Latest news with #Ecotricity
Scoop
2 days ago
- Business
- Scoop
Wellington Airport's Annual Climate Reports Released
Wellington Airport has released its annual climate-related disclosures today, outlining good progress towards reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The disclosures outline how the airport is preparing for the impacts of climate change and playing a supporting role in the decarbonisation of the wider aviation sector. Highlights from the last financial year included: Achieved Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 4+ First shipment of Sustainable Aviation Fuel at Wellington Airport used by Air New Zealand Continued work to provide electric charging for Air New Zealand's Alia BETA electric aircraft Progressing design and planning work to upgrade the southern seawall Procurement of local carbon offsets to cover all FY25 Scope 1 and Scope 3 (business travel) emissions Wellington Airport has also released its annual Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory, showing Scope 1 and 2 emissions have reduced 38% since FY17, or 68% when including certified renewable energy. Our analysis shows Wellington Airport is on track for its target of Net Zero by 2030 despite an increase in Scope 1 emissions from FY24, mostly due to increased heating during an unusually cold winter last year and refrigerant top ups. A decrease in Scope 1 emissions is expected once the gas boilers in the terminal are replaced. *With the purchase of 100% certified renewable electricity through Ecotricity, market-based Scope 2 GHG emissions are zero. Scope 3 emissions have increased 2.4% in FY25 due to an increase in emissions from fuel used by aircraft and increased construction work. Emissions from natural gas are down 46% since the base year of FY17, while airside vehicle fuel emissions are down by 44% thanks to switching to EVs and hybrids. Wellington Airport's chief executive Matt Clarke says the airport remains on track to achieve net zero emissions for its own direct operations by 2030. 'This reflects a lot of hard work from our team to improve how we operate and reduce the emissions we can directly control. Regular progress and transparent reporting are also key to making genuine progress. 'As always, there is more work to be done - especially on supporting airlines with their decarbonisation journey.' The full reports are available below: Wellington Airport Climate Related Disclosures 2025: Wellington Airport Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report 2025:
RNZ News
09-06-2025
- Business
- RNZ News
Genesis Energy to merge its retail brands into one
Genesis Energy's head office in Auckland. Photo: Supplied / Genesis Energy Genesis Energy is consolidating its three retail brands, Genesis, Frank and Ecotricity, under one unified Genesis brand to simplify its retail business. Chief revenue officer Stephen England-Hall said the one brand for all customers was part of its long-term strategy to provide a stronger and simpler offer as Genesis looked at more renewable forms of energy. "Streamlining Genesis to one brand will enable us to efficiently deploy plans and products to best support our customers as the country progresses toward net zero 2050." He said the changes would reduce duplication and complexity in its customer service, technology platforms and back-office functions, while speeding up the use of new technologies. The Frank brand would be absorbed into Genesis between June and September, with customers having the choice whether to move or find another supplier. Ecotricity has been fully owned by Genesis since last November, and its various products will continue to be offered as Genesis looked at long-term options for the business. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
BBC News
09-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Dale Vince's personal data claim against publisher thrown out
Dale Vince's High Court claim against a newspaper publisher has been thrown Vince, industrialist and founder of Stroud-based energy firm, Ecotricity, brought legal action against Associated Newspapers Limited (ANL) over a Daily Mail article headlined "Labour repays £100,000 to sex pest donor", published in June story said Labour was handing back money to donor Davide Serra with a picture showing Mr Vince holding a Just Stop Oil Vince claimed ANL misused his personal data, but the judge said it should have been heard with the defamation claim in July 2024 as "any ordinary reader would very quickly realise Mr Vince was not being accused of sexual harassment". An employment tribunal in 2022 heard Mr Serra had made sexist comments to a female colleague which were found to amount to unlawful harassment related to original picture remained in print but was changed on The Mail+ app to one of Mr Serra 47 minutes after had defended the claim and its lawyers previously told the High Court in London it was an abuse of process and a "resurrection" of a libel claim that was dismissed last Justice Swift said at the High Court on Monday: "There is no real prospect that Mr Vince will succeed on his claim. Law 'predates internet' "As in the defamation proceedings, it is accepted that on reading the text of the article published in Mail+ and the Daily Mail any ordinary reader would very quickly realise that Mr Vince was not being accused of sexual harassment."Considered on this basis the personal data relating to Mr Vince was processed fairly."He said there was "every reason" why the data protection claim should have been heard with the defamation claim last the decision, Mr Vince said he planned to appeal and the relevant media law "predates the internet".He said: "The judge said if you read the whole story, you'd realise the headline was not about me, begging the question why was my face highlighted in the articles perhaps."But more importantly, people don't read entire articles, the law assumes it - but does so wrongly, against all data and against common sense."
