Group's RE100 initiative, pledging to source 100% renewable electricity for its global operations.
Scottish Power's £2bn renewables pledge and Dublin's zero-emission post: The sustainability success stories of the week
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
Warrington Council moves towards energy self-sufficiency with major solar and storage deal
Two industrial-scale solar farms and a 27MW battery storage facility are set to be installed in York and Hull before the end of next year, after funding for the project closed today (28 February).
DeepMind: Google uses AI technology to boost wind energy efficiency
Google has boosted the value of the wind energy it produces by 20% after installing its own artificial intelligence (AI) software across its largest renewable energy facilities in the US.
Manifesto demands stronger support for community energy
A coalition of 20 charities, green campaigners and community energy groups has published a new manifesto calling for stronger support for community energy schemes to help improve their dwindling prospects.
How AB Sugar made sustainability its competitive edge
Faced with extreme climate-related challenges and increased calls for healthier diets, one of the world's leading sugar businesses has raised its sustainability ambitions to keep its competitive edge in a challenging economic environment.
How could a no-deal Brexit affect the UK's low-carbon energy transition?
As the Brexit deadline looms and Ministers struggle to take a no-deal option off the table, leading energy and policy experts have argued that leaving the EU without a deal would considerably increase the price of the UK's low-carbon transition.
Development bank investments could halt emissions rises in developing nations, report finds
By funnelling concessional finance into renewable energy and battery storage projects in developing nations, development finance institutions could halt the rate of emissions growth across such countries altogether.
Kingfisher has emissions goals approved by Science Based Targets initiative
Home improvement retailer has had goals to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 22% and emissions from purchased goods, services and the use of sold products by 40% approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi).
BP: Renewables will be the world's main source of power by 2040
Oil and gas giant BP has forecast that renewables are likely to account for around one-third of the world's energy production by 2040, with uptake growing faster than that of any other fuel to date.
Audi to install Europe's largest rooftop solar array in 'climate-neutral' bid
Carmaker Audi has unveiled plans to install a 12MW rooftop solar array across two of its logistics centres in Hungary, in a drive to make the facility's operations carbon-neutral.
How meeting the Paris Agreement will improve global economic growth
A new report has outlined that meeting the 2C target established as part of the Paris Agreement will improve global GDP and boost investment. Here, edie explores how nations can make this vision a reality.
UK wind energy generation smashes record again
Wind energy in the UK set another record last week, with new figures revealing that more than 15GW of renewable energy was generated by wind technologies on Friday (8 February).
Verizon's green bonds and Nike's clean energy deal: The sustainability success stories of the week
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019: Meet the Winners
Welcome to the winners report for the 2019 Sustainability Leaders Awards. Organised by edie, these awards recognise excellence across the spectrum of sustainable business; from the best efficiency programmes through to product innovation, from stakeholder engagement and CSR initiatives to the people making it happen.
Carlsberg progressing towards carbon-neutral status
Onsite renewable arrays and low-carbon packaging innovations have helped Carlsberg to achieve a 20% reduction in its relative carbon emissions since 2015, as it strives to become a 'net-zero' carbon business by 2030.
Carbon Brief: UK's emissions could have doubled since 1990 without renewable energy
The UK's total carbon footprint has decreased by 38% since 1990 - but could have doubled if the renewable energy revolution had failed to gain traction, new analysis from Carbon Brief has concluded.
UK's low-carbon economy surpasses £44bn
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have shown that the UK's low-carbon economy has reached record heights, with the sector growing by almost 7% in 2017 to £44.5bn.
Government launches new funding measures to target energy storage and AI innovations
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) has announced a range of new funding measures aimed at uncovering cost-competitive energy storage technologies and using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to tackle food waste.
Onshore limits on turbine size could make offshore wind cheaper
Offshore wind could become Britain's cheapest source of renewable power within a decade as planning constraints prevent the deployment of larger, more cost-efficient turbines onshore, new research has found.
Corporate clean energy purchases smash record in 2018
Businesses obtained 13.4GW of clean energy through power purchase agreements (PPAs) in 2018, more than doubling the record set in the previous year.
Germany agrees to end reliance on coal stations by 2038
Germany has agreed to end its reliance on polluting coal power stations by 2038, in a long-awaited decision that will have major ramifications for Europe's attempts to meet its Paris climate change targets.
