Climate News Update September 2022

Each month, Waterman’s environmental expert, Drew Stewart , brings you a round-up of all the latest climate news, upcoming webinars and fascinating opinion pieces from across the UK and Europe, and around the world.

UK climate news bulletin

The UK government has reverted its effective ban on onshore wind turbines in England. This means rules allowing councils to effectively block any new wind farm from being constructed in England will be scrapped.

The Government has launched a call for evidence for business, local authorities, and the public to provide views on the UK’s plan to reach its 2050 net-zero emissions. The Call for evidence will examine the opportunities, challenges and measures required to support the net-zero transition through the lens of “economic growth and job creation” and what can be done to support businesses and consumers to help cut emissions. The Department for Business, Energy, and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) stated that the UK’s 2050 target will remain in place, however, wit the intention to ‘make sure investment continues to increase energy security.’ Truss’s approach is heavily focused on fossil fuels produces onshore and offshore in the UK, worrying climate analysts and green campaigners.?

New research by non-profit organisation Global Energy Monitor outlines that should the UK government press ahead with licences for more than 100 potential new oil and gas fields in the North Sea, the resulting emissions will see the UK fail to meet its carbon budget for 2023-2037. The analysis reveals that the lifetime emissions of the 21 largest UK North Sea oil and gas fields is 920 million tonnes CO2e, more than twice the level of Thailand’s national annual emissions.

South Western Railways (SWR) has unveiled their commitment to net zero emissions by 2040, pledging to work with the Government and Network Rail to outline the required steps to decarbonisation.

Darity giant Arla cooperative is launching a new incentive scheme for farmers, which will see them paid up to three European cents more per kg of milk. The incentive model is a points-based system, in which farmers are scored based on the steps they’re taking on a number of different issues, including renewable electricity procurement; good manure management; efficient fertiliser use; sustainable and efficient feed use; converting manure into biogas; improving biodiversity on farms and addressing deforestation in feed supply chains. The UN?estimates ?that meat and dairy production account for some 14.5% of annual global emissions. Dairy alone is estimated to account for?3.4%.

A survey of more than 700 business leaders around the world, commissioned by the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) has found that 80% of business leaders say that more regulation is needed to deliver net zero. Access to finance was found to be a key concern for UK-based businesses. Almost half (48%) said they do not yet have the investment required to achieve their net-zero ambitions. 43% said they are unclear to some degree on potential funding options open to them. This suggests that government incentive schemes are perhaps difficult to navigate, and that the UK could do more to move financial systems.

Edie has published a new business guide explaining the importance of setting science-based targets to help progress towards net zero emissions. This new report acts as an expanded Explains guide focused on science-based targets and the key considerations and actions that businesses will need to introduce to ensure their net-zero targets are aligned with climate science. Download the report here .

Around 130,000 social and low-income homes across England are set to receive funding from the UK Government , who has opened ￡1.5bn worth of funding for energy efficiency to local authorities and social housing providers. The funding has been made available through two existing ‘Help to Heat’ schemes - Home Upgrade Grant (HUG) and the Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund.?According to Business and Energy minister Lord Callanan, the schemes has already improved the energy performances of tens of thousands of low-income households, saving them hundreds of pounds on their bills. However, many key figures across the green economy are disappointed that the Government are opting for a short-term approach, freezing energy prices for two years, and warned that the problem will likely persist without a national energy efficient scheme open to a broader range of homes and other buildings.

EasyJet has unveiled new plans on the introduction of more efficient aircraft and processes, the adaptation of sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) and the use of hydrogen aircraft. Hydrogen aircraft of the size usually used by airlines are not yet commercially available, so the airline has partnered with Rolls-Royce to accelerate development.

A ‘Unique’ show of golden browns and buttery yellows could light up the UK’s trees in the next few weeks, with warnings that the impact of the climate emergency could threaten the show in autumns to come. The proviso is that trees needed to have built up enough sugars in their leaves in the spring to produce the vivid colours, the right combination of light temperature and lack of wind is needed for an extra special show. The National Trust has stated that due to summer’s exceptional heat and dryness, some stressed trees have shed their leaves early during a ‘false autumn’. However, the damage to their vascular system and energy reserves may reach crisis point, meaning we will see more trees starting to decline and die, and they’ll also be more susceptible to pests and disease.

Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) investigated a major accidental release of F-Gases (fluorinated gases) at Perth meat plant . It is reported to be the second largest incident of its kind in Europe’s food and drink sector. It was an accidental release which occurred following machine failure, a new refrigeration system has subsequently been installed.