The Herald Scotland
28-05-2025
- Politics
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland could become first UK nation to criminalise ecocide
The legislation could see individuals found guilty jailed for up to 20 years. Senior executives at companies where offences occur with their consent or neglect would also be held liable. As well as custodial sentences, convictions could lead to publicity orders, mandatory environmental remediation and unlimited financial penalties. READ MORE: Ms Lennon pointed to pollution in waterways and the legacy of contamination from heavy industry as examples of the damage the Bill seeks to tackle. Supporters argue the legislation fills a gap in the statute book and would bring Scotland in line with over a dozen countries and the European Union, which recently revised its Environmental Crime Directive to include conduct comparable to ecocide. An open letter urging MSPs to "seize this historic opportunity" and back the Bill has been signed by more than 100 figures from politics, law, science, business and civil society. Signatories include journalist George Monbiot, actor Will Attenborough, KC and author Philippe Sands, Ecotricity founder Dale Vince, and former Finnish deputy prime minister Pertti Salolainen. Their letter states: "With this Bill, Scotland positions itself at the forefront of a global shift in environmental justice. "It joins a rising number of jurisdictions turning bold words into binding law — strengthening protections at home while helping to shape emerging international norms that reflect both scientific reality and moral necessity. "The Ecocide (Scotland) Bill sends a clear message: mass destruction of nature is beyond unacceptable — it's criminal. With political will, the law can and must align with public conscience." Ms Lennon said the Bill would send a strong message to polluters. 'I am delighted to be publishing the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill in the Scottish Parliament today, on a strong foundation of cross-party and public support,' she said. 'With ecocide law, Scotland can take bold and necessary action against severe environmental damage. 'Environmental destruction is not some distant issue for the people of Scotland — it directly threatens health, livelihoods and the future of entire communities. 'From sewage spilling into waterways to toxic pollution left behind by heavy industry, the damage is real and ongoing. 'Ecocide is a crime against the common good, and those who commit widespread or irreversible harm should be held to account. 'This is a vital opportunity for Scotland to become the first UK nation to criminalise ecocide and signal that the destruction of nature will not be tolerated here.' Monica Lennon's ecocide Bill has cross-party support (Image: Gordon Terris) Mr Vince told The Herald that ecocide should be treated with the same legal gravity as other serious crimes. 'For me, it is a great idea — that it should be illegal to purposely, knowingly and deliberately cause harm to the environment, especially the kind of harm that endures for generations, is perfectly sensible. 'We have not had such a law, and I guess that is why I am backing it as well. And you can see the harm being done around the world in pursuit of money, because there is no law to stop people doing that kind of stuff. 'We have environment regulations and stuff like that, but no actual law that says it is against the law to impact the environment.' He said Scotland could lead the way and send a message to the UK Government: 'Westminster needs a bit of encouragement to be bold on the environment." Jojo Mehta, chief executive and co-founder of Stop Ecocide International, said: 'This Scottish Bill is a striking example of how national action can drive global change. 'Around the world, ecocide law is gaining ground as a vital tool — not just to punish environmental destruction, but to prevent it. 'While the ultimate goal is to have ecocide recognised as a serious crime globally, national laws play a crucial role in legitimising that goal, building momentum and providing accountability now. 'They help shape legal norms that are increasingly being reflected in international frameworks. 'From the new Council of Europe Convention, which enables states to prosecute acts 'tantamount to ecocide', to the formal proposal by Vanuatu, Fiji and Samoa to make ecocide a core international crime, momentum is accelerating. 'Scotland's move adds meaningful weight to this shift, reinforcing the growing global consensus that mass destruction of nature must be treated as a crime, in law and in principle.' Scrutiny of the Bill is expected to begin before the summer recess, with a vote due later this year. If passed, the Ecocide (Scotland) Bill would require the Scottish Government to report on its operation after five years, including data on prosecutions, convictions and the law's environmental and financial impact.
