Blue & Green Daily: Monday 20 October round up

Today on Blue & Green Tomorrow, we provided a handy but by no means exhaustive round up of some of the great, thought-provoking, horizon-expanding events taking place across the UK for Good Money Week.

We also reported on the new fossil fuel divestment campaign targeting Britain’s biggest banks and the pressure mounting on the government to increase its spending on flood defences. 

Scotland to charge 5p for single-use plastic bags

Scotland will from today require all retailers to charge customers a minimum of 5p for each new single-use carrier bag, in an effort to reduce plastic pollution and clean up streets.

Good Money Week 2014: what’s on?

Good Money Week 2014 is here. For seven days, running from October 19 to 25, investors, finance professionals, charities, churches and more will congregate at events up and down the UK to discuss, debate and champion ethical, sustainable and responsible investment.

More Australian universities push for fossil fuel divestment

Shortly after the Australian National University (ANU) divested from seven fossil fuels firms, gaining criticism from the government, more universities are being pressured by academics and students to follow suit, in order to avoid dangerous effects of climate change on the economy, health and environment.

Fossil fuel divestment campaign targets high street banks

Customers of Britain’s biggest banks are to demand that high street institutions stop using their savings and investments to finance the fossil fuel industry, in a major new divestment campaign launched on Monday. 

Environment secretary labels solar farms a ‘blight on the landscape’

Environment secretary Liz Truss is facing criticism after commenting that solar farms are a “blight” on the UK countryside as well as having a negative impact on the agriculture sector. She has also announced that subsidies for the solar industry are to be cut.

International tensions as talks to protect Antarctica begin

Twenty-five member nations of the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) are set to discuss the creation of two large marine protected areas to protect the Antarctic environment from fishing and other commercial activities, but the move is being opposed by Russia and China. 

Insurers call for additional £500m for flood defences

Chancellor George Osborne is facing pressure from the insurance industry to boost the UK’s flood defences, following severe flooding last winter, which saw some parts of the country being affected for months. 

Prudential named as major investor in Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay

Insurance giant Prudential plc has been named as the cornerstone investor in Tidal Lagoon Swansea Bay, a pioneering £1 billion renewable energy project.

Good Money Week: 83% of young Brits not familiar with sustainable investment

A poll commissioned by the UK Sustainable Investment and Finance Association (UKSIF) has revealed that the majority of 18-24 year olds do not know what sustainable investment is – with 37% even unsure of what a actually bank is.

Blue & Green Investor website temporarily merges with Blue & Green Tomorrow

We have temporarily merged the Blue & Green Investor and Blue & Green Tomorrow websites.

Our parent Blue & Green Communications has been going through a period of financial turbulence. To reduce hosting and data costs we have redirected Blue & Green Investor traffic to our main Blue & Green Tomorrow site.

How a green supply chain can help businesses save money – infographic

Many people view the process or notion of ‘greening’ a supply chain as one that will ultimately end up costing a lot of money. This is not the case. Greening the supply chain can in fact end up saving a company money in the long run, writes Kevin Vaughan.

Price comparison sites accused of hiding cheapest energy deals

The UK’s biggest price comparison sites have been accused of hiding the cheapest energy deals from their customers, in an effort to promote providers that pay them a commission.

Pace of deforestation in Amazon continues to increase

Satellite data from NGO Imazon suggests that the rate of deforestation in the Amazon increased by 290% in September when compared to last 

Photo: Sanja Gjenero via Free Images