Tag: environment

‘Decisive action’ to break influence of gas on electricity prices

Families across the country will be better protected from energy crises, as government moves to break link between gas and electricity prices

  • Families across the country will be better protected from energy crises, as government moves to break link between gas and electricity prices
  • New plans include long‑term fixed‑price contracts for renewables, protecting families when gas prices spike
  • Immediate action to tax excess profits through the Electricity Generator Levy by raising the rate from 45% to 55%, ensuring an increased proportion of the extraordinary revenue generated when the gas price spikes is available to government to support businesses and households with the cost-of-living
  • Comes as government doubles down on drive for clean, homegrown power with raft of measures to unlock public land, speed up planning and cut bills for families

Plans to better protect families and businesses by ending the unfair way international gas prices push up electricity prices across Great Britain take a major step forward today.

Instability in the Middle East has shown that Britain’s reliance on international fossil fuel markets leaves families and businesses exposed to volatile gas prices, driving the cost-of-living crisis even though much of the country’s electricity comes from cheaper renewables and nuclear. 

When wars, geopolitical tensions or supply shocks abroad push up global gas prices, electricity bills rise with them, exposing families to crises they have no control over. 

Over time, this problem is easing as new clean energy projects are built on fixed price contracts that protect consumers from gas price volatility. But a significant share of renewable generation – about 30% of Britain’s power supply – is still exposed to wholesale prices set by gas, leaving families vulnerable when international prices rise.

Therefore, to shield families from future crises, today the government is setting out new measures to ‘break the link’, reducing the impact that volatile gas prices have on the price of electricity. This will be done by:

  • Voluntary long term fixed contracts: offered to existing low-carbon generators not on fixed‑price contracts – covering around a third of Britain’s power supply. This will help protect families and businesses from higher bills when gas prices spike, with contracts offered only where they deliver clear value for money for consumers
  • An updated Electricity Generators Levy: immediate action to tax excess profits through the Electricity Generator Levy by raising the rate from 45% to 55%, ensuring an increased proportion of the extraordinary revenues generated when the gas price spikes is available to government to support businesses and households with the impacts of the conflict in the Middle East on the cost of living

Measures announced today will further reduce the share of electricity exposed to gas price shocks and provide generators the economic incentive to move on to fixed contracts not linked to volatile gas. The government is monitoring the impact of the current crisis on energy bills and will be ready to step in to provide targeted support where necessary.

Britain has already moved from gas setting the price of electricity around 90% of the time in the early 2020s, to around 60% today. Through the government’s clean energy mission, it is estimated gas will set the wholesale price around half of the time by 2030.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “We need to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster – this will make energy bills more stable and take the pressure off family budgets.

“When global gas prices spike, people here shouldn’t be picking up the tab.

“Our focus is simple: easing pressure on household budgets now, while building a homegrown energy system that protects families from global instability in the years ahead.”

Energy Secretary Ed Miliband said: “As we face the second fossil fuel shock in less than 5 years, the lesson for our country is clear: The era of fossil fuel security is over, and the era of clean energy security must come of age.

“That’s why we’re doubling down on clean power, to give our country energy security and bring down bills for good.”

Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: “Hardworking British families and businesses should not bear the brunt of global gas price shocks while electricity generators are making exceptional profits.

“Alongside moving generators onto the competitive pricing assured through wholesale Contracts for Difference, increasing the EGL to 55% will help to break the link between high gas prices and high electricity prices – offering households and businesses stronger protection against future energy shocks.”

Further measures

Speaking today at the Good Growth Foundation, the Energy Secretary set out further measures to help cut bills for families and deliver more clean, homegrown power:

Bigger grants for households on heating oil and LPG

The crisis in the Middle East has impacted those on heating oil and LPG the hardest. The government is today announcing an increase to the Boiler Upgrade Scheme (BUS) grant for properties heated by oil and LPG, taking the total grant to £9,000. This will help those households and small businesses in England and Wales most impacted by rising energy prices, particularly in rural areas, to electrify their heating and provide greater certainty over energy bills.