According to the UN, the fashion industry is responsible for 8-10% of global emissions, more than the aviation and shipping industries combined. Most of fashion’s environmental impact comes from the use of raw materials, such as farmland to grow cotton and the amount of oil needed for synthetic materials like polyester. Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW), founded by Amelia Twine, comprises a catwalk show, workshops and talks promoting their ethos of ‘re-wear, repurpose, regenerate and reconnect’ takes place around the same time as London Fashion Week (16 – 25 September). Store associate Karen Edkins stated, ‘Shopping pre-loved in charity shops extends the life of textiles and homeware, reduces carbon, waste and water footprint’.?

European round-up

EU expects to raise €140bn by imposing windfall taxes on energy companies abnormally high profits. Under the European Commission’s proposals, oil, coal, gas and refining companies would be required to contribute 33% of their taxable surplus profit for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The Commission is also proposing “a mandatory threshold for prices charged by companies that produce low-cost, non-gas energy, such as nuclear and renewables groups”. It explains: “Companies would have to give EU states the ‘excess profits’ generated beyond this level, which the commission seeks to set at €180 per megawatt hour. But member states would be free to put in place lower thresholds of their own.

One-third of German electricity generation now comes from coal-fired plants, up from 27% last year, due to decreased reliance on Russian gas. Generation from gas fell from 18% to only 12% of total generation. Meanwhile, according to leading thinktanks , Germany’s economy is set to shrink between 0.3–0.7% next year due to high energy prices.

Data from the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) shows that this summer was the hottest on record in Europe by a ‘substantial margin’. The summer was 0.4C warmer than the previous record, only set last year, while August also set a record – “a whopping 0.8C warmer than the same month in 2018”.

The burst Nord Stream pipelines, which run between Russia and Germany, could be one of the worst natural gas leaks ever and pose significant climate risks. They contained natural gas, consisting mainly of methane which is a potent greenhouse gas. The extent of the leaks is still unclear as of 28 September, but rough estimates by scientists that based on the volume of gas reported in one of the pipelines, vary between 100,000 and 350,000 tonnes of methane. Germany’s environment agency said there were no containment mechanisms on the pipelines, so the entire contents are likely to escape.

The Government’s ‘Brexit freedoms bill’ could see all legal protections from pesticides abolished, putting insects, wildlife, and human health in danger. Pesticide use has caused localised extinctions of bee populations and has made rivers toxic. The bill, published by PM Liz Truss’s new administrations includes the removal of 570 environmental regulations. Campaigners are worried there is insufficient time to put in new regulations in place. Buglife CEO, Matt Sharlow stated ‘there will be over 500 pieces of environmental legislation removed by the bill. It took three years for the department of environment to get the environment bill through parliament – the idea that we could have 500 new pieces of primary legislations in 15 months is crazy.’

European Championships Munich 2022 shows how sustainable major events can be . The organizers have set standards in sustainability, took care to keep CO2 emissions as low as possible, used many existing sports venues and avoided oversized competition venues built exclusively for mass events. In addition, the organizer offset carbon emissions that could not be avoided by investing in three certified climate offset projects from the ClimatePartner portfolio. Large events not only leave unforgettable impressions but also a considerable carbon footprint.?

Global news

The Australian parliament has passed its first climate change legislation in a decade clearing the Senate 37 votes to 30, which includes the national target of cutting emissions by at least 43% by 2030 (compared with 2005) and reaching net zero by 2050.

African ministers meeting in Cairo ahead of the COP27 climate summit have called for a large expansion of climate financing for their continent while pushing back against an abrupt move from fossil fuels. They argue that Africa has benefited from less than 5.5% of global climate financing despite having emitting only around 3% of global CO2 emissions and suffering disproportionately from climate change. The African Development Bank says Africa is losing 5-15% of its per capita economic growth due the impacts of climate change.

New analysis by Bloomberg NEF concludes that between 2021 and 2030, four dollars will need to be invested in low-carbon energy supply for every one dollar spent on fossil fuel energy supply globally, if net zero by 2050 is to be achieved.

Climate impacts are heading into “uncharted territories of destruction”, the UN’s secretary general António Guterres has warned as a new report sets out the scale of the impacts resulting from rising emissions.?Reuters ?notes that despite a dip in emissions during coronavirus lockdowns, preliminary data reveal that global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the first half of this year were 1.2% higher than during the same period in 2019 as fossil fuels are still being burned in large volumes.?Press Association ?adds that pledges by countries to curb emissions made last year will not keep global warming to the 1.5C aspirational limit set out by the Paris Agreement. It says that the ambition of those pledges needs to be seven times higher to limit warming to 1.5C and four times higher to meet the less stringent target of 2C. According to the?Guardian , which points to flooding in Pakistan, heatwaves in Europe and near-famine conditions in parts of Africa, humanity is in danger of provoking “tipping points” in the climate system that will mean more rapid and in some cases irreversible shifts. It quotes Guterres who says: “There is nothing natural about the new scale of these disasters. They are the price of humanity’s fossil fuel addiction”.

