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The freeze on fuel duty has saved motorists about £6bn since 2010, but is estimated to have increased traffic by 4%

Raise car fuel prices to fight air pollution, says right-wing thinktank

Vehicle fuel taxes should rise to combat the air pollution crisis in the UK, with an extra charge on diesel, according to the conservative thinktank Bright Blue.

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The subsidies for coal mining halved, from $22bn to $10bn

G20 nations triple coal power subsidies despite climate crisis

G20 nations have almost tripled the subsidies they give to coal-fired power plants in recent years, despite the urgent need to cut the carbon emissions driving the climate crisis.

Subsidies to restore woodlands and meadows would also boost wildlife, says Rewilding Britain

Rewild a quarter of UK to fight climate crisis, campaigners urge

A quarter of the UK's land could be restored to nature, making a significant contribution towards cutting the nation's carbon emissions to zero, under a new rewilding proposal.

The patent for the Dyson car shows an SUV/crossover vehicle design

Dyson unveils electric car blueprint

Plans for the first electric car from engineering firm and appliance maker Dyson have been unveiled as the firm looks to a 2021 sale date.

Onshore wind and solar developers have been unable access subsidies since the government closed the Renewables Obligation scheme to new applicants

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.

The plaintiffs are composed of groups representing communities in virgin forest areas of the EU and the US

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.

Reaching a target of more than 30% of electricity coming from offshore wind would also mean that 70% of Britain’s energy would be from renewable sources

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.

The two facilities will generate enough energy annually to power 18,000 homes (Pictured: Gridserve founder Toddington Harper)

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).

Progress on fossil fuel subsidies and coal has been too slow so far to reach global decarbonisation targets, the WRI has warned

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.

The EU spent €55bn on fossil fuel subsidies in 2016, with the UK contributing €12bn

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.

The EAC claims that less than 1% of UKEF's energy financing was used for renewables in 2016

MPs to examine environmental impact of UK's export credit agency

The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry into the sustainability efforts being made by UK Export Finance (UKEF), following claims that the body's financing of fossil fuels overseas is at odds with the aims set out in the UK's Clean Growth Strategy.

The paper highlights uncertainty over the timing of auctions and delivery years

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.

The Climate Coach: Transport

It will take you twenty minutes to get there - depending on traffic. Not an unusual statement wherever you live. People design cities and communities and yet often it is people that seem to be least considered as most of the space for movement is taken up by cars, vans and lorries. Pedestrians are pushed to the side and cyclists must brave traffic with a risk for their lives.

The supersizing of windfarms around the British coastline means Walney Extension will not hold its title for long. Image: Ørsted

World's largest offshore windfarm opens off Cumbrian coast

The world's biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects.

The installations are double the previous annual record set in 2013 and account for one-fifth of total onshore wind capacity in the UK

Policy to stifle onshore wind sector following record year for installations, report warns

The UK Government is risking billions of pounds of new investment opportunities by failing to open up new avenues to deployment for the onshore wind sector, according to a new report from industry body RenewableUK.

The expanded solar park is set to increase the park's renewable generation capacity tenfold

UK's first subsidy-free industrial solar project to power business park

A business park in Buckinghamshire is set to become the first facility of its kind in the UK to generate more solar than it requires, once the nation's first subsidy-free industrial solar installation is completed on the site.

The biggest barrier to renewable procurement among respondents was found to be cost

Is renewable energy just a 'passing trend' for businesses?

Despite the strong progress that the business world has made in driving the renewables revolution in recent months, a new survey of 1,000 UK-based utility decision makers has revealed that more than a quarter (27%) believe that renewable energy is "just a passing trend".

The data found that, on average, a kilowatt hour of electricity generated in 2017 produced 225 grams of C02, down from 483g in 2012

Wind power drives UK renewables to 30% share of electricity mix

Almost 30% of the UK's electricity in 2017 was generated from renewables, nearly a 5% increase on the previous year, as increased solar and wind installations continue to decarbonise the UK's energy and electricity mix.