Further details on Transitional Energy Certificates 

Today in advance of legislation, we are publishing further details on Transitional Energy Certificates to provide greater certainty and clarity for industry looking to invest in already-explored areas near existing licensed fields, supporting a fair and managed transition.

Faster upgrades for social housing 

The government is already investing £1.2 billion to upgrade 100,000 social homes over the next 2 years. To accelerate further, the government is today providing an additional £100 million of funding for the Social Housing Fund, subject to final approvals, to support the delivery of up to a total of 57,000 solar installations for households this financial year. Through the Social Housing Fund and social housing regulations in the ‘Warm Homes Plan’, this will help households cut bills by hundreds of pounds and support up to a million homes reach EPC C.

Solar panels for schools and colleges 

Building on the success of Great British Energy’s solar scheme, the government is backing the company to extend support for more rooftop solar installations on a further 100 schools and colleges this year.  Up to £40 million of government investment, subject to final approvals, Great British Energy will deliver new rooftop solar and renewable schemes – helping the public sector cut energy costs and reinvest savings. 

Public land 

Driving forward plans to massively expand renewables across the Public Estate – including using brownfield land, industrial sites and railway sites to host solar panels and wind turbines. This could unlock up to 10 GW of capacity, even using only a fraction of government land, powering the equivalent of around 5 million homes.

Planning and land rules

Streamlining outdated rules to unblock the grid and speed up clean, homegrown power, through the biggest overhaul of planning, land access and grid connection processes since the start of the government’s clean energy mission — cutting delays for essential grid upgrades and renewables, and exploring new routes for developers to build and connect their projects faster. 

EVs, heat pumps and solar 

Plans to make it easier for people to switch to cheaper electric transport and heating, by making EV chargers, solar panels and heat pumps easier to install for renters, flat-dwellers and households without a driveway.  

The government is exploring ways to ensure that low-income households can benefit from plug-in solar through our ‘Warm Homes Plan’ this year, and have earmarked up to £25 million with a view to piloting support for plug-in panels in partnership with local authorities and mayors: our vision is a street by street approach where tens of thousands of low-cost solar panels are delivered to those most in need.

Reformed National Pricing

Households and businesses will benefit from a cheaper, more efficient energy system through a new Reformed National Pricing Delivery Plan. The delivery plan shows how smarter planning and faster delivery of electricity infrastructure could unlock up to £20 billion in benefits between 2030 and 2050.

ARDEER: Anger as potential Site of Special Scientific Interest sand dunes are destroyed

Wildlife experts have been left devastated by the continued intentional destruction of dune habitat on the Ardeer Peninsula in Ayrshire by its landowners – despite the dunes being ear-marked as part of a potential Site of Special Scientific Interest.

Local community groups and national wildlife organisations called on Scottish Government agency NatureScot to designate the special habitats of the Ardeer Peninsula as part of a Garnock Estuary SSSI back in 2022, building on a long-running local campaign to protect its wildlife.

As it stands, much of the Ardeer Peninsula remains under threat from a Special Development Order dating back to 1953 which removes the requirements for planning permission that are needed almost anywhere else in Scotland. 

In a welcomed move, NatureScot has been reviewing the potential boundaries for a SSSI in recent years, a vital step towards protecting its mosaic of dunes, grassland, woodlands, scrub and wetlands

However, the local community has reported that despite NatureScot engaging with landowners about the potential designation, precious and irreplaceable sand dune habitat continues to be subject to sand extraction and further degradation through the dumping of soils, while large areas of biodiverse woodland have also been cleared.

Roger Hissett from the Ardeer Action Group said, “After more than a decade of campaigning by local naturalists it is tragic to see a developer determined to destroy the special and rare habitats and wildlife of this part of the Ardeer Peninsula. 

“It is so sad that this attitude still persists into the 21st century just when the area is being considered for protection for the benefit of future generations.” 

