The trade body for the renewables industry says some 19,000 onshore wind jobs are at risk as a result of the Conservatives’ manifesto pledge to halt the spread of onshore wind farms. The onshore wind sector delivered £1.6 billion in investment in the UK last year. But Renewable UK says that…Read more…
Labour: tackling climate change ‘an economic necessity’
Labour’s manifesto says tackling climate change is “an economic necessity … the most important thing we must do for our children, our grandchildren and future generations.” It plans for the green economy create a million additional green jobs through world leading investment in low carbon…Read more…
Here comes the sun – Banister House launches solar co-op
Tonight, residents at Banister House, Hackney are launching the first solar power farm in north London, not in a field but on the sunblest flat rooftops of 14 council blocks on the estate. Backed by Repowering London, Hackney Council and campaigners fr…Read more…
Health & Fracking: impacts and opportunity costs
An independent report from health professionals Medact, Health and fracking: the impacts and opportunity costs, concludes that fracking generates numerous public health risks. A moratorium should apply until a full public impact assessment is “conducted by a body that is entirely independent of the…Read more…
Lights out for Earth Hour
We’ve put the lights out on our website to prepare for Earth Hour 2015 tonight at 8.30pm. See the website at http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/ and see why at http://www.unison-scotland.org.uk/greenworkplace/earthhour15.htmlRead more…
UK coal mines hanging on a thread
Today, in refusing to back UK Coal’s bid for State Aid, the government has almost shut the door on UK Coal mining. A £10m loan will avoid the inconvenient closure of UK Coal’s Thoresby mine during an election period. As TUC General Secretary, Frances O’Grady, said today, “Immediate help for UK Coal…Read more…
2050 industry roadmaps? We dont have that much time
The industrial, lobby has its work cut out for the next Parliament. The government’s 2050 roadmaps to decarbonise our most energy intensive industries, published today, reveal the enormous scale of investment needed. At a time of intensive international competition, our foundation industries are…Read more…
#Budget2015: No Budget for a sustainable industrial future
A classic Osborne Budget: a further £1.3 billion in tax breaks for North Sea oil and gas (and presumably onshore shale) but precious little of substance for the green economy. Measures to welcome include the £25m compensation scheme for energy intensive industries, brought forward to this October….Read more…
Changing the world, one green workplace at a time
2015 could be a crunch year in the fight against global warming. One of the most effective ways you can play a part is to start (or get behind existing efforts) to ‘green your workplace’. This year,…Read more…
More than a Budget needed for our Foundation Industries
If the Coalition’s last Budget has anything to offer the real economy, immediate relief for energy intensive industries from the cost of renewables on their energy bills has to be a top priority. This charge alone, not paid by EU competitors who support their industries, adds £8 to a tonne of…Read more…
EU’s Paris Protocol – time to bring citizens to the table
EU Environment Ministers meet on 6 March to discuss and probably sign off the EU’s contribution to the Paris climate change talks, December 2015. The next day marks the national Time to Act on Climate Change march in London. The EU Commission’s proposal, The Paris Protocol: a blueprint for tackling…Read more…
Green Economy Council – out in the cold?
The Green Economy Council hasn’t met for two years. According to a committee of MPs, “this speaks volumes” about the government’s approach to sustainable development. The TUC backed the launch of the Green Economy Council in 2011 as a vital and much-needed initiative. But it hasn’t met since…Read more…
Climate actions speak louder than words
Through union lobbying efforts, we got back “The just transition of the workforce and the creation of decent work” in the UN’s 88-page draft treaty agreed last week in Geneva. Given the massive changes in the world of work that lie ahead, it’s a relief to see core trade union issues back in play…Read more…
Energy efficiency: Small businesses certainly don’t have money to burn
The UK’s largest small business organisation, the UK Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), is campaigning and lobbying to help small and microbusinesses to become more energy efficient. It’s an organisation with over 200,000 businesses and is concerned to help them to reduce emissions, become low…Read more…
Global Divestment Day
If we are to save the planet for future generations, it’s time to take action against the power and influence of the fossil fuel industry.
13th-14th February is Global Divestment Day. Thousands of…Read more…
Yes, leaders, it is worth appealing to a core green vote
More than a quarter (28%) of electors surveyed this January said, “I could not vote for this party if they did not have a strong policy on tackling climate change”, according to a new ComRes poll. Across the spectrum, the party climate “switchers” were 18% of Conservatives, 33% of Labour and 35% of…Read more…
An Eagle eye on the environment
Keeping climate change off the current political agenda won’t make it go away. A clear majority of us agree that, “The floods last winter showed us what we can expect in the future from climate change,” according to a new poll. Mind, too, that during this Parliament half a million people signing a…Read more…
Government policies still hurting heavy industry
If major employers like Unifrax in Widnes and Sheffield Forgemasters are hurting, as the evidence shows, as a result of government policies introduced during this Parliament, then the government has some way to go to preserve the international competit…Read more…
Unions and Fracking: the need for an “honest conversation”
It’s been a busy week for the debate on fracking. A new report said that the current debate on fracking “reveals a lack of public acceptance, or social licence, for it”. The Scottish Parliament put a moratorium in place pending an inquiry. Westminster MPs backed Labour’s stronger…Read more…
What the Frack’s Going On?
WHAT is going on about “fracking”? Last week MPs overwhelmingly rejected a bid to impose a moratorium, suspending fracking for shale gas, although the government agreed to Labour proposals for…Read more…