The consultation paper states Government intervention may still be required to support solar and wind projects

No replacement for Feed-in Tariff 'major blow' for renewables

The Government has axed subsidies for new small-scale low-carbon electricity generation, sparking dismay from renewable energy bodies.

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British solar firms have been hit by a round of subsidy cuts in 2015 and 2016, as well as changes to business rates for buildings with rooftop solar

UK solar power growth halves for second year running

New solar power installations halved in the UK last year for the second year in a row, as the fallout of government subsidy cuts continued to shake the sector.

Almost half of the gas industry’s hopes for new power stations for Europe are slated for the UK

'From coal to clean' - UK does not need to turn to gas, says WWF

The UK has no need to build new large gas-fired power stations to replace the coal plants that the government has pledged to switch off by 2025, the World Wide Fund for Nature has argued.

More than £227m was invested in 400 new independent renewable energy projects across Great Britain in 2017

Subsidy cuts slow growth of independent renewables, report finds

Investment in new, independent renewable energy projects in the UK totalled £227m in 2017, down by almost 20% from 2016 figures, according to a new report published this week.

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, presents the EU’s post-2020 long-term budget proposals [© European Union, 2018 / Source: EC - Audiovisual Service]

EU proposes 25% 'climate quota' in new long-term budget

The clean energy transition and other initiatives to decarbonise Europe's economy will represent 25% of EU spending under a seven-year EU budget plan put forward by the European Commission on Wednesday (2 May).

It was widely expected that many projects would be unable to compete in the post-ROC environment, but many new projects are beginning to compete in the subsidy-free era

Subsidy-free solar powers UK's renewable energy attractiveness

Despite a large drop in renewable energy investment in 2017, the UK has climbed three places in a ranking of the world's most attractive renewable energy markets for investors, thanks to a move towards subsidy-free solar PV.

edie brings seven surprising statistics that shaped investment into renewables in 2017

UK's struggle and Mexico's rise: Seven surprising stats about global clean energy investment

A new report from UN Environment and Bloomberg New Energy Finance has outlined the global trends of renewable energy investment, which grew by 2% last year. edie dives through the data to bring seven surprising statistics.

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.

Perry has previously said she wants to enable onshore wind projects to compete for subsidies in areas where they enjoy public support

Onshore wind and solar could compete for subsidies in CfDs

Claire Perry has signalled that onshore wind and solar projects will be allowed to compete for subsidies in a future Contract for Difference (CfD) auction.

Analysis by Aurora suggested 9GW of solar, 5GW to 6GW of onshore wind and 3GW to 4GW of offshore wind could be built without subsidies by the end of the next decade

Britain on course for £20bn subsidy-free renewables 'revolution'

Britain is on the brink of a subsidy-free renewables "revolution" which could create up to 18GW of new capacity by 2030 and attract £20 billion of investment, analysts have claimed.

Less than 6% of this auction’s power reserve comes from renewables, while less than 2% is covered through energy storage. In contrast, coal secured an 8% share

Capacity Market Auction: 'Bizarre' Government policies blocking renewables funding

The provisional results of the latest Capacity Market Auction were released by National Trust today (2 February), leading to the closure on a coal-fired power plant and concerns from the renewables sector that clean technologies are being blocked from finance.

The fall of 56% in the UK was the steepest decline, far out-stripping the decrease of 26% for Europe as a whole

UK green energy investment halves after policy changes

Investment in clean energy plunged further in Britain than in any other country last year because of government policy changes, new figures show.

The plans will offer additional funds to farmers who work together to make environmental improvements at “landscape scale”

Michael Gove: UK to reward farmers for environmental practices post-Brexit

Michael Gove will indicate that the UK will replace the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) post-Brexit with a system that gives subsidies to farmers who try to enhance the natural environment.