Rebecca Lewis, Buglife Scotland and Northern Ireland Manager said, “The Ardeer Peninsula has an important role to play in supporting the Scottish Government’s commitment to reversing biodiversity loss and NatureScot’s strategic goal of protecting 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030.

“We are delighted that NatureScot agree that it is worthy of consideration for SSSI notification, but the ongoing activity is a blow to the integrity of this nationally important wildlife site- which has been called Scotland’s best site for bees.”

It is hoped that some of the damage that has taken place could be reversed with appropriate management and funding. The Garnock Estuary, which includes the Ardeer Peninsula in Stevenston and Garnock East in Irvine, is a unique mosaic of dunes, grassland, woodlands, scrub and wetlands.

Although it has been modified by the site’s complex industrial past, it remains an incomparable haven for wildlife, including species that have been lost across much of the landscape.

It is home to over 1,000 invertebrate species, including at least 99 of conservation concern and some found nowhere else in Scotland. The estuary is one of the most important breeding bird populations on the Lower Clyde coast and supports at least 46 rare plants, including endemic sub-species and those for which Scotland has an international responsibility.

PICTURES: IAIN HAMLIN

Takeaway cup recycling made easier in Edinburgh

Recycling takeaway cups in Edinburgh is now easier thanks to a collaborative scheme Keep Scotland Beautiful has launched with the National Cup Recycling Scheme and City of Edinburgh Council.

Dedicated cup bins will be deployed on Market Street, Waverley Bridge and outside Haymarket Station to collect single-use cups in a new trial to test the effectiveness of on-street cup recycling and see if it is possible to boost the number of cups being recycled in Scotland – currently 4% – and prevent them from ending up as litter or in landfill.  

Furthermore, the partners have teamed up with retailers including Costa Coffee, Caffe Nero, Greggs and McDonald’s to launch Take It Back in Edinburgh. 

This is the first time our Cup Movement campaign has taken place in Edinburgh and will build on the previous success and learnings of trials in Glasgow and Dundee. 

More than 30 stores in Edinburgh are participating in Take It Back, allowing customers to take a single-use cup back to any of the above retailers to be recycled.  

Heather McLaughlin, Keep Scotland Beautiful’s Campaigns Manager, said: “Single-use cups make up a huge percentage of the items polluting Scotland’s environment. 

“More than half of people in Scotland (59%) often see littered single-use cups. In Edinburgh alone a recent bin audit of on-street bins outside Waverley Station found that single-use cups made up 59% of the drinks waste. 

“The reality is that these single-use products are already ending up as litter. We need to address our over consumption of single-use products and make an effort to choose reusable options. 

“However, we know that reuse is not always possible or practical. This scheme will make it easier for people who use single-use cups to ensure they are recycled properly.” 

Hannah Osman, National Cup Recycling Manager at Valpak Ltd, said: “Transport hubs are some of the highest footfall locations in Scotland, and we know from our data that a significant volume of single-use cups are consumed on the go.  

“By targeting key commuter routes, this trial allows us to test how dedicated infrastructure in the right locations can capture more material and significantly increase recycling rates. 

“Through this partnership, we’re using real-time data and evidence from previous trials to understand what works, measure contamination levels, track capture rates, and build a scalable model for on-street cup recycling. 

“The goal is simple: make cup recycling visible, convenient and data-driven so it can be rolled out effectively across other cities in Scotland and beyond.” 

Cllr Stephen Jenkinson, City of Edinburgh Council’s Environment Convener, said: “Increasing recycling rates in the city is one of our key priorities. 

“It’s important we support targeted projects like this to make it easier for people to dispose of takeaway cups, which have become so popular in recent years and the prominent locations of these three new dedicated bins will hopefully do that. 

“I’d also always encourage residents and visitors buying a regular cuppa to wherever possible take their own cup into takeaway stores to cut down on the need to use the disposable ones at all.” 

