IEA: Energy efficiency lagging in SMEs

The implementation of energy efficiency improvements in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) is lagging. That’s according to a new report by the International Energy Agency (IEA), which believes that is due to lack of information, technical expertise and funding. It estimates SMEs use more than 13% of global total final energy demand. The IEA suggests […]

UK and US to power up Africa with clean energy

The UK and US have teamed up to help millions of people in Africa get access to clean energy. They aim to develop networks to share power across borders and harness geothermal resources to boost access to electricity across the continent. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the countries was signed at COP21 in Paris. They will […]

Scotland funds £12m to fight climate change in poor countries

Scotland is investing £12 million in the next four years to help reduce the impact of climate change on the world’s poorest communities. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement at COP21 in Paris. It will double the Scottish Government’s ‘Climate Justice Fund’ and allow more support to projects in countries such as Malawi and […]

EU investigates alleged biofuel price fixing

An investigation to see whether ethanol producers have changed the benchmarks published by a price reporting agency has been launched. If found guilty they will have breached EU antitrust rules. Ethanol is an alcohol made from biomass which is mainly added to gasoline and used as a biofuel for certain motor vehicles. The companies being […]

Regional leaders agree to cut emissions by 12%

State and regional governments have agreed to cut their carbon emissions by 12.4% by 2030. The Compact of States and Regions – a group which allows participants to submit climate targets which it tracks and reports on – made the announcement at a report launch during COP21. The goal is greater than China’s current annual output. The […]

Power in Lancaster restored after flood

Around 55,000 homes in Lancaster were left without power this weekend after an electricity substation flooded due to a storm. It happened at around 11pm on Saturday and all supplies were restored this morning. Engineers were only able to access the substation in Caton Road at 11am on Sunday after it had been “fully submerged”. Electricity North West invested £7.9 […]

Northern Ireland Water fined £7.5k for pollution

Northern Ireland Water has been fined £7,500 for polluting a waterway with sewage. The discharge came from its Saintfield Waste Water Treatment Works to the Carson’s Dam River. In May last year a Water Quality Inspector from the Northern Ireland Environment Agency found the sewage sludge on the stream-bed and a discoloured discharge. Samples taken […]

Gas system long – DMR

The UK gas system is well supplied this morning, according to npower’s daily market report. The linepack is forecast to close 19mcm long. Temperatures continue to be mild for the time of year which has resulted in demand dropping around 12% below seasonal normal levels. The latest forecasts show it is expected to get colder […]

Doctors and nurses ask for ‘strong climate deal’

An alliance of 13 million health professionals have asked for a strong agreement at COP21 in a bid to protect patients and the public. They announced the signatories of declarations, which represent more than 1,700 health organisations from 8,200 hospitals, at the COP21 conference in Paris. The World Health Organisation recently launched its first ever Call […]

Google buys 842MW renewable energy

Tech giant Google has bought 842MW of global renewable energy to power its data centres. It claims it is “the largest and most diverse purchase of renewable energy ever made by a non-utility company”. The firm aims to triple its purchases of renewable energy and use 100% clean energy by 2025. It currently generates up […]