Helena Bennett

And worth noting what Conservative voters themselves actually think about climate action & net zero...

"Conservative target voters want the Conservatives to work with the Government on the overall aim of tackling climate change" new report from @Onward

www.ukonward.com/reports/poli...

Conservative party to ditch commitment to net zero in UK by 2050 Break in cross-party consensus on issue to be announced on Tuesday

Badenoch:

"The current policies the UK is implementing are largely failing to do this, whilst, at the same time, driving up the cost of energy"

Reality:

Volatile gas prices are driving up the cost of energy
Net zero policies *are* working
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Record year for UK heat pump sales and training New data from the Heat Pump Association (HPA) reveals that 2024 saw a significant 63% increase in hydronic heat pump sales, and a 15% increase in individuals completing a recognised heat pump training...

Amongst all the other climate news buffeting round today, here’s something good:

2024 UK heat pump sales up 63% on 2023 🥳

www.heatpumps.org.uk/record-year-...

Wild that proposed airport expansions - which have dodgy claims to increase economic growth at best - would wipe out the emissions savings from Labour's 2030 clean power plan

There's little point in going hard on climate in some areas while going backwards on others...

@neweconomics.bsky.social

A Quarter of New Cars Sold in the UK Were Electric in November One in four new cars registered in the UK last month were fully electric, a transportation research group said, touting the new figures as evidence that the country’s EV sales mandate is working.

🚨1 in 4 cars sold in November were EVs

Despite the fuss and drama of the last few weeks, UK EV sales are racing ahead

A nice evidence point that the ZEV mandate is working and need not be amended

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

Everyone is sympathetic to industry needing the right kind of support to transition to EVs, but watering down the ZEV mandate will:
- Create further uncertainty
- Undermine existing investment made into EVs
- put UK manufacturing at *more* risk by falling behind in the global race

2. Other conditions (Brexit, cheap small Chinese EVs, lack of industrial strategy) have contributed heavily to the decline of the auto sector in the UK

Industry bosses themselves are even coming out saying the ZEV mandate has little to do with what's going on with closures:
bsky.app/profile/andy...

Vauxhall owner was ‘confident’ about meeting EV rules before factory shutdown Exclusive: Stellantis executive’s recent comments to investors undermine claim Luton closure was down to emission mandate

1. Targets under the mandate are close to being met in the first year across the industry, which industry itself has confirmed:

"Stellantis executive’s recent comments to investors undermine claim Luton closure was down to emission mandate"

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Ayayayyy what a week for EVs

News of the Stellantis Luton factory closure has been conflated with the ZEV mandate failing, but it's pretty clear to anyone paying attention that the two things are not really related...

2 big things to note on this:

The ZEV mandate fuels the UK’s EV boom T&E's briefing sets out why the ZEV mandate is achievable – and how it is already making electric cars more affordable.

Weakening the ZEV mandate would hurt the UK auto industry AND consumers.

The government must prioritise a coherent industrial strategy that drives investment in UK EV manufacturing rather than weakening key climate regulations.

Read the briefing: www.transportenvironment.org/te-united-ki...

HUGE and unexpected win in #Budget24 on private jets: air passenger duty hike. Good for climate, good for the economy. Total no brainer.

September was the biggest month on record for EV sales 🥳

Despite recent protestations from the industry, sales are up, with over 53,000 EVs being sold last month

More needed, of course, but the transition is well underway

Data from New Automotive
newautomotive.org/ecc

Your Trusted Source for Sustainable Home Heating Solutions Learn about the future of home heating with Get a Heat Pump: offering independent information, tools and guidance for homeowners.

Exciting day!

A new source for heat pump information has arrived from @nestauk.bsky.social & MCS Foundation

#GetAHeatPump has re-launched with new & improved information, covering everything from heat pump costs to renovation tips.

An excellent tool for consumers!

GetAHeatPump.org.uk

Ofc it's more than just IT ("reform of the planning and consenting regime; streamlining of the regulatory approval process; changes to the grid connections process”) but it's an great perspective that these are technical challenges that can be overcome

The man in charge of Labour’s green energy dream: ‘It’s at the limit of what’s achievable’ Fintan Slye, head of the new grid operator Neso, is aware that critics are sceptical about achieving ‘clean power by 2030’. But with tough decisions, he says, it can be done

National Energy System Operator day is here, and this is good piece on Slye, the man in charge, and some of the key challenges on meeting the 2030 power decarb target ("There are issues... But it’s not a bias issue, or a culture issue." tldr - IT issues)

www.theguardian.com/business/202...

Last UK coal plant closes and successfully redeploys the workforce The last UK coal power station is closing this month. When Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station shuts down, the UK will end 140 years of burning coal to make electricity - the first G7 country to phase out...

Importantly, this closure was done hand in hand with unions to ensure no workers were left behind, starting back in 2015. Many lessons to be learned about how other sectors transition to net zero going forward.

Good blog from @the-tuc.bsky.social here: www.tuc.org.uk/blogs/last-u...

End of an era as Britain’s last coal-fired power plant shuts down UK’s 142-year history of coal-fired electricity ends as turbines at Ratcliffe-on-Soar plant in Nottinghamshire stop for good

A pretty monumental day for climate action.

Only 20 years ago was coal providing the majority of fuel used for electricity in the UK.

We were the first country in the world to start burning coal, and the first major economy to phase it out.

www.theguardian.com/business/202...