Today the government gave a long awaited update on the measures being taken to promote the 'green recovery' in order to achieve the targets set out in the Paris Climate Agreement signed in 2016.
Government brings forward the banning of petrol and diesel cars
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced that the sale petrol and diesel cars will not be sold in the UK from 2030. The announcement came alongside the prime ministers 10-point-plan To promote the ‘Green Industrial Revolution’ to tackle climate change and help the UK meet it’s target of being carbon-neutral by 2050
The ban on sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2040 had previously been announced by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove in 2017 but the covid-19 pandemic has accelerated plans to create new jobs in green industries.
The shadow business secretary, Ed Miliband, said that the plan doesn’t ‘’remotely meet the scale of what is needed to tackle unemployment and the climate emergency.
"Only a fraction of the funding announced today is new."
Can a rethink of Green Mortgages make the City of London the centre of green finance?
Alongside the 10-point-plan to tackle climate change, the prime minister announced that the ‘Green Homes Grant’ used to pay for insulating homes has been extended by a year due to the overwhelming demand. Meaning that homes will need to have the works completed by March 2022 in order to qualify for the funding.
The government will also continue to support the City of London in becoming the world leader in green finance and this is an area that Matthew Fleming-Duffy, Director of Cherry Mortgage and Finance, has long been championing. He has urged the government to do more to promote green mortgages, an area which he believes we should be taking a cue from the US property market. Rather than offering a cheaper ‘green’ mortgage on a property that already has a valid Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), it would be more beneficial to offer an incentive to improve the energy efficiency of older properties to boost the EPC rating.
Beauty Kitchens aims to turn Black Friday Green
Beauty Kitchen founder and owner, Jo Chidley, is urging consumers not to forgo the usual Black Friday sales but rather to make a statement about the type of consumption by supporting a circular economy and minimising waste. Beauty Kitchen are continuing the #reuserevolution campaign which promotes more sustainable options for day-to-day items.
Jo says ‘’Black Friday is a time filled with rushed decisions and pressured purchases. We receive so much support from our Beauty Kitchen community who have supported our values and ethos, so we wanted to give you the opportunity to take part in a more sustainable Green Friday where we can all make more conscious, less time-limited choices. Black Friday is a trend…but sustainability is here to stay…’’
To hear more about the aims of Beauty Kitchen and why they have been voted in the top 5 natural beauty providers for the 3rd year in a row listen to Jo on the Leaders Council Podcast.
