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Half (48%) of all UK businesses have reported being impacted by the effects of climate change, with 52% of those reporting that their ability to do business has been impacted by extreme weather events, according to new research by global risk management and insurance broker, Gallagher. The study of more than 1,500 UK business decision-makers reveals that climate change is...

Progress towards a sustainable world risks being held back as UK businesses grapple with increasing costs and a lack of clarity around a credible path to net zero, despite a tripling of awareness of the importance of reducing emissions and the potential commercial opportunity amongst small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), according to research published by the UK National Standards...

Large bodies of water in urban areas can be effective at removing pollutants and heat from cities, but smaller ones can actually make the problem of the ‘heat island effect’ worse, according to a recent study. The counterintuitive results come from a study conducted by researchers at the University of Bath and the University of Bologna in Italy, and has...

Professor Matt Bell, Hartpury University’s Director of Agriculture, has created a ‘breeding index’ to select dairy cows based on traits that are 'key to enhancing sustainability', such as milk production, health, fertility and lifespan. According to the University, the Hartpury Herd Index can be replicated on any dairy herd to select and breed cows that are best suited to their...

Higher Education Institutions should develop strategies to evaluate and adapt to potential climate risks such as flooding, droughts and heatwaves, according to a recent report. The growing threat of climate change-related hazards led a team from 13 UK universities to issue guidance for improving resilience against potential climate threats. The paper aims to support Higher Education Institutions with developing processes to...

A new energy scheme for businesses, charities and the public sector was confirmed by the HM Treasury on 9th January, ahead of the current support ending in March. The new Energy Bill Discount Scheme will mean all eligible UK businesses and other non-domestic energy users will receive a discount on high energy bills until 31 March 2024. This is set to...

To deliver on Great Britain’s net-zero ambitions, we need to learn from one another, Carolina Tortora from National Grid ESO tells ICON readers in this thought piece.    Since the beginning of the decade the UK has seen a rapid digital transformation, driven in part by the challenge of the pandemic, which has fundamentally changed how many sectors operate. When it comes...

The amount of social impact investment in the UK has grown nearly ten-fold over ten years, from £830 million in 2011 to £7.9 billion in 2021, Big Society Capital has revealed. Data from the social impact investor’s annual Market Sizing exercise – which estimates the value of investments made by UK social impact investment funds since 2011 – shows that...

The Ofgem Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (Energy Redress Scheme) has opened the second funding round of phase two of the scheme. A total of £22 million is available as grants to charities and community energy groups that support households most at risk from cold homes and high energy bills, or that work on innovation and carbon emissions reduction across...

Water regulator Ofwat is opening a six-week consultation on proposed changes to the retail price caps that apply to smaller business customers (consuming less than 0.5Ml per year) who have not engaged in the market. When Ofwat last reviewed these price caps in 2018/19 it committed to another review in 2-3 years’ time. The new proposals are set to simplify the...