The 10 Year Challenge: How the UK's low-carbon economy has changed
The 10-Year Challenge has swept across social media this month, providing celebrities with ample opportunity to show how little they've aged. However, the UK's low-carbon economy has changed drastically in this time, as edie explains.
Analysis warns of lack of progress on 2020 global emissions target
Removing coal from the global energy mix is taking too long, too many forests are still being destroyed, and fossil fuel subsidies are ongoing despite their distorting effect on the market, a new study has found.
Report: Half of energy workers feel 'unprepared' for low-carbon transition
Almost half (48%) of workers within the global power sector are concerned that their industry is not doing enough to equip staff with skills they need to adapt to an increasingly decarbonised, digitised energy system, new research has revealed.
Claire Perry: UK's business community must help create a 'just' low-carbon transition
As the UK strives to meet legally binding carbon targets, businesses must help policymakers create a low-carbon economy that does not exclude working-class people or rural regions, Energy Minister Claire Perry has claimed.
Renewables forecast to overtake fossil fuels in 2020
Renewables will overtake fossil fuels in 2020 to become the "dominant" source of power in Great Britain, EnAppsSys has predicted in a new report.
UK revealed as EU champion of fossil fuel subsidies
The UK spends the most of any EU nation on subsidising fossil fuels, according to a new report by the European Commission, which also found that EU-wide payments have failed to decrease despite the bloc's commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change.
Policy shake-up set to fast-track energy storage and renewables projects
The UK Government has launched a consultation to determine how best it can alter planning policy frameworks to support developers and businesses seeking to build energy storage facilities in England.
UK's first floating tidal stream turbine to be built in Scotland
The UK's first floating tidal stream turbine is set to be deployed off the coast of Scotland in 2020, after £7m of funding to build the device was secured earlier this month.
Solar households to be paid for excess power after Government U-turn
The UK Government has made a U-turn on its decision to end the solar "export tariff", confirming that households which install solar panels in the future will be paid for excess power they generate and send to the grid.
Centrica completes 49MW battery facility in Cumbria
Centrica has completed work on a 49MW battery storage facility on the former site of the Roosecote power station in Cumbria.
Bill Gates: Nuclear power 'ideal' for tackling climate challenges
Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has argued that nuclear power is an ideal technology to decarbonise the global energy system, as it is less prone to volatility and variable outputs compared to renewables.
Shell set to double investment in green energy
Oil and gas giant Shell is exploring the feasibility of doubling its annual green energy investments to $4bn (£3.2bn), as it begins to transition away from fossil fuels and move into the low-carbon and renewables sectors.
UK power stations' electricity output lowest since 1994
The output of British power stations fell this year to levels last seen almost a quarter of a century ago, while renewables achieved a record share of the UK electricity supply.
AB InBev signs deal to source 100% renewable electricity in UK
The owner of Budweiser and Corona has secured a deal to purchase 100% renewable electricity for its UK operations.
Solar households expected to give away power to energy firms
The Government has said households that install solar panels in the future will be expected to give away unused clean power for free to energy firms earning multi-million-pound profits, provoking outrage from green campaigners.
Offshore wind capacity in 2018 'smashes' previous record
This year has seen a record-breaking amount of new UK offshore wind capacity installed, according to new figures from Renewable UK.
Plastics action, energy storage and climate warnings: The top sustainability stories of 2018
As 2018 draws to a close, the edie team reflects on the key stories which defined corporate sustainability and drove new levels of action in 2018.
Northumbrian Water set to power treatment works with battery storage technology
Water utility Northumbrian Water has unveiled plans to install battery storage systems made using end-of-life electric vehicle (EV) batteries at several of its water treatment works, in a move to store power generated using its onsite renewable arrays.
Large-scale solar costs expected to fall below £40/MWh by 2030
The cost of large-scale solar generation is expected to fall below £40/MWh by 2030, according to the latest assessment by the Solar Trade Association (STA).
Wind power breaks 100% threshold for Scotland's electricity demand
Wind farms in Scotland generated enough power to account for more than 100% of the country's electricity demand last month, according to new figures from WeatherEnergy.
Energy regulations: Coming to a home near you
The launch of the new version 10 of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP10) means that energy regulations are changing. But what does this mean for our buildings?
