Environmental News on this day... for May 2020, 2019, 2016, 2011

Take a trip into the past and see what stories were in the news in May 2020, 2019, 2016, 2011

MPs call for Just Transition Fund to spur green recovery towards net-zero

A commission of cross-party MPs has added to the calls for the UK to prioritise and deliver a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, claiming that £30bn should be spent on a climate-focused recovery that also establishes a £5bn national Just Transition Fund.

#SustyTalk: Bournemouth University's Neil Smith on sustainable behaviour change during lockdown

edie's #SustyTalk interview series continues with Bournemouth University's sustainability manager Neil Smith discussing how he has adapted a university-wide sustainable behaviour change scheme to account for home working and how the organisation is explaining its net-zero target.

Achieving a green recovery: edie launches flagship Mission Possible 2020 report

edie has this week published its flagship Mission Possible 2020 report which focuses on how businesses can lead a green recovery from Covid-19, featuring contributions from the likes of John Elkington and Christiana Figueres along with senior representatives from Carlsberg, WorldGBC and the Sustainable Restaurant Association.

Dunkin' switches to plastic-free cups and plans to double number of green restaurants

US coffeehouse Dunkin' has confirmed that it has completed the replacement of all polystyrene foam cups to paper alternatives while also committing to double the number of energy efficient restaurants it owns in the next five years.

Today at 1pm: Register for the Business Leadership online event

Sustainability experts from L'Oreal, Microsoft, RBS and OVO Energy have all been confirmed for edie's Climate Action Business Leadership sessions, an afternoon of back-to-back online events focused on raising corporate sustainability actions.

Reports: COP26 to be delayed until November 2021

Reports have emerged that the UK Government has put forward the first two weeks of November 2021 as new proposed dates for the crucial COP26 climate conference, citing concerns over the state of international travel safety due to the coronavirus.

Christiana Figueres: Businesses must put net-zero at heart of green recovery

EXCLUSIVE: Governments and businesses have an "enormous opportunity" to build decarbonisation principles into the Covid-19 recovery process, the former UN climate chief Christiana Figueres has told edie.

Europe's draft 'green recovery' plan leaked

The European Commission's promised green recovery plan will focus on building renovation, renewables and hydrogen as well as clean mobility and the circular economy, according to a leaked working document obtained by EURACTIV.

Zero-carbon Humber cluster to rollout carbon capture and hydrogen production

Plans to create the world's first zero-carbon industrial cluster in the Humber region reached another milestone this week, as Phillips 66 and Uniper signed an agreement to deploy a carbon capture and storage (CCUS) and hydrogen production facility.

Coffee shops sign up to post-lockdown reusable cup platform

Coffee shops from the likes of Costa and Boston Tea Party that are reopening across the UK are signing up to a new best-practice trial on accepting reusable coffee cups in a safe manner.

Talking plastics and behaviour change with Michelle Norman, Brendan Rouse & Marcel Arsand

edie's Mission Possible sofa chat show returns for 2019. In the fourth episode, edie discusses resource efficiency with Michelle Norman, corporate affairs and sustainability director at Lucozade Ribena Suntory, Marcel Arsand, chairman at Can Makers and Brendan Rouse, sustainability manager at Landsec.

LIVE Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Unlocking innovation in sustainability and energy

Day Two of edie Live saw the second LIVE broadcast of the Sustainable Business Covered podcast, this time focusing on unleashing the power of innovation with industry experts from Heathrow, AB Sugar, Yellow Octopus Fashion and Mitie Energy.

Hydrogen storage 'sponges' and 'infinitely' recyclable plastic: The best green innovations of the week

Every week, numerous eye-catching and potentially transformational innovations are being developed to help businesses and nations turn their green ambitions into actions. Here, we round up six of the best.

Top 10 'must-attend' sessions at edie Live 2019

With a week to go until the show doors open, the edie editorial team picks 10 standout case studies set to take the stage at the UK's largest sustainability and energy exhibition, edie Live, as it returns to the NEC Birmingham on 21-22 May.

Etihad's plastic-free flight and Uber's public transport push: 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.

Scottish Government unveils 20p deposit return scheme for plastic bottles

The Scottish Government has revealed the results of its consultation on implementing a national deposit return scheme for drinks packaging, confirming that it will introduce a 20p deposit fee for all PET and glass bottles as well as aluminium and steel cans.

Onsite solutions and behaviour nudges: How to take an energy strategy to the next level

There are no shortcuts to success and you need to be opportunistic in your sustainability opportunities, according to a panel of energy leaders at edie Live.

Extinction Rebellion: Michael Gove admits need for urgent action

Planting more trees, restoring peatlands to health and using new technology to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere should all be pursued as a matter of urgency, the environment secretary, Michael Gove, has told climate change campaigners.

