Nearly £10bn worth of investments including in oil and gas made via pension funds in last financial year Local councils that have declared a climate emergency are continuing to pour money into fossil fuels through their staff pension funds, analysis has shown. Nearly £10bn worth of investments in fossil fuels, including oil and gas companies […]
Tag: fossil fuels
‘Absolutely ridiculous’: top scientist slams UK government over coalmine
Exclusive: Prof Sir Robert Watson says backing of Cumbrian mine refutes claims of climate leadership One of the UK’s most eminent environmental scientists has called the government’s failure to block a new coalmine in Cumbria “absolutely ridiculous”. Prof Sir Robert Watson said the UK’s commitment to net zero emissions by 2050 to tackle the climate […]
First UK homes with hydrogen boilers and hobs to be built by April
Government says two properties in Gateshead will offer public a glimpse of the ‘potential home of the future’ The UK’s first homes to be fitted with boilers and hobs that run on hydrogen rather than fossil fuel gas will be built in Gateshead by April. The semi-detached houses in the north-east will use 100% hydrogen […]
Legal bid to stop UK building Europe’s biggest gas power plant fails
Plan has been approved despite environmental objections and criticism over climate leadership A legal challenge to the UK government’s approval of a new gas-fired power plant has failed in the court of appeal. The challenge was brought after ministers overruled climate change objections from the planning authority. The plant is being developed by Drax in […]
Climate crisis: 2020 was joint hottest year ever recorded
Global heating continued unabated despite Covid lockdowns, with record Arctic wildfires and Atlantic tropical storms The climate crisis continued unabated in 2020, with the the joint highest global temperatures on record, alarming heat and record wildfires in the Arctic, and a record 29 tropical storms in the Atlantic. Despite a 7% fall in fossil fuel […]
Australian transport emissions back to pre-pandemic levels, report suggests
Covid lockdowns initially saw greenhouse gas emissions from road transport plummet but by September it was back to business as usual Greenhouse gas emissions from road transport in Australia have nearly returned to pre-pandemic levels, exposing the country’s lack of policies to decarbonise the sector, new analysis shows. But the amount of electricity being generated […]
‘Zero return’: government savaged over taxpayer grants to open up new gas basin in Australia
Coalition funding for gas exploration in Northern Territory labelled a costly plan ‘for a climate catastrophe’ The Morrison government has been accused of embarking on an “expensive plan for a climate catastrophe” after it announced it would pay the gas industry up to $50m to speed up exploration in the Northern Territory. The commitment, revealed […]
Perth’s fringe festival under fire for ‘gag order’ clause in artist contracts
After protests last year over the festival’s principal sponsor, fossil fuel giant Woodside, it has introduced new rules for performers and producers Australia’s first fringe festival for 2021 has become mired in controversy over a clause in performer and promoter contracts to deter criticism of the event’s sponsors. Perth’s Fringe World, which opens on 15 […]
Practical steps towards a net zero carbon future | Letters
One of the fundamental steps to achieving net zero is to increase home energy efficiency, writes Mike Thornton. Plus letters from Tony Jones, Dr Bruce McLeod, Daniel Scharf and Richard Hale We will all benefit from a carbon-free future – so the Climate Change Committee’s new route map to address the climate emergency is a […]
World is in danger of missing Paris climate target, summit is warned
Minister tells more than 80 world leaders that not enough is being done The world is still not on track to fulfil the 2015 Paris climate agreement, the UK’s business secretary Alok Sharma warned, after a summit of more than 70 world leaders on the climate crisis ended with few new commitments on greenhouse gas […]