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Plans to ban some of the most environmentally damaging single-use plastic items in Scotland, including plastic cutlery and plastic straws, have been published for consultation. The Scottish Government is seeking views on the introduction of new legislation to restrict the sale or commercial supply of plastic plates, plastic straws, plastic cutlery, polystyrene food and drink containers, plastic balloon sticks and...

The Environment Agency has released its annual report on the environmental performance of England’s water and sewerage companies, showing that four out of nine companies are falling short of expected standards. The annual report rates each company in England from 1 star to 4 stars, based on a range of measures including serious pollution incidents, pollution per km of sewer...

Designing solar panels in checkerboard lines increases their ability to absorb light by 125 per cent, according to a new study. Researchers at University of York say the breakthrough could lead to the production of thinner, lighter and more flexible solar panels that could be used to power more homes and be used in a wider range of products. Dr Christian...

Eamonn Bell, Head of Demand Side Response at Inspired Energy, writes to ICON about his observations following the launch of National Grid Electricity System Operator's (ESO) newest frequency response service on 1 October.       Shape of the DC tender The first full day of delivery was Friday 2 Oct, though the delivery days for the DC service run from 11pm on the...

Over £3.5 million of funding has been awarded to benefit 17 charities, including those affected by COVID-19, has been announced by Energy Saving Trust in the latest round of the Energy Industry Voluntary Redress Scheme (Energy Redress Scheme). Managed and delivered by Energy Saving Trust, the Energy Redress Scheme collects voluntary payments from energy companies that may have breached rules...

30 countries have now joined the Global Ocean Alliance, championing an international commitment for a minimum 30% of the global ocean to be protected through Marine Protected Areas by 2030. At the 75th session of the UN General Assembly, the UK again reiterated its commitment to protecting the environment and halting biodiversity loss. International Marine Minister, Zac Goldsmith, commented on the...

The Prime Minister has announced that £160 million will be made available to upgrade ports and infrastructure across communities like in Teesside and Humber in Northern England, Scotland and Wales the UK's offshore wind capacity. This new investment will see around 2,000 construction jobs rapidly created and will enable the sector to support up to 60,000 jobs directly and indirectly...

The Trustees of the IFRS Foundation have published a Consultation Paper to assess demand for global sustainability standards and, if demand is strong, assess whether and to what extent the Foundation might contribute to the development of such standards. Amid heightened focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) matters, developments in sustainability reporting and increased calls for standardisation of such reporting, the...

The Association for Decentralised Energy (ADE) has launched a new paper ‘Getting (retro)fit for net zero’, which focuses on the challenge of retrofitting the UK’s homes to ensure that they align with meeting the country's net zero targets. The UK’s commitment to net zero by 2050, includes decarbonising the housing stock, which is amongst the coldest in Europe. Though the Green...

National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO) has debuted its new fast frequency response service, Dynamic Containment, boosting its ability to respond rapidly to disturbances in the flow of energy around the grid. Following an extensive consultation with industry, the ESO’s new sub-second, post-fault response capability went live in the national control room at 11pm on 1 October. Ro Quinn, head of...