Chancellor Philip Hammond delivered the 2017 Autumn Budget to a jubilant House of Commons

Budget 2017: Chancellor takes action on air quality, electric vehicles and plastic waste

Chancellor Philip Hammond has today pledged to build an economy "fit for the future" by announcing new air quality funding, tax incentives for electric cars, and measures to combat plastic waste in his 2017 Autumn Budget.

Last month, the UK cemented its position in the top 10 rankings of the world's most attractive countries for renewable energy investment

Can government and investors make post-Brexit UK a green finance leader?

The recent Clean Growth Strategy has created a multi-billion-pound framework for low-carbon growth, but the UK Government is still keen to strengthen relationships with investors to tackle the "hard and challenging" times ahead.

The IFC report, entitled Creating Markets for Climate Business, found that governments could work with businesses by fostering renewable energy as an alternative to fossil fuels

Huge private sector investment puts Paris climate target in reach, says report

At least one trillion dollars are being invested globally in ways to reduce the threat of climate change, including renewable power, energy efficiency, and public transport around the world.

The REA believes that the decline in growth stemmed from Government policies restricting routes to markets for solar PV technology

Shrinking solar deployment darkens UK's record low-carbon electricity mix

Despite low-carbon sources providing more than half of all UK energy generation for the second time, the Government has been urged to address policy barriers that have "unnecessarily impeded" the development of solar technologies over the last two years.

ECIU says that price reductions mean that onshore wind farms do not need a subsidy, but most developments still require centrally-agreed fixed-price contacts

'Perverse' onshore wind policy could cost UK £1bn

The Government's "outdated" policy on onshore wind could cost the UK around £1bn over the next four or five years, according to the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU).

The amount of renewable energy capacity forecast globally in 2022 has been revised upwards on last year’s forecast

Time to shine: Solar power is fastest-growing source of new energy

Solar power was the fastest-growing source of new energy worldwide last year, outstripping the growth in all other forms of power generation for the first time and leading experts to hail a "new era".

200 Chinese manufacturers built 379,000 electric and hybrid vehicles in 2015, four times more than 2014

China sets electric vehicle quota for 2019

Automakers trying to capture a slice of the Chinese vehicle market will have to ensure that 10% of the cars they sell are electric or low-emission vehicles by 2019, after the country confirmed plans to phase-out diesel vehicles.

The European Commission is due to present a clean transport strategy in November

Transport sucks up nearly half of Europe's fossil fuel subsidies, report finds

European countries spend more than €112 billion per year subsidising oil, gas and coal production or consumption - including tax breaks on highly-polluting diesel - despite a pledge to phase out fossil fuels completely by 2020.

The launch will help Anesco realise its plan to have the largest portfolio of energy storage in the UK set up and running by the end of next year

Anesco unveils UK's first subsidy-free farm

Renewable energy developer Anesco has today (26 September) heralded a "landmark" achievement with the launch of the UK's first solar farm to operate without a Government subsidy.

HEAL’s report calls on government’s around the world to switch off the subsidies tap

Fossil fuel subsidies racking up trillions in health costs

Health costs related to fossil fuel use outweigh taxpayer-funded subsidies by 600%, according to a new study that insists governments should stop pumping money into dirty energy sources.

A shift away from compensation to exemption from the Renewables Obligation scheme would save energy-intensive industries around £196m annually

Should energy-intensive businesses be exempt from renewable energy costs?

A move from Government to exempt Britain's energy-intensive industries from some of the costs associated with renewable energy policies has ignited a debate over whether such a move is necessary for the growth of green business.

The UK is the biggest importer of wood pellets in the European Union (EU), shipping in more than seven million tonnes from the US and Canada in 2015

UK's biomass ambition: Low-cost solution or forest full of loopholes?

A new report has outlined that using waste and biomass for gasification can help the UK meet its 2050 carbon targets at a lower cost to the economy, on the same day that research condemned a biomass standard used by Drax, E.ON and DONG as a "forest of loopholes".

