Energy & Environmental Management articles from January 2003

Energy & Environmental Management archives from January 2003

Brown takes the tax stick to waste. (News).(Chancellor Gordon Brown)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Government has signalled it will use more tax sticks and financial carrots in its desire to protect the environment. Included in the preview of next spring's Budget statement Chancellor Gordon Brown announced several environmental tax...

Tackling the throwaway culture ... and road fuel pollution. (News).
January 1, 2003... News of the Landfill Tax increase was greeted by WRAP--Waste and Resources Action Programme--as especially significant coming a day after a new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development report said low landfill costs in Britain...

Clean technology will deliver. (News).(Clean Development Mechanism)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Companies expecting to supply clean technology to developing countries under the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), should be able to see results this year. CDM is a key instrument in delivering Kyoto protocol success. This will mean real...

76m [pounds sterling] to back recycling. (News).(funds allocated)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Environment Secretary Margaret Beckett has allocated 76 million [pounds sterling] from the National Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund to help local authorities set up recycling and waste initiatives across England. Over a quarter of...

Mapping the low carbon economy. (News).(Sustainable Development Commission)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Sustainable Development Commission has called on towns, regions, public organisations and businesses to join them in a new programme that will map out the UK's future low carbon economy. The dCARB-uk project will fill the gap between...

Funding for community heating.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The third Community Energy bidding round closes on 31 January. Eighteen public sector organisations applied for 11m [pounds sterling] funding under round two. The programme, managed by the Energy Saving Trust and Carbon Trust, supports all...

Biodiversity--the strategy.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The implications of any development on biodiversity must be considered as an integral part of other key policies, such as agriculture, water, urban areas, marine environment, and in every part of people's lives. This is a key element of...

Carbon vision.(The Carbon Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council form Carbon Vision investment intiative)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Carbon Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have formed `Carbon Vision', a new 14 million [pounds sterling] investment initiative which will marry the needs of business with the capabilities of university...

Levy works says survey--but carbon tax would be better. (News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... There are clear signs that Climate Change Levy measures are working even though it has been in place only 18 months. In contrast to recent criticism from the Royal Society and the Confederation of British Industry, the Levy earns a positive...

Joining forces? (News).(Institute of Energy, Institute of Petroleum to create new Energy Institute)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Institute of Energy is expected to merge with the Institute of Petroleum to create a new body called the Energy Institute. John Ingham is the interim chief of the Institute of Energy. Louise Kingham has moved over to the Institute of...

Urban priorities. (News).(urban environmental planning, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott called for a new, integrated approach to urban policies at the Urban Summit in Birmingham. Talking of an "urban renaissance" and "what the Americans call new urbanism", he said that town planners should...

Sharing the burden: waste trading to drive landfill strategy. (News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A new Waste and Emissions Trading Bill sets possible targets for local authorities to reduce the amount of biodegradable waste sent to landfill through a system of tradable allowances. It also sets out a system of fines for participants in the...

New energy network for business. (News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A new nationwide network of regional managers has been set up to help businesses make cost savings through improved energy efficiency. The Regional Manager Network, managed by The Carbon Trust, will reflect the RDA structure and will...

Honda prize winner. (News).(vehicle pollution reduction award to British engineer)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... British engineer Dr Barry Cooper has won the international Honda Prize in recognition of his work on technologies for petrol and diesel vehicle emissions. The Honda Foundation advocates eco-technology, and Dr Cooper's work at Johnson Matthey in...

Government must do better. (News).(sustainable development management)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Government departments have to work harder to deliver sustainable development, Environment Minister Michael Meacher told the launch meeting of the annual progress report on Sustainable Development in Government. All departments exceeded...

Edmonton incinerator--apology. (News).(London Waste Ltd., SITA incinerator emission limits incorrected stated in September-October edition)(Correction Notice)
January 1, 2003... Under the heading "Waste facts" on page 3 of the Focus on Waste supplement of Energy Resource Environmental and Sustainable Management (September-October edition) there were two inaccuracies concerning the Edmonton incinerator, North London. It...

Climate change our business. (Advertising Feature).
January 1, 2003... Ten years on from the 1992 Rio Earth Summit that led to the Kyoto Protocol, Prime Minister Tony Blair made a strong appeal in Johannesburg to go beyond the outcome predicted to achieve a 1% reduction in greenhouse gasses by 2010. By contrast...

