Wave energy: why we need a fresh approach to harnessing the power of our seas
Western Isles (Picture: Neil Kenhead) Stand on a beach in the Western Isles looking out at the Atlantic and it’s easy to see why for over a century people have dreamed of harnessing the power of our seas. The wave energy here is some of the most intense in the world, with the potential to provide the UK with 40 terrawatt hours (TWh) of electricity each year – over 10 per cent of current demand. Given such a spectacular natural resource, alongside... Read More
10 things your installer won’t tell you before you purchase a biomass boiler
I saw a headline this morning in the green trade press, which read: ‘Why every business should be interested in the Renewable Heat Incentive’. A good headline no doubt to get people to click through and read on. But that kind of editorial should also carry a warning sign: if you are a business (or from next spring, a household) interested in the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), you should be very wary about what technology you invest... Read More
Clean energy investment: which way are we heading?
We’re still investing more than twice as much in new fossil fuels than we are in clean energy, according to two major reports released last week. Analysis by Carbon Tracker shows that in 2012, across the globe, we spent a massive $647 billion on finding and developing new reserves of oil, gas and coal. This is despite the fact that 80 per cent of all known stores of fossil fuels simply cannot be burnt if we are to limit global warming to an increase... Read More
Budget: the Chancellor’s money myopia has failed those who seek to build a sustainable economy
Modern money is supposed to free us as individuals to make choices without compromise. With money as the universally accepted arbiter of value, anyone and anything can be purchased. Freed from moral strictures we can operate freely as individuals in the world of the market. So why do we become so morally hidebound and myopic when it comes to the use of money in everyday life? Money and morality The reality is that we find it impossible to abstract... Read More
Green investment: are fossil fuel firms worth their value or is this another bubble set to burst?
Could our savings and pensions be at risk from a carbon asset bubble that is destined to burst? Does our financial system have another shock in store for us comparable to the ‘credit crunch’ of 2008? These are the important questions posed over a year ago in a landmark report by the Carbon Tracker Initiative (CTI), and more recently in a open letter from a group of investors, politicians and green NGOs to the Governor of the Bank of England. The... Read More
Find new ways to drive business value by innovating through sustainability
Next week (Nov 27-28), the Sustainable Brands conference will be hosted in London for the first time. It’s worth checking it out, not just because you’ll be able hear from some of the biggest brands – Adidas, Unilever and Coca Cola – and how they are innovating through sustainability, but because of the backdrop against which it will be taking place. 4000 miles away from London in Doha, Qatar, the UN Climate Change conference will have... Read More
Carbon footprint: following in the footsteps of Ancient Greece
Now London 2012 is over and the dust has settled, I have been writing up a legacy case study reviewing the lessons learned from the Games Carbon Management Strategy. Whilst flicking though the many earnest reports, facts and figures generated by myself and colleagues since London 2012’s carbon footprint was first estimated in 2007, I came across a light-hearted piece which ruminated on the likely carbon impact of the ancient Games. Sadly, this entertaining... Read More
How do we build in low carbon construction?
The level of activity within the construction sector is one sure-fire indicator of the health of the economy. The industry proceeds in waves; like buses, there is never a construction project when you expect one and then suddenly you get several in a row. In the South East alone we have had Heathrow terminal 5, the Olympic Park, Crossrail, Thameslink and Royal London Hospital. This is not to mention the resurgence in house-building that the Government... Read More
Do we need an Energy Policy Committee?
The Government has talked itself into an ideological corner over energy supply policy. It’s time to let go of the false idol of a ‘perfect market’ and make some hard decisions based on empirical facts. This month’s repeated non-announcement on Renewable Obligation Certificates will have a knock-on effect on energy price inflation in the future. Dithering breeds uncertainty and the pricing of any investment will quantify uncertainty in terms... Read More
The business case for supply chain sustainability
Let’s face it, reducing your supply chain footprint is difficult. Doing it profitably is even tougher. Many companies are finding that their indirect/supplier footprints can represent a significant proportion of their overall sustainability impact. The challenge is how to profitably reduce this supply chain footprint. I have found a simple three-step approach to be effective: Develop your sustainability baseline. This starts by understanding... Read More
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