Typical single-use hot drink cups cannot go into standard recycling bins or be recycled at home. To avoid cups ending up in landfill, it is really important to #TakeItBack.  So, even if you forget your reusable cup, you can still help reduce the negative environmental impact of single-use cups if you #TakeItBack. 

Find the participating Edinburgh stores on our interactive map.

Read more on our website and remember to #TakeItBack next time you’re in Edinburgh: https://www.keepscotlandbeautiful.org/…/takeaway-cup…/

LifeCare secures funding for Green Energy project at Community Hub

We’re delighted to share that LifeCare has successfully secured funding and installed a solar photovoltaic (PV) system at our much-loved community Hub in Stockbridge.

This exciting project, funded by the Scottish Government’s Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), will allow us to generate clean, renewable energy on-site, helping to significantly reduce our energy costs and carbon footprint.

With over 47,000 visits to the Hub each year, this investment will have a lasting impact, not only on our building, but on the thousands of people who rely on our services.

Lowering our energy bills will allow us to reinvest more into what matters most: supporting local older people – including those living with dementia and those experiencing loneliness and social isolation – while continuing to deliver a wide range of accessible activities that bring people of all ages from within the local community together.

The funding has also enabled us to install battery storage, meaning we can store and use more of the energy we generate, further improving efficiency and resilience against rising energy costs.

Claire Montgomery, Communications and Fundraising Manager at LifeCare Edinburgh said: “We’re incredibly grateful to CARES for making this project possible, and to Culbertson Renewables Ltd for the fantastic work they did fitting the panels at The LifeCare Centre.

“This funding is not only helping us reduce our environmental impact, but it also means we can direct more resources into supporting older people across our community. It’s a win for both sustainability, and the people we’re here to support.”

This exciting project marks a key step in our commitment to sustainability and to supporting Scotland’s journey to net zero, demonstrating how community organisations can lead the way in tackling climate change while continuing to deliver vital frontline services.

We look forward to sharing the impact of this project and using this opportunity to raise awareness of renewable energy across our community.

LifeCare secures funding for Green Energy project at much-loved Community Hub

Monday coffee deal offers a brighter start to the week

Edinburgh café launches reusable cup offer with sustainability at its heart

MONDAYS could soon feel a little brighter in Edinburgh as a city centre café launches reusable cups alongside a new half-price hot drinks offer.

Located beside Surgeons’ Hall Museums in the heart of the capital, Café 1505 is encouraging customers to switch to its reusable cup by offering 50% off hot drinks every Monday.

The discount is available exclusively to customers using the café’s own reusable cup, combining value with a more sustainable choice.

The campaign is being introduced by Surgeons Quarter, which manages Café 1505 as part of its wider commercial activity across the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh campus. Profits support the College’s charitable work in surgical education, training and improving patient outcomes worldwide.

Scott Michell, Managing Director of Surgeons Quarter, said: “Monday can be the toughest day of the week for customers and for hospitality businesses, so this is a simple way to give people a lift while also encouraging a more sustainable choice. It is about making the start of the week a little brighter, while reflecting the values behind Café 1505.

“We know people are thinking more carefully about the choices they make every day. This offer gives them a good reason to come in on a Monday, while also shining a light on the ethical and environmental thinking already built into the café.”

Café 1505 serves Caffia Grown by Women coffee, using beans produced by female farmers in cooperatives across regions including Peru, Nicaragua and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Used coffee grounds are also recycled at Cyrenians Farm for composting.

The reusable cup launch forms part of a wider sustainability drive across Surgeons Quarter’s commercial operations.

Its four-star Ten Hill Place Hotel has held a Gold Green Tourism Award since 2008, with further environmental measures including the removal of single-use plastic bottles and the use of 100 per cent renewable energy.

By linking value with sustainability, Café 1505 aims to give workers, students, visitors and local residents another reason to rethink their Monday routine.

The Café 1505 reusable cup is available to purchase for £19, which includes the first hot drink free – with every Monday thereafter offering 50% off for cup holders.