The members are calling for a cap of 550g of CO2 per kwh for generators receiving capacity mechanism subsidies in the EU

Energy giants back calls to cut financial support for polluting powerplants

A coalition of thirteen energy industry firms, including Siemens, Shell and Total, have launched a new joint initiative to limit the amount of state aid subsidies that are sent to highly-polluting fossil fuel plants across the European Union (EU).

The outcome is slightly more generous than the original consultation which proposed reducing the benefit to around £2/kW

Ofgem condemned for slashing subsidies for small-scale energy generation

Energy regulator Ofgem has faced accusations of "hammering" the financial viability of low-carbon projects, after it confirmed subsidies made to small-scale electricity generators will fall by up to 93%.

2016 is the first year that the new solar capacity added to the energy mix has been greater than any other electricity-producing technology

'Spectacular' drop in renewable energy costs leads to record global boost

Renewable energy capacity around the world was boosted by a record amount in 2016 and delivered at a markedly lower cost, according to new global data - although the total financial investment in renewables actually fell.

edie's five-minute green policy survey is your opportunity to lay out your top policy priorities for the year ahead, with the results curated into a full green business manifesto for edie readers

The great green policy survey: Last chance to tell us the issues that matter most

The countdown to the General Election is on and tension is beginning to mount among the green business community as to which political party to vote for. Take edie's short survey to tell us which areas of energy and environment policy you want the next UK Government to prioritise.

Skorupska called for clarity on how the Industrial Strategy plans integrate decentralised and smart technologies to enable the UK to reach its low-carbon commitments

A 'committed' Government can spur post-Brexit renewables job growth, says REA

EXCLUSIVE: The UK's departure from the European Union (EU) should be facilitated by a new Government that uses key "lighthouse areas" to outline how the country plans embed low-carbon smart technologies into operations as a means to attract better investment options.

Elsewhere on the index, both China and India have surpassed the US which fell to third following policy changes introduced by the Trump administration

UK re-enters top 10 for renewables attractiveness

The UK has restored its position as one of the top 10 countries for renewable energy investment, although concerns remain about the impact that Brexit will have on future investments.

Overall, the 10 nations have provided £5.3bn annually between 2005 to 2016 on coal subsidies

UK's £350m coal subsidies clash with Government's phase-out pledges

The UK is providing £356m annually in coal subsidies, despite the UK Government denying that it provides financial support for fossil fuels, a new report has claimed.

Brexit day: A new opportunity for Britain’s environment

The triggering of Article 50 sparks a time of uncertainty for many, and there will be a large number of us who will be directly affected by the decision to cut ties with the EU. However, I have decided to look on it as a new opportunity; an opportunity to take control of our own targets and to improve the future of sustainability in the UK and our impact on the environment.

How to win the war on waste in the UK

Many EU senior officials are now saying that the move to a circular economy is an economic and environmental necessity. As fossil fuels subsidies come to an end and the UK triggers Article 50, there is a sense of urgency to create a society where nothing is wasted to ensure we don't fall behind the rest of Europe and the world in our actions to save the planet.

Did Chancellor Philip Hammond's 2017 Budget announcement fulfil the hopes and expectations of environment and sustainability professionals?

Budget 2017: The green business reaction

Did Philip Hammond pull any big green surprises out of his little red box today? Or were key sustainability issues once again placed on the back-burner in the Chancellor's Spending Review? Here's the full industry reaction, as it comes in...

UK leads Europe for solar growth despite a drop in installations after government cut subsidies

Solar power growth leaps by 50% worldwide thanks to US and China

The amount of solar power added worldwide soared by some 50% last year because of a sun rush in the US and China, new figures show.

Biomass 'carbon neutrality' debate continues to divide opinion

Using biomass, specifically energy derived from burning wood, as a crux in the UK's effort to transition towards a low-carbon economy has come under scrutiny again, after the former secretary for energy and climate change and his ex-special advisor clashed over its use.