LIVE Sustainable Business Covered podcast: Leadership in the post-CSR era

The Sustainable Business Covered podcast returns, this time we're broadcasting LIVE from a panel discussion at the UK's largest sustainability and energy exhibition, edie Live. In this episode, four industry experts discuss how sustainability leadership is undergoing a transformation.

Jet fuel must be taxed, EU citizens insist

Aeroplane fuel's tax-free status could soon be grounded after the European Commission agreed this week to register an official petition that calls for an end to kerosene's exemption.

Veolia: energy and heat are the missing pieces of the circular economy jigsaw

EXCLUSIVE: Businesses are missing out on the benefits of taking a closed-loop approach to energy and heat consumption due to being too "hung-up" on waste-driven models, the head of circular economy at Veolia has claimed.

Housebuilder 'takes a stand' against green policy changes with new carbon positive goal

EXCLUSIVE: The Berkeley Group is defying a lack of green policy support for the construction industry by pledging to lead a new sustainability movement, after unveiling a landmark plan to become Britain's first carbon-positive housebuilder.

Nissan vows to 'electrify' the UEFA Champions League Final

Global car manufacturer Nissan will supply more than 100 electric vehicles (EVs) to UEFA and associated sponsors and install 17 public EV rapid chargers in Milan and its surrounding airports during the UEFA Champions League Final weekend.

QUIZ: London mayoral election - who said what on the environment?

Was it Sadiq or Zac? Caroline or Sian? Find out which London mayoral candidate said what on the capital's energy and environment in edie's flip cards quiz ahead of Thursday's election.

Grocery supply chains worth £300m in food waste war, finds WRAP

Grocery retailers and supply chain operators are missing out on a £300m windfall, and the chance to increase supply-chain redistribution streams four-fold, by failing to tackle food waste issues, new analysis from WRAP has revealed.

Volvo's innovative concept truck cuts fuel consumption by 30%

Heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer Volvo Group has developed a new concept truck which can make 30% savings in fuel consumption, with the vehicle forming part of a five-year long research project aiming to improve the efficiency of long-haul transportation by 50%.

How The Body Shop is using 'monkey dating' to tackle deforestation

The Body Shop has today (24 May) officially launched its new Bio-Bridges programme, which aims to regenerate and reconnect 75 million square metres of damaged forests, as part of the beauty products retailer's ambitious new CSR strategy.

Britain's green economy worth £46.2bn, new figures reveal

The UK green economy generated £46.2bn turnover through the efforts of 238,500 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers in almost 100,000 low-carbon and renewable energy (LCRE) companies in 2014, a report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has revealed.

Meet the E&E Award-winner: Energy Efficiency (Data & Software) - EDF Energy

Extracting maximum efficiencies from industrial motors is the powerful message behind EDF Energy's Motorbox, a novel motor auditing service incorporating sensors, software and technical expertise. Meet the winner of the Energy Efficiency: Data & Software Award...

Government gets its wish as zero-carbon homes policy is 'sent to the scrap heap'

After several political twists and turns, plans to introduce greener homes into the housing mix through the zero-carbon homes policy have been ditched, with the Government eventually defeating proposed amendments to the Housing and Planning Bill by four votes.

Environment job sector shrinking

A new survey released today has found that the UK green employment sector is seeing job losses and opportunities in the green sector are expected to shrink in 2011.

Scotch whisky to power renewable energy

Scottish whisky producers are using their distillery by-products in a project to produce electricity, animal feed and cut carbon emissions.

British recycling firms too reliant on exports

Recycling companies need to stop depending on exports and start reprocessing more materials within the UK, a leading plastics recycler has claimed.

Awards for Environmental Excellence deadline extension

The deadline to enter edie's Awards for Environmental Excellence has been extended to this Thursday (May 5).

Independent coalition energy review backs more nuclear power

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has backed nuclear power as the best short term energy solution in a report called for in the formation of the coalition Government.

Green supply chain is key to winning business

Consultancy BearingPoint Ireland has released a report which says two thirds of companies surveyed in Europe believe that a green supply chain is a strategic priority.

Ben Fogle swims through 'horrific' plastic soup in ocean

Explorer and television presenter Ben Fogle has swum through a vast slick of plastic soup in the Indian Ocean to highlight the pollution crisis threatening our seas.

eircom signs two year energy deal

Ireland's largest telecommunications company has signed a euro 22 million deal for its energy supplies.

Dublinbikes keeps doubling riders

Another one million journeys have been made on Dublin's cycle hire scheme - doubling the total in less than a year.

Environmental impact 'costs' PUMA almost 100 million Euro

PUMA and parent company PPR Group today (May 16) announced the results of the economic valuation of its environmental impact through its operations.