Renewable technology news, features and analysis

28 Feb

ITU: ICT industry must reduce emissions by 45% by 2030

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has published a new set of standards aimed at reducing the ICT industry’s greenhouse emissions.

15 Jan

WEF president: Climate crisis inaction like “moving around deckchairs on the Titanic”

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has listed the climate crisis, digital threats, and geopolitical turbulence as notable risks in its 2020 Global Risks Report, with the group’s president Borge Brende comparing inaction on the climate crisis to “moving around the deckchairs on the Titanic”.

29 Nov

WWF project provides vital insights into jaguar population

Today is International Jaguar Day, a day designed to raise awareness of the threats facing the big cat, and efforts to conserve them.

26 Nov

From pint to power: Breakthrough technique turns brewery leftovers into renewable fuel

A researcher at Queen’s University Belfast has developed a method for converting waste barley found in breweries into a renewable fuel.

5 Nov

11,000 scientists declare climate emergency

More than 11,000 scientists from 153 countries have declared a climate emergency, following a comprehensive analysis of decades of scientific data.

4 Nov

Existing satellites key to monitoring ocean carbon levels, study finds

Satellites originally launched to study the wind could also be used to improve our understanding of ocean carbon levels, according to new research.

28 Oct

New study questions benefits of carbon capture technology

With the growing threat of climate change and the urgent need to curb carbon emissions, carbon capture has often been presented as a solution to limiting the environmental impact of burning fossil fuels.

24 Oct

Amazon launches three green energy projects as part of Climate Pledge

Amazon has announced three new renewable energy projects as part of its Climate Pledge.

22 Oct

UK electric cars get boost with Morrisons rapid charging rollout

The use of electric cars in the UK is set to get a boost with the launch of a network of rapid electric charging points at Morrisons supermarkets.

15 Oct

Fusion island breakthrough may make power source viable “up to a decade sooner”

Promising a step-change in energy generation, fusion power has long been on the horizon, but a breakthrough concept known as a fusion island could ultimately make it a reality far sooner than previously thought.

14 Oct

Record-breaking solar project cements UAE as “leading player” in renewables

Despite being traditionally associated with oil, the UAE has cemented itself as a leader in the renewables industry thanks to an in-development solar project that when constructed will be the largest of its kind in the world.

9 Oct

Stirling Prize winner shows “sustainable, low-energy design is financially viable”

2019 RIBA stirling prize winner Goldsmith Street

The announcement that the RIBA 2019 Stirling Prize has been won by PassivHaus-standard council housing development Goldsmith Street is a sign that low-energy design is not only possible, but entirely affordable if the industry re-frames its thinking, according to experts.

8 Oct

China on track to meet 2020 emissions target, study finds

Emissions from China’s power plants declined by more than 60% each year between 2014 and 2017, a new study has found, putting the East Asian nation on track to meet the standards set out in its Ultra-Low Emissions (ULE) Standards Policy.

13 Sep

Inside HPE’s Technology Renewal Centre, its base in the war on e-waste

Some 50 million tonnes of electrical waste (e-waste) is discarded each year.

6 Sep

Why reusability must become the new consumer technology norm

What do Formula One cars, mirrors, smartphones and hearing aids have in common?

6 Sep

“World’s best solar cell” poised for launch as SoftBank doubles investment

SoftBank Group has doubled its investment in Exeger, a Swedish company making what it describes as the “world’s best solar cell”, in order to help bring the technology to market.

4 Sep

After years of opposing right-to-repair, has Apple had a change of heart?

In what appears to be a u-turn for the company, Apple has made it easier for customers to repair their Apple products with the launch of its independent repair programme.

29 Aug

World’s first hydrogen-powered gin distillery nets UK government funding

The UK government is investing in a project to convert an existing craft gin distillery so that is powered by hydrogen, as part of a slew of funding in low-carbon technology projects.

29 Aug

F1’s Lewis Hamilton launches Neat Burger, the first international vegan burger chain

Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton has teamed up with hospitality organisation The Cream Group to launch the world’s first international, plant-based burger chain, Neat Burger.

28 Aug

Water harvester pulls drinking water from the air

Researchers have designed a water harvester that can continuously absorb water from air, enabling it to collect water 24 hours a day.

28 Aug

Meet the startup making ethical electronics mainstream

With ethical consumers increasingly concerned with the origin of their purchases, almost every industry, from fashion to food to diamonds, has been held to account over the ethics of its supply chain.

15 Aug

Electric car charging points surpass petrol stations for first time

There are now, for the first time, more electric car charging points in the UK than there are petrol stations as growing adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) has driven a flurry of installations.

13 Aug

Going green

Bigger is better when it comes to wind turbines, report finds

Larger and more-cost effective wind turbines have been key drivers in the uptake of wind energy, according to a new report.

13 Aug

Helsinki launches sustainability tools to encourage climate-conscious choices

Helsinki, Finland, has launched the world’s first online service that encourages residents and visitors to the city to make informed sustainable choices.

6 Aug

New airship technology could see zeppelins return to our skies

On May 6 1937, the infamous Hindenburg disaster, in which an airship caught fire after an electrical spark ignited highly flammable hydrogen that had leaked out, claiming the lives of 36 people on board.

5 Aug

Bioreactor bricks: The building blocks of ecological architecture?

According to the International Energy Agency, the building construction industry is responsible for 36% of global energy consumption, highlighting the urgent need for ecological architecture.

5 Aug

Saildrone completes circumnavigation of Antarctica – uncharted waters for unmanned systems

Saildrone, a wind-powered surface vehicle, has become the first unmanned system to successfully circumnavigate Antarctica, bringing back valuable climate change data with it.

25 Jul