Inform Tracker


The latest developments in environmental and sustainability policy, regulation, legislation and voluntary initiatives


POLICY


SHARED APPROACH TO MANAGING FLOOD RISKS


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DETAILS A recent flood summit brought together key representatives from the insurance industry, the National Flood Forum, the Environment Agency and local government to discuss the challenges in managing future flood risk. Participants agreed on a roadmap


towards 2013 when the current agreement between government and insurers on flood risk management expires. WEB defra.gov.uk/2010/09/17/ flood-summit


RESPONSIBILITY DEALS WAY FORWARD FOR BUSINESS WASTE


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DETAILS The Government is keen to work with businesses to help them reduce their waste and increase recycling through voluntary responsibility deals, according to Environment Minister Lord Henley. Working with businesses to put in place voluntary responsibility deals on waste will remove the need for further regulation and will lead to less waste and more recycling with the added benefits of businesses saving money and helping to protect the environment. Henley pointed to existing voluntary agree- ments – such as the Courtauld Commitment on grocery retail packaging and food waste – as a model for what can be achieved. WEB defra.gov.uk


UNDER SEA CO2 STORAGE LICENSING PLANS PUBLISHED


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DETAILS The Government has set out how it will license the storage of carbon dioxide under the sea bed, following responses to its recent consultation on the geological


storage of CO2. During the consultation, developers, industry bodies and other interested parties gave their view on po- tential plans for the broad structure of the proposed licensing system. This includes a proposal for having a license which would cover all phases of such developments. TIMELINE DECC will now lay the regula- tions in Parliament in order to comply with European rules on the underground storage of carbon dioxide and these will come into effect on 1 October. WEB decc.gov.uk


32 | Sustainable Business | October 2010


ENERGY SECURITY BOOST AS GAS STORAGE GETS GO-AHEAD


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DETAILS The UK’s gas storage capacity is set to rise by 15% after the Government gave the go-ahead for WINGAS Storage to convert its Saltfleetby onshore gas field into an underground gas storage facility. Saltfleetby in Lincolnshire is the UK’s


largest onshore gas field and will provide between 700M to 800M cubic metres of new gas storage capacity. Gas storage helps to meet seasonal and short-term peaks in demand as well as to respond to price volatility. The project will take natural gas from the National Transmission System at Theddlethorpe when demand for gas is low and then transport it via a pipeline to a new gas storage facility. The gas would then be compressed and injected into the par- tially depleted reservoir some 2.3km below ground level, where it could subsequently be withdrawn at times of high gas demand and returned via pipeline to the National Transmission System. WEB decc.gov.uk


Provident Financial’s latest CR report provides all the people that matter to the company with details of how the environmental, so- cial and economic impacts that are material to the business are managed


CAPITAL MARKETS IN SPOTLIGHT IN CLIMATE CHANGE FIGHT


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DETAILS The vital role of capital markets in tackling climate change has been ignored for too long, according to Climate Change Minister Greg Barker who recently launched the Capital Markets Climate Initiative (CMCI). Barker highlighted the City of Lon- don’s potential to become a global hub for green finance and why low carbon invest- ment is a huge opportunity for the UK’s financial services industry. The CMCI aims to help unlock the private sector’s ability to help meet the $100B of new green invest- ment required annually by 2020 to tackle climate change in developing countries. WEB decc.gov.uk


MASS MARKET FOR ELECTRIC CARS A STEP CLOSER


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DETAILS Mass market electric cars have moved a step closer as Transport Secre- tary Philip Hammond awarded £24M to further develop the UK’s low carbon vehicle capability. The six winning projects – which together with contributions from business will receive total funding of £52M – are part of the latest Technology Strategy Board competition. Projects include the develop- ment of new engines for plug-in hybrid versions of Nissan, Lotus and Jaguar Land Rover cars, a lightweight electric bin wagon, development of lightweight materials for vehicle weight reduction, and new tech- nologies using thermal energy to improve vehicle performance.


The Government also set out the eligibil- ity criteria for its Plug-in Car Grant. Under the scheme motorists will receive a grant of up to £5,000 to purchase electric, plug-in hybrid or hydrogen fuelled cars. In order to be eligible, cars must meet appropri- ate safety standards and must have been crash tested. They must also meet minimum range and performance criteria. WEB dft.gov.uk


SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ACROSS GOVERNMENT


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DETAILS The Environmental Audit Com- mittee, chaired by Joan Walley MP, is launching a new inquiry on how sustainable development can be further embedded in government policy decision-making and operations, in the light of the Govern- ment’s decision to withdraw funding for the Sustainable Development Commission (SDC). As part of its inquiry, the Committee will examine latest sustainable develop- ment performance data across government departments.


The Committee is interested in receiving written evidence that looks at: • How can mechanisms to ensure the sustainability of Government operations, procurement and policy-making be improved and mainstreamed across Government departments?; • How, without the assistance of the SDC, will the Government be able to demonstrate that it is ‘the greenest government ever’?


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