By 2020, the European Union is pledged to cut carbon emissions to 20 per cent of the 1990 levels. However, the British Minister for Energy and Climate Change, Greg Barker, is keen to press for a more ambitious target going forward. The UK will not act in a unilateral fashion, but it will seek to persuade other European member states to scale up their aspirations. (more…)

The huge threat posed by climate change is going to dominate the environmental agenda for some years. However, it is not just carbon emissions which could make urban life in the UK more problematic in the decades to come. Other types of air pollution can be detrimental to public health. Over half a century has gone by since (more…)

The British government has signed up to targets to limit carbon emissions. However, there is some controversy over precisely what should be included in the targets. Some interest groups are content that pollution from aviation and shipping is not currently taken into account. At the moment, the Committee on Climate Change is lobbying to (more…)

Scientists have been examining past examples of climate change to develop a better understanding of present dilemmas. They have been studying the aftermath of an Ice Age in an attempt to see whether higher temperatures led to more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere or vice versa. Published in the ‘Nature’ journal, the reviewed paper the scientists have produced indicates that (more…)

Arguably, the state in which we leave the planet for future generations has got a moral dimension. However, it is not the only moral responsibility that governments, businesses and individuals have to live up to. (more…)

Prime Minister David Cameron has been determined to make an influence on the international debate about the future of the environment. At a clean energy summit in London, the Prime Minister will set out his vision in front of an audience of ministers from G20 countries. As well as the politicians, representatives of multinational energy corporations will also be in attendance. (more…)

Despite the caution of public expenditure at the present time, the British government is holding another competition in order to promote research into carbon capture and storage. They are offering to spend a billion pounds as an incentive for entrants to innovate. Conscious of the failure of an earlier competition in relation to the technology, the government is encouraging a greater diversity of entrants. (more…)

The scientists at the Met Office are convinced the threats posed by man-made climate change are very serious. They do not believe the arguments advanced by climate change sceptics. Nonetheless, the Met Office has been a little worried by the fractious nature of the debate. Hence they have hosted events at which some prominent climate change sceptics have been permitted to air their views. (more…)

Some things about the business world are short-lived trends. It is possible to make money out of them for a while, but in the long term fresh thinking will be required. On the other hand, other aspects of the business world have an enduring appeal. (more…)

Managing an office can be somewhat wearing. Running a business is hard work, especially dealing with employees. The first thing which is difficult is directing the recruitment process. Firstly, one has to pick suitable candidates. Secondly, one has to select the best people for the various positions. (more…)