The founder of outdoor clothing brand Patagonia – Yvon Chouinard – “is handing the outdoor clothing company to a trust that will use future profits to battle the climate crisis”, the Financial Times reports . According to the paper, the company expects to give $100m a year to the non-profit organisation.

Brazil is the world’s sixth-largest emitter of greenhouse gases and the main driver of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is beef production. It is reported that since right-wing president Bolsonaro took power, deforestation has increased, wiping out an area larger than Belgium in his first three year in power. A victory for left-wing challenger and current frontrunner Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva could avoid the loss of an area roughly the size of Panama. This would also significantly curb Brazil’s emissions when accompanied by a new focus on forest restoration.

This month’s sustainable new innovations

Biodegradable shoes, glue too

More than 20 billion pairs of shoes are made every year and most will never be recycled. Shoes are challenging to recycle because they are typically made from several different materials, with one pair often containing synthetic and natural materials. These materials are usually connected using synthetic glues.

Now, BLUEVIEW has launched what it claims is the world’s first fully biodegradable shoe. The innovative trainers are made with two new materials: Soleic and Plant Knit.

Made from plant-based oils, Soleic is a direct replacement for the traditional petroleum-based rubber and foam of shoe insoles and outsoles. Plant Knit, meanwhile, is a biodegradable textile made from hemp and eucalyptus yarn that is the world’s first plant-based, machine-knitted shoe upper.

The shoe upper is a single piece, and each shoe comes with a removable strap that provides two different looks. The sneakers are available in a range of colours, and the company recently partnered with a local aquarium to raise funds from every pair of its ‘Pacific’ shoes sold. Peer-reviewed scientific articles and independent verification, publicly available on the company’s website, confirm the biodegradability of the shoes.

Greenhouses that produce their own renewable energy

The Swiss federation of fruit and vegetable growers has set an ambitious goal of eliminating all fossil-fuel-based energy from its farming processes by 2040. This is no small feat as growing vegetables in greenhouses requires a lot of power to maintain the optimal temperature and humidity for the plants. Now, a startup called Voltiris is developing solar modules that could make self-powered greenhouses a reality.

The company’s modules use photovoltaic cells to convert sunlight into electrical energy, which can then be used to power things like lights, fans, and pumps. The company’s solar modules are similar to those of conventional solar panels but with a twist: they only utilise around half the light. Plants use only a portion of the spectrum of visible light for photosynthesis. The company’s key insight is that the remaining wavelengths can be used to generate solar power.

The Voltiris system uses filters that allow red and blue light to pass through and reach the leaves of the plants below. Meanwhile, the green and near-infrared wavelengths are directed toward photovoltaic cells that generate electricity. While the company is still piloting the technology, it has recently harvested the first vegetables grown using its system from two greenhouses in Valais and Graubünden.

Turning batteries into fertiliser

Used alkaline batteries make up around one-fifth of the hazardous household materials in landfills. When these batteries enter a landfill, the casing can be crushed or become degraded. This causes mercury and other toxins to leach into the environment. Now, cleantech startup Tracegrow Oy has developed a way to turn those used batteries into a new product – fertiliser.

Tracegrow’s process is based on separating out micronutrients from the batteries and using these in the production of fertiliser. For example, zinc, sulphur, and manganese extracted from batteries can be used directly as a micronutrient foliar fertiliser (a fertiliser applied directly to the leaves of a plant). They can also be used as components in other types of fertiliser.

Tracegrow’s fertilisers are approved for organic farming and are proven to reduce carbon emissions and enhance crop productivity compared to traditional methods. The company has recently seen new investment from Nordic Foodtech VC, a fund dedicated to investing in early-stage companies aiming to ‘radically renew’ the global food system. The recent funding round brings Tracegrow’s total funding raised to €2.5m.

Webinars:

?UKAA Webinar: Sustainability webinar: Challenges, risks and opportunities in the Whole Life Carbon approach. 10.00-11.00 Wednesday 19 October. Register here .

IAQM webinar: Climate change from the air quality perspective. 12.30-13.30 Wednesday 26 October. Register here.

Edie webinar: Building for net-zero: Decarbonising the built environment value chain. Tuesday 20 September. Watch on demand here.