Barclays faces fresh shareholder showdown over fossil fuels ahead of COP26 March 2, 2021 Barclays faces a second consecutive year of shareholder pressure on its position as Europe’s largest fossil fuel financier, after a shareholder resolution has been filed for the bank’s upcoming AGM on 5 May. The resolution calls for financing and exposure to coal, oil and gas to fall in line with the Paris Agreement’s climate goals. [...]
Exclusive: Enviva’s CEO on why COP26 may kick off the decarbonisation of heavy industries February 26, 2021 Next week’s Budget is expected to focus heavily on a ‘green recovery’, as more and more business leaders call on the government and policymakers to ramp up their efforts to drive change in the race to net zeo. With just nine months left until the UK will host the COP26 summit in Glasgow, the UK [...]
FTSE firms ‘woefully inadequate’ at climate risk disclosure, sparking greenwashing fears February 4, 2021 The overwhelming majority of top listed companies in the UK are “woefully inadequate” at disclosing in corporate reporting how climate change will affect their business – with many potentially breaching the law. More than 90 per cent of companies’ financial accounts and associated audit reports made no reference to climate-change related factors, despite UK law [...]
UK must commit to new nuclear power or risk energy shortfall, report says January 21, 2021 The government must commit to developing more nuclear capacity if the UK is to cope with the expected doubling of electricity demand by 2050, a new report has found. According to the Centre for Policy Studies, failure to invest in new nuclear power could see the UK forced to choose between hitting its net zero [...]
Exclusive: UK eyes adding climate provisions in US trade talks to woo Joe Biden January 13, 2021 The UK will try to add new provisions on climate change and environmental standards in US trade negotiations in a bid to woo incoming President Joe Biden. Trade secretary Liz Truss wants to build on current negotiations with the Donald Trump administration and potentially add things like enhanced protections on air pollution and corporate transparency [...]
Ahead of COP26, what’s on industry leaders’ climate change wishlists this year? January 12, 2021 At the moment, it’s hard to think beyond the next six weeks, but 2021 is set to be a huge year for climate action around the world. Front and centre is November’s COP26 conference, which will see the world’s leaders descend on Glasgow for the latest round of the United Nations’ ongoing climate change negotiations. [...]
Rolls-Royce betting small is beautiful when it comes to UK nuclear power January 9, 2021 For many, nuclear power stations are eyesores – great slabs of gun-metal grey cluttering up the UK’s coastlines. But that could be about to change. Last year FTSE 100 blue-bloods Rolls-Royce announced it was planning on building a fleet of 16 so-called “small modular reactors” (SMRs) in a move that would shake up the UK’s [...]
Alok Sharma offers to resign as business minister to lead climate summit January 2, 2021 UK business minister Alok Sharma has offered to resign from his ministerial position in order to take on a full-time role preparing for the country’s chairmanship of United Nations COP26 climate change summit, according to The Times today. Sharma, who is also president of this year’s climate summit, reportedly told Prime Minister Boris Johnson that [...]
Global emissions cuts needed on ‘unprecedented scale’ to reach Paris Climate target December 18, 2020 If the world is to reach the Paris Climate Agreement’s target of a global temperature increase of no more than 1.5°C, we need to cut emissions five times more quickly than the current rate. This is according to PwC’s Net Zero Economy Index, which delivers a stark message to businesses and governments. The index shows [...]
If Britain is to hit net-zero, we need the City to step up its green finance ambitions March 2, 2020 The unveiling of the COP26 Private Finance Agenda at Guildhall last week was a landmark moment for our climate change efforts as a nation. The annual UN conference, this year taking place in Glasgow, will convene global leaders to discuss the world’s most pressing issue. And as policymakers gear up for the pivotal event, it [...]