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AG responds to DECC skills consultation
23rd June 2010Today the Aldersgate Group (AG) submitted its response to DECC's consultation on "Meeting the Low Carbon Skills Challenge."
The response welcomed the development of a comprehensive low carbon skills framework but emphasised the need for the government to develop this strategy.
Early Day Motion welcomes AG report
17th June 2010A cross party Early Day Movement (EDM) has been tabled by Martin Horwood MP, Tim Yeo MP and Paul Flynn MP to support the AG's Accelerating the Transition report. It welcomes the cross-party commitment for a rapid transition to a low carbon and resource efficient economy and calls for the report recommendations to be implemented by the new government. The AG will be encouraging MPs to sign the EDM over the next few weeks. A link to the EDM can be found here (number 272).
New members
16th June 2010The Aldersgate Group is delighted to welcome new members: AXA Investment Managers, Herbert Smith LLP, Ownergy, SmartestEnergy and WYG Group.
Next government has 100 days to move Britain onto low carbon track
28th April 2010If we want sustainable economic growth and jobs, our financial recovery is doomed to failure if it does not address our environmental deficit, writes Peter Young (Chairman, Aldersgate Group) in the Guardian today.
Letter to The Times on GIB funding
14th April 2010The Aldersgate Group (AG) was one of the signatories to a letter, published in The Times today. This called for the Green Investment Bank (GIB) to be funded by auctioned pollution permits, which could raise an estimated £40 billion by 2020.
The AG has been working with TransformUK, promoting the Green Investment Bank and how it can work. Read the published letter here.
AG supports Budget commitment to GIB
24th March 2010The Aldersgate Group support the Budget announcement for the introduction of a Green Investment Bank.
Peter Young, Chairman of the Aldersgate Group, said: "The new Green Investment Bank is rightly at the heart of the Government's growth and jobs strategy. This will help leverage private sector funds at sufficient scale to deliver a swift and competitive transition to a low carbon economy." "The initial £2 billion of equity is a good start but must be rapidly scaled up over the next Parliament. The total low carbon investment needed by 2020 is at least £250 billion, leading to more secure jobs and a more prosperous future."
Coalition supports GIB
19th March 2010Peter Young, Chairman of the Aldersgate Group, is one of the signatories of a letter to the Guardian, today.
The letter calls for the establishment of a green infrastructure bank to support the investments in low carbon infrastructure, low carbon energy and energy efficiency that Britain needs over the next two decades.
Other signatories included Climate Change Capital, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, E3G, the New Economics Foundation and Environmental Industries Commission.
To read the full letter, click here.
AG Chairman outlines impact of policy drivers
4th March 2010Peter Young delivered a keynote speech at the SmartestEnergy annual conference today. He outlined the competitive threat posed by the US in attracting investment for green technologies and argued that environmental issues will not be a key battle ground in the General Election.
To read more, click here.
AG welcomes Osborne commitment for Green Investment Bank
2nd February 2010The Aldersgate Group commends the Conservatives' commitment to create Britain's first Green Investment Bank, announced by Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne MP today.
If sufficiently ambitious in scale, this will help the UK increase its share of the global environmental markets while ensuring it remains a hub for low carbon technology finance.
Aldersgate Group calls for Beyond Carbon economic strategy
1st February 2010The UK must adopt an industrial strategy which goes ‘beyond carbon’ to address critical resource efficiency challenges in all areas of the economy if it is to maintain employment and a competitive, sustainable advantage in global markets, now and in the future.
Media coverage includes:
uk.reuters.com
www.greenwisebusiness.co.uk
www.edie.net
www.independent.co.uk
Beyond Carbon: extended case studies
1st February 2010These case studies are the unedited versions of the three examples given in the Aldersgate Group's latest report, 'Beyond Carbon'. As such they contain further discussion on the themes of the report and more suggested solutions.
These views are the product of working groups, convened for three roundtable events. They therefore do not represent the views of the Aldersgate Group, any one individual or organisation. The case studies are intended to provoke thought and discussion.
Beyond Carbon: Professor Ekins' presentation
1st February 2010At the launch of the Aldersgate Group's report, "Beyond Carbon", Professor Ekins presented the following slides to the audience.
Beyond Carbon: Dr Eduljee's presentation
1st February 2010At the launch of the Aldersgate Group's report, "Beyond Carbon", Dr Eduljee presented the following slides to the audience (click button to the right).
Hilary Benn: AG has helped lead corporate sector reporting
26th January 2010The Aldersgate Group's work on mandatory carbon reporting was publicly acknowledged at a recent hearing of the Environmental Audit Committee (26th January 2010) by Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. He noted that, "one of the things that’s been quite striking in the UK has been the movement within the corporate sector to report – I’m thinking of the Aldersgate Group."
On 8th January 2010 the Group sent a letter to Lord Mandelson which was copied to Mr Benn, calling for mandatory reporting for all large UK organisations, in order to secure greater accountability and transparency.
To see the hearing, click here.
Mandatory carbon reporting could be bought in before 2012
21st January 2010Ed Miliband, Secretary of State for Environment and Climate Change, has hinted that mandatory carbon reporting for UK business could be brought in before 2012, he told the Aldersgate Group.
Read coverage here.
UKs Miliband confident of binding climate pact in Mexico
14th January 2010UN talks in Mexico at the end of this year are likely to produce the legally binding climate change treaty that eluded negotiators in Copenhagen, the UK’s climate change secretary of state informed the Aldersgate Group.
Aldersgate Group Calls for Mandatory Carbon Reporting
8th January 2010The Aldersgate Group has written an open letter to Business Secretary Lord Mandelson, calling for greenhouse gas (GHG) reporting to be made mandatory for all large UK organisations as soon as possible.
Over 50 MPs, including Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg and Conservative Shadow Climate Change Minister Greg Barker MP, have signed the letter, along with a diverse range of organisations including Aviva, BSkyB, The Cooperative, Barratt Homes, National Grid, United Utilities, BIFFA, Friends of the Earth, WWF and Reed Elsevier.
Read coverage here.