Merlin Entertainments switches to 100% renewable electricity for UK attractions
Legoland, Sea Life and Madame Tussauds operator Merlin Entertainments is now sourcing 100% renewably-generated electricity across its UK attractions, after signing a supply deal with green power firm Ecotricity.
Wales pledges to phase-out fossil fuels in favour of renewables
The Welsh Government has committed to phase out the continued extraction and use of fossil fuels, including those obtained by fracking, as it strives to reduce national carbon emissions by 80% by 2050, against a 2011 baseline.
Wind generates record amount of electricity
Windfarms generated a record amount of electricity on Wednesday (28 November), according to National Grid.
BT 'within touching distance' of 100% renewables target
Telecoms giant BT has posted an update on its progress towards sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2020, after signing two new clean power deals.
Former Npower boss Paul Massara: Business community will lead UK's energy transition
Amid sluggish policy changes and falling technology and renewables costs, the UK's business community is likely to lead the transition to a low-carbon, decentralised and democratised energy system, Npower's former chief executive Paul Massara has suggested.
Report: Renewables could meet half of UK's electricity demands by 2030, at price parity with fossil fuels
Wind and solar power - if distributed using smart, flexible power grids - could meet around 50% of the UK's electricity demands by 2030, at a price parity with coal, oil or gas generation.
Major businesses call for cost-effective European market for renewables
A host of major businesses have penned a declaration calling on governments to set enabling policies that incentivise and increase opportunities to source renewable electricity through onsite installations and power purchase agreements (PPAs).
BEIS signals policy shift on export tariff
Energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry has signalled a shift in policy when it comes to the closure of the Feed-in Tariff.
Volume-based renewable auctions needed to meet emissions targets
Contracts for Difference (CfD) auctions must be reformed to fill a looming hole in the UK's carbon budgets, Cornwall Insight has argued in a new report.
Science-based targets and 'smart' mobility centres: The sustainability success stories of the week
As part of our Mission Possible campaign, edie brings you this weekly round-up of five of the best sustainability success stories of the week from across the globe.
Businesses accelerate progress towards renewables in drive for 1.5C world
Last year marked a "dramatic upsurge" in corporate demand for renewable energy, according to new research by The Climate Group, which suggests that many big-name businesses are exploring alignment with a 1.5C trajectory.
Sustainability Leaders Awards 2019: Meet the finalists
After a record-breaking year of entries, the judges have convened, decisions have been made and edie is proud to unveil the well-deserved finalists for the 2019 Sustainability Leaders Awards. This report outlines the who's who of sustainability excellence.
EU approves more ambitious renewables target, commits to palm oil phase-out
The European Parliament has voted to approve a set of new clean energy laws for 2030, outlining plans to increase the bloc's use of renewable energy and ban the sale of high-emission biofuels made from palm and soybean oil.
Spain targets 100% renewable power by 2050
Spain's government has published a new climate plan that targets a 100% renewable energy electricity system by 2050, with goals that outstrip those adopted by the EU and a ban on new gas and oil exploration.
Report: G20 nations off track to meet Paris Agreement goals, despite clean energy promises
Of the energy provided to G20 nations during the past 10 years, 82% was generated using coal, oil or gas - despite the bloc's promises to transition to clean power.
Wind power delivered 98% of Scotland's electricity demand in October
Wind turbines across Scotland generated enough power to account for 98% of the country's electricity demand last month.
BNEF: Global energy storage investment to hit $1.2trn by 2040
Global investment into energy storage technologies including batteries is set to reach $1.2trn by 2040 as technology costs fall, according to new research by Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF).
Former National Grid boss Steve Holliday: Britain is undergoing a chaotic energy revolution
Former National Grid boss Steve Holliday has championed the role that businesses and innovators have played in igniting a "chaotic revolution" in the energy sector, by accelerating demand for renewable energy and battery storage installations.
UK's renewables attractiveness drops amid no-deal Brexit fears
The UK has fallen in a ranking of the world's most attractive renewable energy markets for investors, with apprehensions around Brexit cited as a major reason for a year-on-year drop in investment.
UK renewable energy capacity surpasses fossil fuels for first time
The capacity of renewable energy has overtaken that of fossil fuels in the UK for the first time, in a milestone that experts said would have been unthinkable a few years ago.
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