The G20 has made numerous pledges since 2009 to phase out “inefficient fossil fuel subsidies” over the medium term

Financial giants repeat calls for G20 to phase-out fossil fuel support

The financial sector is calling on G20 governments to sever ties with the fossil fuel sector, as 16 major companies with assets under management worth $2.8trn signed a joint statement for governments to phase-out subsidies by 2020.

The committee dismissed a BEIS report last November, which it said did not break down the impacts of policies to a household level

Lack of transparency over green energy subsidies 'shambolic', say MPs

MPs have criticised ministers for their "shambolic" failure to regularly spell out the impact of government green policies on household energy bills.

BIC has suggested that the World Bank is turning Indonesia “into a major coal producer” by subsidising fossil fuels through the Development Policy Financing (DPF) programme

World Bank quashes fossil fuel funding claims

The World Bank has criticised what it believes are "grossly misrepresented" findings from the Bank Information Center (BIC), which has claimed that up to $5bn in intended low-carbon funds have instead been used to introduce tax breaks for fossil fuel developments in developing countries.

The technology converts the captured carbon into soda ash, which is used as a base chemical in glass manufacturing, paper production and detergents amongst others

'World first': Indian firm succeeds with subsidy-free carbon capture and utilisation project

An Indian chemicals company has introduced a world first to the carbon capture market, by utilising subsidy-free technology to turn CO2 from its own boilers into make base chemicals with a wide range of uses.

Drax believes the company could upgrade the remainder of the power station to run solely on biomass and provide up to 8% of the UK’s total electricity from sustainable sources

Drax receives green light to complete biomass conversion project

UK power station operator Drax has been approved subsidies to run the third of its six coal-fired units on wood pellet fuel, but green campaigners question whether the state aid could have been better employed to help drive the UK towards a low-carbon economy.

Tabled amendments to the EU ETS scheme include additional subsidies being given to pollution-heavy industries such as the steel and energy sector

Polluting industries stand to gain from EU ETS reform, report claims

A reform of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), which is being voted on by the European Parliament next week, could end up giving more than €230bn in subsidies to polluting industries, a new report has claimed.

It is feared that an increase in business rates could restrict future investment in commercial rooftop solar systems

Big brands call on UK Government to 'stop the solar tax hike'

More than 160 leading green businesses including Sainsbury's, Ikea and Kingfisher have today (5 December) called upon Chancellor Philip Hammond to scrap scheduled tax increases on solar PV.

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.

The European Commission building in Brussels. The Commission has targeted 20% renewables in the EU’s energy mix by 2020

Leaked EU energy package subsidises fossil fuels, undermines renewables

The EU claims to be promoting an ambitious agenda at the Marrakesh climate conference, but its latest piece of energy legislation could subsidise new coal capacity and undermine market access for renewables.

The second Contracts for Difference auction reflects the Government’s pledge to spend £730m of annual support on renewable electricity projects over this Parliament

Government unveils increased support for renewables, commits to coal phase out

The UK Government has reinforced its commitment to upgrade the UK's energy infrastructure, outlining plans to provide £290m support for renewable energy projects and phase out unabated coal power generation by 2025.

Analysis from think-tank Sandbag has revealed that up to 246 new diesel projects have submitted bids for the capacity market subsidy scheme

Capacity market provides another twist in the Government's air quality battle

As the UK Government returns to court over illegal air quality levels, new analysis from think-tank Sandbag has warned that up to £800m could be spent in the UK to subsidise a plethora of new diesel generators during the next 15 years.

Chisholm claimed that the new department would be better prepared to “repair” financing mechanisms to accelerate the low-carbon transition

BEIS aims to rollout emissions reduction plan in February

The permanent secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) Alex Chisholm revealed that he expects an emissions reduction plan to be published by the end of February 2017.