For more information, visit the Surgeons Quarter: https://www.surgeonsquarter.com/

Climate Change Plan published

Routemap to realising economic and social gains for people across Scotland

People will be able to benefit from warmer homes, lower bills, greater job opportunities and be less exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices under plans to cut emissions published today.

Scotland’s Climate Change Plan: 2026-2040 sets out over 150 actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions over the next 15 years, bringing over £42.3 billion in financial benefits and cost savings to the economy over the same period.

Scotland is already over halfway to net zero having reduced emissions by 51.3% since 1990 – the largest reduction in the UK and faster than the EU average, using comparable statistics.

The final plan details how Scotland will meet  our next three carbon budgets, along with a range of delivery indicators. These include:

  • setting a target to decarbonise heat in buildings by 2045
  • phasing out the need for new diesel and petrol cars by 2030
  • increasing woodland creation so that by 2029-30, 18,000 hectares are planted every year, with 21% woodland cover in Scotland by 2032
  • increasing peatland restoration by 10% each year to 2030

Actions in the Climate Change Plan will also contribute to both the Environment Strategy, and the Circular Economy Strategy, also published today.

The new Environment Strategy creates an integrated framework for environment and climate policies, while harnessing the powerful synergies between the health of our environment, the well-being of Scotland’s people and the success of our economy while the Circular Economy Strategy underpins delivery of our climate goals by cutting the amount of waste produced in Scotland, and managing our resources more sustainably, to reduce emissions.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: “The Climate Change Plan is Scotland’s pathway to net zero and outlines the action we will take to meet our first three carbon budgets.

“However it is also a routemap to realising economic and social gains for people across Scotland as part of a fair and just transition. It highlights the potential of growth areas ranging from renewables to heat networks to the circular economy, and sets out our commitment to increase investment in areas that will simultaneously decarbonise Scotland and improve our lives.

“Together with the Environment Strategy and Circular Economy Strategy, our Climate Change Plan forms a blueprint for how we will use this once-in-a-generation opportunity for transformation to reduce emissions while ensuring that our economy prospers, our communities are supported to become more resilient to the effects of climate change and to redress the issues of poverty and energy security that affect individual households.”

scotlands-climate-change-plan-2026-2040Download

Community groups visit restored Palm Houses

C3R and ELREC enjoy Botanics visit

We feel so honored to have been first community group to be lucky enough to visit the beautifully restored Palm Houses since their closure in 2021 🌴

This was the perfect opportunity to gain insight into the history of the building, the restoration process, and some amazing garden stories related to this space!

Huge thank you to the Palm Houses Engagement team at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for the invitation and creating such an informative and interactive tour!

We can’t wait to welcome the full opening of the Palm Houses and return again! 🌺

#edinburgh

#palmhouse#tour

#botanicgardens

#rbge

Expanded Just Transition Fund reopens

£17 million to support workers and communities and create more green jobs

Up to £17 million will be available to help create green jobs, support innovation, diversify energy supply chains, and enable workers to transition into low-carbon roles.

In addition, for the first time, community organisations and social enterprises will be amongst a range of organisations eligible to apply for a guaranteed share from the Just Transition Fund (JTF) for the North East and Moray.

The Fund will also include new development grants to help groups strengthen or scale up emerging project ideas and will include:

  • up to £3 million capital and £1 million resource for community and social enterprise projects – including specific funding to give communities the power to directly decide how money should be spent
  • up to £10 million for large‑scale commercial projects focused on jobs, skills and economic transition – with a minimum project size of £500,000
  • up to £3 million to support small and medium enterprises in the oil and gas supply chain diversifying into low‑carbon markets – expanding the provision of the ETZ Supply Chain Challenge Fund

The JTF has invested more than £85 million into 28 projects across the region since 2022 – helping to support hundreds of jobs and companies entering the offshore wind, marine energy and carbon capture sectors. 

