Energy Efficiency and Sustainability

How community-led initiatives can help save the housing shortage

19.06.19: Tom Chance, director at the National Community Land Trust Network, argues that community-led initiatives are a productive way of helping to solve the housing shortage. Collaboration, it is said, is the key to building more homes, designing...

Aberdeen's green transport fleet attracting international attention

19.06.19: Aberdeen City Council’s hydrogen spokesperson, councillor Philip Bell, highlights the Granite City’s determination to play a leading role in the fast-developing hydrogen sector. Aberdeen has enjoyed a rich economic history which...

Government gives Northern Powerhouse minister new housing and energy remit

10.06.19: The Northern Powerhouse minister Jake Berry has had his powers extended to include housing, business and energy by the government, “strengthening its commitment to the Norther Powerhouse.” The joint ministerial position will see...

Introduce ‘smart bins’ and hand out tax cuts to drive up recycling, urges think tank

13.05.19: Local authorities should use a new generation of “smart bins” and council tax cuts to drive up household recycling rates, a think tank’s new report has recommended. Bins fitted with sensors could record household recycling...

First ever North of Tyne mayor takes office and promises ‘green new deal’

08.05.19: Jamie Driscoll has been named as the first ever mayor for the North of Tyne, and declared a climate emergency in his first day in charge of the newly formed combined authority. The Labour candidate defeated his closest rival, Conservative&r...

Providing clean energy to Cornwall

29.04.19: Steve Ford, head of strategy and delivery at Cornwall Council, outlines the incredible work his authority has been doing to provide renewable energy to residents on the south-west coast. In July 2015, Cornwall Council made history by becomi...

Bristol City Council makes ‘reckless’ £9m investment into clean energy firm

08.04.19: Bristol City Council is to put a further £9m into its loss-making energy firm in a decision criticised as “reckless” and a “staggering waste of public money.” The council has already invested £27m into Br...

Milton Keynes Council in £1.75m settlement with contractor after recycling waste contamination

05.04.19: Milton Keynes Council has agreed a £1.75m legal settlement with its waste management contractor following a historic row over the contamination of its recycling waste. This follows claims that up to 25% of the council’s recyclin...

Clean growth collaboration for north west launched by local government and business leaders

15.03.19: A collection of local government, university, and business leaders have joined forces to secure £500m of ‘game-changing’ investment into the future of clean growth in the north west of England. Made up of council leaders a...

Swindon's solar-powered recycling centre saves council cash

11.03.19: Steve Cains, head of power solutions at Public Power Solutions, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Swindon Borough Council, describes the benefits of its latest innovative use of solar energy: to power a recycling plant. Local authorities have...

The Future of Energy for the Northern Powerhouse at EvoNorth

04.03.19: Throughout all of the various topics discussed across the two days of EvoNorth, there were two overarching themes which consistently cropped up: Brexit and climate change, arguably the two most disruptive challenges facing the country right now....

Plastic packaging tax and weekly food collections in plans for government overhaul of national waste system

18.02.19: The government has launched plans to overhaul the country’s waste system, with packaging producers potentially being required to cover the full cost of dealing with their waste and also facing a new tax for plastic packaging. A series...

Tees Valley wins bid to bring hydrogen vehicles and fuelling stations to region

06.02.19: Tees Valley Combined Authority (TVCA) has announced its £1.3m bid to bring innovative hydrogen vehicles and refuelling stations has been approved by the government. The region will benefit from a fleet of hydrogen technology cars and...

Cuts of £82m approved at Surrey County Council as plans to close children’s centres move forward

06.02.19: Surrey County Council has approved cuts of £82m in its budget plans for 2019-20 which will see 31 children centres across the county close. Councillors approved the budget yesterday as Surrey leader Tim Oliver declared that “not...

Nottingham council unveils 2028 target to become UK’s first carbon neutral city

24.01.19: Nottingham City Council has committed to becoming the first ‘net-zero carbon’ city in the UK after setting the ambitious target of 2028 to go carbon neutral. The announcement comes as the city met its energy strategy target goal...