Strategy report's world-class aims. (Waste News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A world class waste management system should be achieved in the UK by 2020, according to the much-awaited waste strategy review prepared by the Strategy Unit for Tony Blair. It was released on the same day as the Chancellor's pre-Budget speech....

Waste not want not. (Waste News).(waste management planning, United Kingdom)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Points from the Strategy Unit report: The UK is not paying enough for waste management and on present trends, will not be able to comply with EU law. The respective roles of Defra and the Environment Agency need clarifying, with the EA...

Catering for recovery. (Waste News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The composting of catering kitchen waste containing meat is set to be allowed as long as it meets specific treatment standards. This will help create a more sustainable treatment and recovery chain for biodegradable waste. A consultation...

WasteWise essentials. (Waste News).(waste miniminsation CD-ROM)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A free interactive waste minimisation CD-ROM, WasteWise is packed with essential information companies need to minimise waste and save money. The material can support presentations to management and in-house training. Call 0800 585794; or the...

Cost depends on the mix. (Renewables).(United Kingdom plan to increase electricity from renewable resources)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A plan being considered for the Energy White Paper to meet 20% of UK electricity from renewable sources by 2020 could increase system costs by up to 400 million [pounds sterling] a year, according to consultants ILEX in a study for the...

Green coal tests. (Renewables).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Powergen expects to carry out tests to burn wood or straw mixed with coal at the Kingsnorth power station in Kent. This will enable it to claim valuable green certificates (ROCs). If co-firing becomes widespread it will lead to a huge increase...

BETTA market prospects. (Renewables).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... In April 2004 the introduction of the British Energy Trading and Transmission Arrangements (BETTA) will create a single, wholesale electricity market for Britain. Energy Minister Brian Wilson, in a speech in Scotland, has said that this will...

The future offshore. (Renewables).(offshore wind farms on English and Welsh coasts)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... More offshore wind farms are expected in three areas off the English and Welsh coasts. Launching a consultation on the Government's new offshore wind strategy, Energy Minister Brian Wilson looked forward to much bigger schemes than those...

Wave power bus. (Renewables).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Passengers on Scotland's whisky-producing island of Islay can now catch a bus powered by wave-generated electricity. Greenpeace has donated the bus, to be powered from the commercial wave generator on Islay, which aims to be energy...

Wind farm appeal. (Renewables).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Nine out of 10 tourists visiting some of Scotland's top beauty spots say the presence of wind farms makes no difference to the enjoyment of their holiday, according to a poll by MORI Scotland. Questioned about wind farm visitor and information...

Compost batteries. (Renewables).(University of the West of England microbial fuel cell research)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Researchers at the University of the West of England (UWE) in Bristol have developed a microbial fuel cell, about the size of a pack of cards, that could be powered by organic household waste and supply domestic appliances. The bacteria-driven...

Markets go-ahead. (EU News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Full liberalisation of European energy markets will go ahead following a ruling of EU energy ministers. It is expected to support green energy suppliers. However, a compromise over electricity labelling will not compel all suppliers to...

Biofuel targets. (EU News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... EU foreign ministers have asked for non-binding indicative targets for the share of biofuels in road fuels to increase to 2% by 2005 and 5.75% by 2010. See www.consilium.eu.int/.

Best practice bibles. (EU News).(environmental protection)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Three new `bibles' detailing best available techniques (BAT) for environmental protection under IPPC rules have been published. These official EU reference documents cover textiles, general monitoring procedures and intensive livestock farming....

Solar funding. (EU News).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... German bank KfW has announced that its loan programme for domestic photovoltaic solar panel installations has topped 1 billion [euro], and has enabled installation of enough solar cells to power 50,000 households.

Intelligent energy. (EU News).(funding for renewable energy programme )(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The EU parliament has adopted a report on a four-year intelligent energy programme to fund renewables and energy-efficiency schemes. It wants the budget increased to 255m [euro] from 215m [euro] proposed by the European Commission.

Ready for a quantum leap: after 10 years, energy efficiency isn't just for the `mafia': chief executive of the Energy Saving Trust, Dr Eoin Lees, steps down at the end of January from the organisation he has headed for a decade. Here he looks back at EST's first 10 years. (Feature).
January 1, 2003... It seems only yesterday that I stepped into the first, very empty offices of the Energy Saving Trust. My lofty brief: to establish an `imaginative initiative of national importance', a private, non-profit company to promote the efficient use of...