Climate Action and Energy Secretary Gillian Martin announced the latest round of JTF funding during a site visit to Verlume LTD, a global leader in subsea batteries and power management systems. The organisation received £2.5 million in the 2025-26 round of the JTF to deliver a fully functional prototype of the world’s first subsea grid-forming battery system.  

Ms Martin said: “Since 2022, the Just Transition Fund has supported hundreds of jobs with more than £85 million investment into 28 projects across the North East and Moray. It is just one of the strands of Scottish Government support for the region.

“This year, we’re making important changes to the funding available based on advice from the Just Transition Commission and the Just Transition Lab. For the first time, community groups and social enterprises will be guaranteed support for larger projects, alongside our continued backing of the Participatory Budgeting Fund which gives communities the power to directly decide how money should be spent in their areas to help address specific local needs.

“We’re also helping communities get ready for future funding by offering development grants. These will support groups who may not otherwise be able to benefit to build the skills and confidence they need to plan and apply for bigger projects in the years ahead.

“We’re also continuing to help the energy sector shift and grow, including funding to support businesses in the supply chain as they adapt. All of this means we can offer wider support to local organisations while creating new jobs and fresh opportunities for people across the North East.

“It’s vital that Scotland’s expertise, innovation, and huge renewable energy potential not only help the planet, but also ensure a fair and inclusive transition for everyone in the North East of Scotland.”

Verlume CEO Richard Knox said: “Support from the Just Transition Fund has been transformational for Verlume, enabling the development of the world’s first grid-forming subsea battery co-located with offshore wind.

“This project addresses one of the most pressing challenges facing renewable energy today, grid stability and wind curtailment, while demonstrating how offshore oil and gas expertise can be redeployed directly into the clean energy system.

“Beyond accelerating innovation, the Fund has helped secure and create high-value jobs while allowing us to extensively utilise Scottish suppliers across fabrication, engineering and specialist services, ensuring that the economic value of this project is distributed across the North East Scotland supply chain, not just concentrated within a single company.”

University of Aberdeen Just Transition Lab, Professor Tavis Potts and Professor John Bone said: “The research from the Just Transition Lab has shown that communities need to be at the centre of the transition to the low carbon economy. In ‘Time to Deliver’ and ‘Regional Planning for a Just Transition’ we called for a more transparent approach and a more generous and consistent funding stream, with more emphasis on capacity building.

“The Scottish Government has listened. The ringfenced funding for community and social enterprise projects, including capital and resource costs, is a major improvement and addresses a key shortcoming in previous rounds. The commitment to capacity building ensures that this can support Northeast communities at all stages, fundamental for sharing the benefits of the transition.”

Applications for this bidding round have opened today (2 March).

Applications to the commercial and public sector funding pot will close on 8th May. Applications to the community and social enterprise funding pot will close on 22nd May. 

Find out more information on how to apply.

Granton Goes Greener: Beach Litter Pick this Saturday

With a bit of sunshine and warmer weather we are ready for our first BEACH LITTER PICKING event at Wardie Bay this Saturday between 11:30 -1pm!

This is a family friendly event supported by R2 project.

Any questions-email: anna@grantongoesgreener.org.uk

Wilding screening at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre

TUESDAY 24th FEBRUARY at 6pm

We have a film for you tomorrow night at Drylaw Neighbourhood Centre about rewilding. 6pm-8.45. Film starts at 6.30.

There are also two ecology and urban rewilding practitioners coming to speak to us about what we can do to restore nature in our local environments. Wouldn’t it be lovely to keep our birds singing and our local mammals living near us? The deer, badgers and foxes, whether you enjoy seeing them or not are part of our essential environment.

At the base of this food chain are the insects which the birds rely on to feed their chicks.

What can we do to preserve and even increase the natural habitats around us?

Come along and find out Tuesday night and meet some of your neighbours too!

Drop me an email on natalie@drylawnc.org.uk if you’d like to come.