Subsidies
Related content
EU lawmakers up the ante, vote for 60% climate target for 2030
The European Parliament's environment committee has voted for a new EU-wide target to reduce carbon emissions 60% by 2030, setting the stage for tough negotiations with EU countries and the European Commission, which is expected to propose a 55% goal next week. EURACTIV Germany reports.
Amazon finances 115MW wind farm to power Irish data centres
Amazon has committed to source 100% of the power generated by a new 115MW onshore wind farm in County Galway, Ireland, as it strives to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
Report: Europe recorded record solar output amid Covid-19 lockdowns
Solar output in Europe hit a record high of 47.6TWh in the second quarter of 2020, new analysis from EnAppSys has shown.
Macquarie issues joint venture on 1GW solar and battery project pipeline
Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG) has announced a new UK joint venture with Enso Energy to create one of the largest solar and battery portfolios that will enhance the biodiversity on each project site.
Report: Global carbon budget will be exhausted in 15 years without fossil fuel finance overhaul
Without drastic action from banks, policymakers and regulators, the world risks becoming stuck in a "climate finance doom loop", whereby financial systems support the organisations contributing most to environmental changes which undermine their very security.
Business leaders call for recovery packages to be tied to net-zero corporate targets
The chief executives from 40 global organisations including BP, Heathrow Airport, Shell and HSBC, have called on governments to focus economic recovery packages in ways that enable sectors and businesses to transition to low-carbon and resilient models of operation.
CCC: Change tax systems to build green economic recovery post-coronavirus
The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has advised Prime Minister Boris Johnson, COP26 President Alok Sharma and national first ministers across the UK, calling for climate action to be placed at the heart of an economic rebuild following the coronavirus pandemic.
Airlines, automakers and fossil fuel firms blasted as 'coronavirus climate profiteers'
A new report has blasted the lobbying efforts of the airline, automaker, fossil fuel and logging industries, claiming that organisations are attempting to benefit from billion-pound bailouts in response to the coronavirus that enables them to carry on with climate-wrecking business practices.
Nations risking 'uneconomic' coronavirus responses by prioritising coal, report warns
China, the US, India and European nations are at risk of being burdened with uneconomic, long-term plans to stimulate their economies in response to the coronavirus outbreak by focusing on new coal capacity, a new study from Carbon Tracker warns.
One year on: How has the solar feed-in-tariff closure impacted renewables in the UK?
The UK's Feed-in Tariff (FiT) scheme for small-scale renewable arrays closed on 1 April 2019, much to the disappointment of key green campaign groups and solar industry figures. But, in the 12 months that followed, how has the market responded?
BYD to offer electric vehicle components to auto rivals
Chinese automaker BYD has announced that it will "open its technology and products to the whole world" by sharing its electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing components with rivals and the rest of the industry, on the same week that it fully formed a joint research venture with Tesla.
Budget: Green groups urge £33bn annual investment to meet UK's net-zero target
Ahead of Wednesday's (11 March) Budget, green groups have put forward their key asks for Chancellor Rishi Sunak. Here, edie rounds up the calls to action - including recent IPPR analysis claiming that £33bn more must be spent annually on decarbonisation to meet the 2050 net-zero target.
Government announces major overhaul to UK's onshore wind subsidies
Updated: The UK Government has reversed its decision to effectively ban onshore wind, solar and energy storage from competing in the Contracts for Difference (CfD) rounds, following calls for a review to its renewables policy framework in light of the net-zero target.
Cabinet reshuffle: Is the promised 'green budget' in doubt?
Earlier this week Chancellor Sajid Javid was said to be reviewing a string of new subsidies to assist with the UK's net-zero transition. With Javid today (13 February) resigning from the position, doubts have been caused as to whether the UK Government can prioritise the green economy in the March Budget.
Subsidy-free community solar farm completed in Devon
In yet another boost to the UK's subsidy-free solar market, Community Owned Renewable Energy Partners (CORE) and Yealm Community Energy (YCE) have announced that a 7.3MW community solar farm has come online.
Reports: Budget to include new energy efficiency and EV subsidies to spur net-zero progress
Chancellor Sajid Javid is mulling a string of new subsidies to reduce building and transport emissions from homeowners and public sector organisations for next month's Budget, it has been reported.
Convert half of UK farmland to nature, urges top scientist
Half of the nation's farmland needs to be transformed into woodlands and natural habitat to fight the climate crisis and restore wildlife, according to a former chief scientific adviser to the UK government.
Plans submitted for subsidy-free solar farm at Gloucester army barracks
Plans have been submitted by a subsidiary of Swindon Borough Council to build a subsidy-free solar farm at the Duke of Gloucester Barracks in Gloucestershire that would generate enough renewable energy to power the equivalent of 350 homes for the year.
Net-zero by 2025 'practically impossible' due to spiralling costs, report finds
Moving the UK's net-zero emission target forward 25 years is "practically impossible", according to new thinktank research which found that setting a net-zero target for 2025 would cost £200bn each year at a minimum - more than the NHS's annual budget.
Fossil fuel production on track for double the safe climate limit
The world's nations are on track to produce more than twice as much coal, oil and gas as can be burned in 2030 while restricting the rise in the global temperature to 1.5C, analysis shows.
Mission Possible: Achieving net-zero carbon in Utilities
Following the UK's world-leading commitment to reach net- zero emissions by 2050, this insight report investigates how the utilities sector can radically reduce carbon whilst enabling and empowering its customers to do the same.
Global decarbonisation efforts 'stall', pushing climate goals out of reach
Global decarbonisation efforts will need to be seven times greater than current efforts, if the world is to stand a fair chance of limiting global warming to 1.5C, according to a new PwC report which found that the rate of global decarbonisation has slowed to its lowest level since 2011.
Subsidy-free solar 'coming of age' thanks to battery technology
Subsidy-free solar projects are "coming of age" thanks to the falling costs and flexibility of co-located battery storage technology, according to a new report which claims that more than 5GW of solar capacity could be deployed in the UK without subsidies by 2030.
Scotland's first subsidy-free onshore windfarm to be operational by 2020
A 46MW onshore windfarm in Dumfries and Galloway, in south-west Scotland, has joined the race to become the first in the country to become operational without the support of Government subsidies.
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.
Coors' plastic-free packaging and solar-powered trains: 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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".
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.
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.
edie Explains: The Internet of Things
What is the Internet of Things (IoT) and how is it relevant to corporate sustainability? What are the potential business benefits of deploying IoT technology across your operations? And what does the future hold for the IoT? This free edie Explains guide gives you everything you need to know.
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.
'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.
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]](https://e2k9ube.cloudimg.io/s/width/226/https://edienet.s3.amazonaws.com/news/images/full_36518.jpg?v2=03/05/2018 08:59:00)
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).
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
'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).
