Firstplanit’s Post

“Low-carbon investment is necessary to meet the UK’s legally binding target of reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, but the benefits go far beyond that. Clean energy is cheaper than fossil fuels, increases self-sufficiency and national security by making the UK less dependent on volatile imports of oil and gas, generates green jobs, and reduces air pollution. “The push for a low-carbon economy also has far broader benefits: people will see lower energy bills, warmer and less damp homes, and better health as a result of that, as well as an increase in active transport and green spaces from low-carbon cities.” Credit : Fiona Harvey at The Guardian Makes one wonder what determines the The Labour Party’s priority? The quest to avoid criticism for lacking economic prudence or the desire to do the right thing? #sustainabilityleadership SDG 7, (8?) 11, 12 & 13

Londoners say being green is too expensive - poll Almost three-quarters of Londoners have said the cost of living crisis is making it difficult to buy greener heating or energy options for the home. A poll commissioned by London Councils revealed that residents in the capital want to help prevent climate change, but say cost is a barrier. Some surveyed said heat pumps, solar panels and home insulation were too expensive. London Councils said insulating homes saved money for owners in the long run. Labour councillor Kieron Williams, London Councils' executive member for climate change, transport and environment, said: "It is sobering to see that the ongoing cost of living crisis prevents Londoners from taking action on issues that are important to them, such an investing in climate action." While the poll showed 73% of Londoners said the cost of living crisis had made it more difficult for them to go green, 68% had grown more concerned about climate change over the past 12 months. Read on at https://lnkd.in/eC58znNQ

A blow to the UK #netzero under The Labour Party U-turn. £28B/ yr green pledge reduced to (just) £5B/ yr (?) It will especially hurt #energyefficiency initiatives that the UK needs desperately. - Labour reduced their home insulation initiative to from £5B/ yr to just £6B per 5 years (?) From 19 million homes to 5 million by 2030, ... UK has one of the oldest housing stock in the Europe! - NetZero transport or water infrastructure is apparently neglected. Reduced spendings on nature restoration. https://lnkd.in/eesCeKeG.

🔗 Britain will pay a high price for Labour's Net Zero fanaticism - Spiked Have you read the article, "Britain will pay a high price for Labour's Net Zero fanaticism - Spiked"? It's an eye-opening piece that delves into the potential consequences of the Labour party's aggressive pursuit of Net Zero targets. The article raises important points about the economic and societal impact of such policies. It's a must-read for those interested in environmental policies and their wider implications. Check it out and let's discuss! #NetZero #LabourParty #EnvironmentalPolicy https://ift.tt/Ww4zLrD

  💡 The future of the UK looks bright with Sir Keir Starmer’s Labour government in power. 🤞 Their ambitious plans, including the Great British Energy Bill, are set to drive significant changes. Learn how these initiatives could reshape the political landscape and propel us towards our net-zero goals in our latest blog! 🌍 #Sustainability #NetZero #LabourGovernment #RenewableEnergy #ClimateAction #UKPolitics #CleanEnergy #EnvironmentalPolicy

Current green standards are woefully unambitious and are insufficient. We urgently need more ambition on energy and water in Building Regulations so that new homes fit for the future and not adding to existing challenges

The current BC government's signature environmental policy will lead to ‘serious job losses’ on the path to 2030. BC’s economy would be $28.1 billion smaller in 2030 due to the impact of CleanBC, found the Business Council of British Columbia. Are climate policies sustainable if they fail to balance the needs of workers and families? We need to find a better balance. #bcpoli #bcbusiness #cleanbc

A new report out today shows introducing policies to improve building standards, phase out gas, and make energy use transparent could save 93,000kt of emissions by 2050 - saving billions in offsets and playing a major part in meeting our international obligations. “The Climate Change Commission has warned we’re way off meeting our second 2030 emissions target. These basic policies will reduce emissions equivalent to taking 600,000 cars off the road in the next five years, accounting for a third of the reductions we need,” Andrew Eagles says. Importantly, the policies come at little-to-no cost to the government. Rather, the report found the emissions saved by introducing those low-cost policies could be worth between $19 billion and $39 billion by 2050. These policies are great for health, help reduce peak load and reduce costs for kiwi whanau and businesses. “We call on Government to improve the building code and take these steps.” “Without real, emission-busting policies like the ones we’re proposing, New Zealand will have no choice but to pay billions of taxpayer dollars for international carbon offsets – effectively funding other countries to reduce emissions.” Read the report - https://lnkd.in/ghSzwrpC #peakload #health #carbon #buildings #electrification #homes #buildingcode Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

From water to wood-burning stoves: 11 green challenges Labour must solve. New government faces massive task in repairing UK’s degraded environment and fighting climate crisis. Here’s what will be top of its in-tray. The new Labour government faces a massive task in seeking to repair the UK’s degraded environment and fight the climate crisis. After 14 years in which the Conservative government ducked many of the big decisions, deliberately underfunded regulators, picked culture wars rather than formulated policy, and set out target after target without putting in place the measures needed to meet them, the UK is in a poor state on nearly all green fronts. Here are the top green issues that Keir Starmer, as well as the energy security and net zero secretary, Ed Miliband, and the environment, food and rural affairs secretary, Steve Reed, will have in their in-trays. 1. Decarbonising electricity Labour’s headline green pledge is to make the UK into a “clean energy superpower” by decarbonising electricity by 2030. Experts agree this will be at the furthest reaches of possibility – but even if Labour fails to meet the target entirely, getting a substantial way there will be a major achievement. It will require boosting renewable energy: lifting the ban on onshore windfarms in England that has stymied this cheap form of energy, which Labour announced on Monday; boosting offshore wind when the next round of auctions comes up next month; greenlighting new solar farms; helping households to use less energy; and a programme to encourage businesses to step up their efficiency and adopt new processes. Most of this is uncontroversial, though changes to the planning rules may be more difficult to put into practice than they were to put in a manifesto. By far the trickiest problem is likely to be the poor state of the UK’s electricity grid infrastructure. It can take a decade just to get a connection to the grid for a new renewable energy facility. The private sector company in charge, National Grid, has promised about £30bn of investment in the UK over the next five years, but that is at the lowest end of what is likely to be needed. Labour’s new GB Energy, a publicly owned company and investor, will need to get started quickly on this task, possibly by finding ways to generate new private sector investment. 2. Nuclear, carbon capture and hydrogen The UK’s ageing fleet of nuclear reactors is still essential to providing baseload electricity. But attempts to replace them with new atomic power stations have been beset by delays and massive cost increases. Miliband is known to favour new technology for smaller reactors, but there is no guarantee they will be easier to construct. https://lnkd.in/gtupvnzM

🌍 What the New Labour Government Means for Sustainability in the UK and Beyond 🌍 As the world watches the UK transition to a new Labour government, there’s a palpable sense of anticipation in the air. For those of us passionate about sustainability, this shift promises significant developments. In my latest blog post, I delve into how the new administration's policies could reshape the sustainability landscape not just in the UK, but globally. From ambitious carbon reduction targets to innovative green technologies, there’s a lot to be hopeful about. Let’s discuss: What are your thoughts on the potential impact of the new Labour government on global sustainability efforts? 🌿 https://lnkd.in/eGUVyK_G #Sustainability #GreenFuture #ClimateAction #EcoShaper #UKPolitics #GlobalImpact #SustainableLiving