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There are 2,500 identified plants that could be used for fuel or bioenergy but only six crops generate 80% of global industrial biofuel, a new report by Royal Botanic Gardens' Kew science centre reveals. The data in the new State of the World's Plants and Fungi report is a result of international collaboration of 210 scientists from 42 countries, with...

Ofgem has issued a statement of objections, under the Competition Act 1998 to PayPoint plc (“Paypoint”), a company that provides over-the-counter payment services to prepayment energy customers in the United Kingdom, alleging that this company breached competition law. An Ofgem spokesperson commented: "At this stage of the investigation, our findings are provisional and no conclusion should be drawn that there...

Starting today, homeowners can sign up for savings on upgrades to their homes under the government’s £2 billion Green Homes Grant, with an additional £1 billion announced to improve the energy efficiency of publicly-owned buildings. The Green Homes Grant scheme will see the government fund up to two-thirds of the cost of home improvements up to £5,000. Those homeowners with low-incomes,...

Following 'a highly competitive' procurement process, last week The Retail Energy Code Company (RECCo) announced the appointment of three new service providers to carry out the Code Manager function for the Retail Energy Code. RECCo is the corporate vehicle for ensuring the 'proper, effective, and efficient' implementation and ongoing management of the Retail Energy Code (REC) in the UK. All three...

Today is the second-ever United Nation's International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste, and Inspired Energy's Public Services' Procurement Apprentice, Harry Fisher, writes to ICON about the depth of the problem in England's schools.     Food waste is a huge issue in England and as everyday tonnes of food is wasted, it can be deemed to be one of...

The Prime Minister is committing to protect 30% of the UK’s land by 2030, as he is set to sign the Leaders Pledge for Nature at a United Nations event later today. Existing National Parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and other protected areas already comprise approximately 26% of land in England. An additional 4% – over 400,000 hectares, the size...

There is a gap in public understanding on how we get the energy to enable decarbonisation on the way to Net Zero, Chief Executive of the Nuclear Industry Association, Tom Greatrex, writes to ICON.     The recent final report of the Citizen’s Assembly, which was established by a number of select committees to get views on climate change and how to...

Vodafone Group has announced that they will evaluate suppliers on their commitments to diversity, inclusion and the environment when they tender for new work. From October 2020, a supplier’s ‘purpose’ will account for 20% of the evaluation criteria for a ‘Request For Quotation’ (RFQ) to provide Vodafone with products or services. Suppliers will be assessed on their commitment and performance to...

New figures released by the Government show a record rise in renewable energy generation in the first half of the year. The new statistics published by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, show renewables provided 45% of Great Britain’s electricity between April and June, up from 36% in Q2 2019, while coal produced a record low of 0.5%. RenewableUK’s...

The telecoms industry will need to reduce its own carbon impact, but also has a critical role to play in supporting other businesses and industries reach their Net Zero ambitions, new report by O2 explains. The 'Greener connected future' report, created in partnership with IC&CO and Cenex, looks to define the role that mobile technology and innovative 5G solutions can play in...