Innovative energy solutions: Peter Brotherhood Ltd has an international reputation as a provider of innovative engineering solutions, which are used across a range of industries from oil and petrochemicals to renewable and sustainable energy. (Advertising Feature).
January 1, 2003... Specialist engineering Established in 1867, Peter Brotherhood Ltd operates from a new prestigious purpose-built engineering facility located in Peterborough, UK. The premises are equipped with the latest engineering and business management...

Showing how you can do-it-yourself: a leading DIY retailer has built a number of low-cost and cutting-edge features into its new warehouse that makes it a good example of environmental commercial building design. (Feature).
January 1, 2003... The new B&Q warehouse in Sutton in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, uses a vanety of small, often unnoticeable design changes, that together aim to make a big difference to the environment. Energy saving Many energy saving features were...

The options are awesome: blind faith in fossil fuels? Off the hook with new technologies and polluter charges? We're deceiving ourselves. (Viewpoint).
January 1, 2003... We are at a defining moment in history. Governments in countries around the world have sought to promote prosperity through economic growth. But it is increasingly obvious that this approach is fundamentally flawed. What distinguishes the...

EU agrees C[O.sub.2] trading. (Viewpoint).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Rules for EU-wide trading of carbon dioxide and, later, other greenhouse gas emission allowances have been agreed by European environment ministers. They include an option of trading pools within industry sectors, a limited opt-out clause...

Contraction and convergence. (Viewpoint).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Contraction of carbon dioxide emissions is vital for ecological survival. In order to avert climatic disaster, Contraction and Convergence requires the vast reduction of carbon emissions by the developed world (contraction) and an...

Doing more ... with less: reducing environmental impact through resource use and efficiency--new research. (Feature).
January 1, 2003... Doing more with less is efficient--and elegant. Applied to material resources and energy, it's called resource efficiency. It saves money and reduces our impact on the environment while trying to improve quality of life. To be effective,...

ICT sector: what are individual sectors doing about resource efficiency? We look at two significant industries.(integrated circuit technology)
January 1, 2003... The ICT sector has improved its environmental performance, but sees its external role as "an enabler of greater sustainability" as offering the greatest potential, concludes a report published for the Johannesburg summit by the Global...

Motor industry. (Feature).
January 1, 2003... Despite great progress towards cleaner manufacturing and vehicles, almost limitless demand for more mobility poses severe challenges in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, air pollution, congestion and road safety. Responding to the...

Green light for intelligent transport. (Best Practice).(traffic management system, Milton Keynes, England)
January 1, 2003... Green lights mean more than good luck in Milton Keynes. A new 1.5 million [pounds sterling] traffic management system will make travel, driving and parking in Central Milton Keynes (CMK), quicker, cleaner, cheaper and less stressful. ...

Winning ways to new business. (Best Practice).(energy management)
January 1, 2003... Yorkshire based company Interface Fabrics Ltd has been weaving more than materials. It has been exploring the warp and weft of its processes to minimise its impact on the environment. Since 1993, when warm water replaced its cold water...

Addressing agenda 21. (Feature).
January 1, 2003... I have just returned from a two-week winter break in Cape Town. There, under the burning African skies the hole in the ozone layer allows an unhealthily large amount of ultra violet radiation through. The Cape Town newspapers publish daily...

Consultants' register. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Institute of Energy is now developing Action Energy's register of consultants. Action Energy, run by The Carbon Trust, gives free advice to organisations to reduce costs and improve environmental performance. The Register could have broader...

Building business. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... BRE (the Buildings Research Establishment) is organising a series of briefings for managing directors and senior partners on the benefits of adopting a sustainable approach to business, and introducing MaSC, a new management tool that helps...

Environment in your pocket. (Resources).(environmental data statistics)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Environment in your Pocket is an A6 booklet with over 50 key data series covering the global atmosphere, air quality, inland water quality and use, coastal and marine waters, radioactivity, noise, waste and recycling, land use and land...

East of England study. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A new study will develop adaptation strategies and short-term practical responses to the likely impacts of climate change in the Eastern region. Further information: Vanessa Tilling, email: VTilling.GO-EAST@go-regions.gsi.gov.uk.

Defra's plant project--a new atlas. (Resources).(United Kingdom's Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs publishes distribution chart of Britain and Ireland flowering plants, ferns)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... `The New Atlas of the British and Irish Flora,' which charts the distribution of every flowering plant and fern species across Britain and Ireland, is a 910-page volume, produced from nine million records, featuring 2,412 maps. The massive...