The Independent
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Independent
What is Ed Miliband's ‘postcode pricing' plan for energy bills and how would it work?
The government is weighing up a change to the way UK households and businesses pay for electricity, where homes in the South of England could pay more than those in Scotland. Zonal electricity pricing, which is being dubbed 'postcode pricing' for bill payers, splits the UK into parts with different electricity rates for each. In Scotland, renewable power, including wind and hydroelectric, amply provides for all the nation's power needs, and prices there could drop significantly. Meanwhile, in the South and Midlands of the UK, peak power demand requires far more fossil fuels to be used, which would mean higher prices compared to Scotland. Proponents of the plan insist that it could slash energy prices for everyone and end an effective subsidy which parts of the UK provide to the south, where wind and solar farms are scarce. But critics say the plan does not solve the underlying problem which plagues the UK's grid, that household prices are tied to those of expensive natural gas. They also point out that prices for homes in the south could go up. But Energy Secretary Ed Miliband insisted the reforms were far from finalised and that bill hikes were out of the question. He told LBC: 'I'm not going to take a decision that is going to raise prices in some parts of the country. That is not what I'm going to do. 'Honestly, this is about reforms to cut prices for people, that is my absolute bottom line here.' Campaigners have long called for a faster uptake of green energy and also more insulation for draughty homes in order to cut bills. In theory, green energy is cheaper than fossil fuels because the fuel - wind and solar power - are both free, while oil, gas and coal are expensive to extract, process and transport. In practice, because wind and solar energy only come during sunny and windy periods, the grid needs to top itself up with gas-fuelled electricity. This costs a lot more and is used as a gauge for domestic electricity pricing. Dale Vince, the green entrepreneur who set up the energy firm Ecotricity, told the Today programme that he thought zonal pricing was a 'terrible idea'. He warned that in the areas where most people live in the UK, such as Southern England, 'people will pay more'. 'That's a gift for the people who say we can't afford green energy,' he said. What is 'zonal pricing'? Zonal pricing is where different areas of the UK pay different rates for electricity. The idea behind this is that it is unfair for those who live close to wind and solar farms which provide cheap, low-carbon energy to pay the same as those who live far away. Proponents of zonal pricing, such as Greg Jackson, the boss of Octopus Energy, say this would lower bills for everyone since more wind power could be used. On particularly windy days suppliers are sometimes paid to switch wind generation off. This is because the grid was designed for coal-fired power stations and it needs to be overhauled, Mr Jackson. Smaller zones could be priced using renewables instead. How would it work? The UK would be divided into zones. If you live in a zone with more renewable power generation, you and your business will pay less for electricity. This will reward those who support cheap, green energy projects in their area and could prove a boon for Scottish and northern English manufacturing, as the UK suffers the highest industrial electricity prices in Europe. Many of the smaller zones would use a much higher percentage of renewable energy. How much would household energy bills be affected? This is still unknown. It would depend on where these zones are and how, precisely, the benefits of cheaper renewable power are calculated. Would southerners pay more? Homes in the South of England would pay more than everyone else in this scenario, but it is yet to be decided if they will pay more than they currently pay. This is largely down to whether zonal energy is paired with other reforms in electricity pricing, which could cut prices for everyone. Recent surges in electricity prices have been down to high natural gas prices. Natural gas supplies less than a third of UK power with low-carbon sources such as wind, solar, hydro and nuclear power providing more than half. But because gas-powered stations can be quickly turned on to pick up the slack on windless days or when demand surges, they attract higher prices, driving up the costs for all users. A reform to this system could help cut costs for most customers. How would it come into effect? The government would have to give this plan a green light. Zonal pricing is one idea being considered within a broader review of the UK's electricity market, which was kicked off by the last government.
