As we endure these challenging times, the climate emergency persists, and the planet continues to be threatened. Without a strong and stable economy, the funds to invest in a greener, cleaner future simply won’t be there. Even with the fall in carbon emissions, our modelling shows that the pandemic will only reduce demand through to 2050 by 8%.1
Its bold, it’s ambitious and it’s also been warmly received by most stakeholders including industry and even environmental groups. The UK Government’s 10 point plan covers clean energy, transport, nature and innovative technologies in its quest to create jobs and achieve net-zero by 2050.
With talk of hydrogen-powered breakfasts as well as trains, ships and planes – have we reached a tipping point where this could become a reality?
As reported by Energy Voice, The Climate Change Committee (CCC) recently issued its Sixth Carbon Budget, The UK’s path to Net Zero.
The recent publication of the timetable for the Scotwind leasing round that will start the next stage in the development of offshore wind in Scotland, shortly followed by the UK Prime Minister’s 10 Point Plan, has focused minds on what a green recovery really means for the communities and businesses north of the border.
With the confirmation of President-Elect Biden now certain, three credible vaccines against the coronavirus pandemic entering final stages of approval, and governments around the world seeking to spur a green economic recovery, we bring 2020 to a close with a great deal more certainty and hope for 2021 than we might have thought possible only a few months, if not weeks, ago.
Action and ambition will put Aberdeen and the North East at the heart of tackling climate change as part of a future global industry worth trillions, writes Energy Transition Programme Director at Opportunity North East (ONE), Martin McCormack.
The starting pistol on the countdown to COP 26 has been fired and for SSE Renewables which, as part of the SSE Group, was recently announced as a partner with the UK Government to support the summit in Glasgow in 2021, there’s no better time to discuss how we accelerate the transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
It is my unhappy lot to have two governments, neither of which I voted for and whose ideologies I do not like. But that’s democracy and I will survive it. How well the Scottish economy survives it is another question which the green energy recovery brings into focus.
With less than 30 days to go until the end of the Brexit transition period at the end of December, many questions remain unanswered as to what the impact will be on waste management in the UK.
The theme for this issue of Energy Voice is looking back on 2020 and looking forward to 2021 – I think most of us can’t wait to put 2020 behind us, so I thought I would focus on the future. One thing the future holds for us is Brexit.
I wouldn’t expect many to challenge the view that the energy sector encountered a “perfect storm” in 2020 with the Covid-19 pandemic causing global upheaval, financial markets’ nervousness and geo-political challenges.
Few would disagree that the Covid-19 pandemic has made 2020 the most disruptive and distressing year in recent living memory. The effect on people’s lives and the thousands of deaths caused by this awful virus will be etched in our minds for a long time to come.
At the beginning of 2020 CMS launched a report examining the energy transition strategies of 15 of the world’s largest oil and gas companies to assess how far they are committed to new and alternative energy. It revealed how these firms were, at that time, investing 3% of capex budgets into renewables with a strong emphasis on wind and solar technologies.
The minister said we have to make the case for CCUS, there are going to be carbon emissions and we are going to have to capture them.
Priscilla Hall, Partner and Head of Green Energy at national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, shares her thoughts on the advantages and disadvantages of bioenergy as the Government develops its green energy strategy.
As light begins to appear at the end of the tunnel in the battle against the Coronavirus pandemic, it is now a time for governments worldwide to think deeply about a sustainable, green recovery plan. In the UK, a sign of intent to seize this enormous opportunity to build back better has been given with the announcement of a £12b plan for a ‘green industrial revolution’. The pledge comes with the UK already moving in the right direction jumping to 5th spot in EY’s latest Renewable Energy Country Attractive Index.
Boris Johnson's Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution sets out how the UK looks to "build back better" from the impact of coronavirus by creating green jobs and accelerating the transition to net zero emissions by 2050.
There’s no question about it – the world is going green. The transition to renewable energy has been in the works for a while, but the recent wildfires in the US and Australia coupled with a renewed focus on cleaner air due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has really focussed minds. But before we can comprehensively move away from fossil fuels and into a majority renewables energy market, we need to be able to truly understand the unpredictable nature of renewable energy generation to ensure a stable power supply – after all, the sun isn’t always shining! Could IoT (Internet of Things) be the key to moving forward with our green energy transition?
From April 2021, large and medium firms in the private sector that hire contractors will be responsible for determining their IR35 status rather than the contractors themselves as the Off-Payroll legislation takes effect. Whilst many oil firms will continue to hire contractors off-payroll, we are seeing some taking a risk-averse approach and issuing blanket bans on hiring contractors who work through their own personal service companies, insisting instead that they all go PAYE, either directly or via agency payroll.
The gas-flaring rate of the European Union’s imported gas is 33x higher than indigenous production. We commend the EU’s recent methane strategy, but to support net zero the EU needs an equally clear EU gas flaring strategy.
This has been quite a year for our industry, unlike any other I’ve known: a global pandemic triggering health and economic crises, continued geopolitical tensions and increasing wariness of what we do. It’s a lot to contend with.
COVID-19 has had a terrible impact on society’s physical health.
It’s been talked-up for months, but last week the Prime Minster finally fired the starting gun on what he promises will be a bold, ambitious race to radically transform the UK into a green economy.
With COP26 less than a year away, an intergenerational climate emergency requires intergenerational action. We have over 1,000 young energy experts that can help shape the climate debate, writes the Energy Institute’s Sinead Obeng AMEI