BEST practice. (Resources).(energy management workshop, Belgium)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Bringing Energy Services to the Liberalised Markets (BEST), from the Wuppertal Institute, disseminates good practice in policy mechanisms, energy efficiency programmes and services. Workshops will be held in January, a conference in Brussels on...

Events diary.(energy management conferences)(Calendar)
January 1, 2003... 6 February: Business and Society CSR Conference; Church House, Conference Centre, Westminster, London. This Guardian and Observer event will explore corporate social responsibility consequences for industry, government and pressure groups....

Combustion on the web. (Resources).(renewable energy recommendations)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... At least 14% of the South East's electricity should be supplied from renewable energy sources, especially solar and wind energy, by 2026. This is the key message from the Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Strategy published by the South...

Reduce costs in buildings. (Resources).(energy management)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... Many industrial businesses are still missing out on energy savings because they concentrate on processes and tend to ignore the energy efficiency of their buildings. A new guide from Action Energy (ref GPG304),"The purchaser's guide to...

Air quality in buildings. (Resources).(information on equipment and employee support institute)(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A BRE-led project aims to demonstrate the use of an innovative low energy ventilation system for buildings which will improve air quality and reduce energy use. Maintaining air quality in new houses can be a challenge because they are being...

Sea change. (Resources).(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A UK marine environment climate change website has been set up at www.mba.ac.uk/marclim to describe the aims of the MarClim study. * The Government wants your views on how to conserve the marine environment. A consultation paper is...

Degree days--November & December 2002. (Resources).
January 1, 2003... Degree Days-November & December 2002 Thames South Southern South Severn Valley Eastern Western Valley 20 yr. avg 229 251 239 195 ...

Government office environmental and energy management contacts.
January 1, 2003... There are 12 environmental and energy management contacts in government offices who can advise on energy and environmental business support activities in your region. Also contact the Environment and Energy Helpline 0800 585 794 for advice...

Key role for new society: most of us know instinctively what we mean by sustainability, or rather a society which lives by sustainable means. But it is proving difficult to be precise in how this ideal state should be achieved. Professor Peter Matthews looks at new collaboration and professional development aimed at achieving sustainable communities. (focus on training for sustainable development).
January 1, 2003... Sustainable development is the means by which we will achieve this goal, but the pace and style of that development is very much a function of the will and commitment of society and, in particular, organisations and individuals within society....

Environmental auditing.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... The Government remains committed to continuing to report progress towards sustainable development by using indicators. This is part of its response to the Environmental Audit Committee Fourth Report (2001-02): Measuring the Quality of Life--The...

Planning call.(Brief Article)
January 1, 2003... A call for papers has been issued for the First International Conference on Sustainable Planning and Development, for planners, environmentalists, engineers, ecologists, economists, policy makers and other government officials, 1-3 October...

Managing to meet the standards. (focus on training for sustainable development).
January 1, 2003... Since the emergence of the first certified environmental management systems (EMS) in the mid-nineties, there has been an increasing level of use within industry. This reflects Government's commitment to sustainable development and the...

Skilling up for sustainability. (focus on training for sustainable development).
January 1, 2003... Three crucial sectors in the world of work are benefiting from new Government sponsored guidance on how to make workplaces more sustainable. Trade unions, professions and Sector Skills Councils have each received tailored guidance, including...

Worst practice guide to energy and environmental management: warning--applying this guidance can lead to world-class worst practice. (focus on training for sustainable development).
January 1, 2003... We all make mistakes but the most successful companies learn from them. This `worst practice' guide is intended to help you learn from the mistakes that others have made, so that you can identify and avoid them. Alternatively, you could follow...

The knowledge is out there. (Web directory).(sustainable energy and energy or environmental management web sites)
January 1, 2003... Confused by the welter of data on the web? Energy Resource Environmental & Sustainable Management magazine always likes to give web references for its articles, but here we pull many of them together to give you a handy guide for...

We cannot leave it all to government: sustainable development can seem shrouded in mystery. Rob Wall a member of the Institute of Energy and researcher at De Montfort University, helps to define it and examine its implications. (focus on training for sustainable development).(related article featuring information on Institute of Energy course, Professional Practice for Sustainable Development)
January 1, 2003... Sustainable development is a term that many still regard as an oxymoron. People I've spoken to have raised eyebrows and asked how development can be sustainable. By its very nature development requires resources, produces wastes and alters the...