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Budweiser Budvar UK pays £400k after flouting packaging recycling rules for 18 years
Beer importer Budweiser Budvar UK Ltd has contributed more than £400,000 to Keep Britain Tidy as a means of recompensation for 18 years of missed packaging waste regulation compliance.
The Bristol-based company should have registered in 2004 under Producer Responsibility Obligation regulations on packaging, which apply to products placed on the UK market regardless of whether they are made in the UK or imported. These regulations ensure that packaging makers and distributors contribute to credible waste recovery and recycling.
Two years ago, the Environment Agency (EA) was made aware that Budweiser Budvar UK had not registered. The company told EA staff that it was unaware of the regulations, believing in 2004 that they only applied to UK-made goods.
Fashion manufacturer Soorty Enterprises gains SBTi verification for net-zero target
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has validated new emission reduction targets from global denim manufacturer Soorty Enterprises, including a 2050 net-zero target.
According to the brand, it is the first organisation in Pakistan to set and achieve SBTi validation for its emissions reduction targets.
The company is also aiming to reduce its absolute Scope 1 (operational) and 2 (power-related) GHG emissions by 54% by 2033, using 2021 as the base year.
Additionally, Soorty has committed to cutting absolute Scope 3 (indirect) GHG emissions, which include emissions from purchased goods, services, transportation, business travel and energy-related activities, by the same 54% target within the same timeframe.
UK’s quarterly weather damage insurance claims reach record £1.4bn, as climate crisis bites
New research has revealed that property insurers in the UK paid out £1.4bn in claims to homeowners and businesses during the second quarter of the year for damages resulting from adverse weather events such as storms and floods.
This is according to the latest data from the Association of British Insurers (ABI), representing UK-wide insurance companies managing £1.5trn in investments.
According to the research findings, claims for damage to homes from storms, heavy rain and frozen pipes reached £144m in Q2 of this year, making it the fifth consecutive quarter that weather-related claims accounted for more than £100m.
In addition to homes, claims for weather-related damage remained high for businesses as well, with £81m paid by insurers during the same timeframe.
Octopus backs £4.6m funding round for sailing vessels that produce renewable hydrogen
British clean tech startup Drift Energy has secured £4.65m worth of seed capital from Octopus Ventures to develop sailing vessels that will create green hydrogen at sea using deep ocean wind.
The funding will come from the venture capital arm of Octopus Investments, along with support from climate tech investment programme Blue Action Accelerator.
Drift Energy’s ‘hi-tech’ sailing vessels will harness ocean wind energy using underwater turbines to feed an on-board megawatt (MW) class electrolyser which will produce and store gigawatts (GW) of green hydrogen. This green hydrogen will be then transported to ports for storage and/or use. Artificial intelligence (AI) routing algorithms will be used to ensure vessel safety.
Drift Energy is aiming to begin vessel production next year.
UK passes 250,000 heat pump milestone
The UK has achieved a milestone of 250,000 certified heat pump installations, bringing it closer towards its goal of installing 600,000 electric heat pumps annually by 2028.
This is according to the latest data from the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), an independent quality assurance programme accredited by UKAS, the national accreditation body for the UK. MCS certifies small-scale energy product installations such as solar panels, heat pumps and wind turbines.
From January to July 2024, more than 30,000 certified heat pumps were installed in homes and small businesses across the UK. As per the data, this represents a 45% increase compared to the same period in 2023 and positions 2024 to potentially be a record-breaking year for heat pump installations.
Sustainability targets surge in Britain’s built environment sector, research finds
New research has revealed that the number of net-zero projects and the achievement of sustainability targets in the built environment sector are on the rise. However, barriers related to costs persist.
This is according to the Sustainable Futures Report from built environment platform NBS, developed in collaboration with the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
The research, now in its fourth iteration, surveyed nearly 600 professionals in the built environment to assess attitudes and practices around sustainability.
The report highlights the construction sector’s increasing focus on environmental sustainability, showing a marked improvement in both the number of projects with green objectives and the success rate in meeting these goals, compared to previous years.