Blue & Green Daily: Friday 16 May headlines

Blue & Green Daily finds and summarises the top sustainability stories around the web every morning. We start with our own picks from Blue & Green Tomorrow.

Commercial property sector faces £29bn green refurbishment bill

Active fund management full of ‘terminology, pseudoscience and sales patter’

Growing risk around fossil fuels, say 75% of US sustainable investment industry

UN Global Compact unveils principles for sustainable food

NUS celebrates impact students’ sustainability fund

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16 May headlines

UK’s oil, coal and gas ‘gone in five years’

In just over five years Britain will have run out of oil, coal and gas, researchers have warned. A report by the Global Sustainability Institute said shortages would increase dependency on Norway, Qatar and Russia. The institute’s Prof Victor Anderson said there should be a “Europe-wide drive” towards wind, tidal, solar and other sources of renewable power. BBC.

Drought, hurricane bigger threat to world’s top companies

Drought, hurricanes and rising seas are becoming more significant threats to the world’s biggest companies and the risk is accelerating, according to the Carbon Disclosure Project. Companies planning for various threats related to climate change say they’re grappling now with 45% of the potential risks, or will be within five years. Bloomberg.

Investors question pay polices at trio of household names

Investors at a trio of Britain’s biggest companies flexed their muscles over what they perceive to be excessive pay polices, delivering some of the largest ‘no’ votes to this annual general meeting season so far. Shareholders in Hiscox, BG Group and Lloyds Banking Group all took the opportunity to voice their concern at a series of annual meetings. Telegraph.

Europe’s renewable energy market boosted by €3bn wind farm deal

A €3bn deal for what is expected to be one of the world’s biggest offshore wind farms has boosted Europe’s battered renewable energy market after more than a year of sagging investment. The Gemini wind farm off the coast of the northern Netherlands province of Groningen is backed by a consortium led by independent Canadian power produced, Northland Power Inc. Financial Times.

Sussex police under fire for ‘criminalising’ fracking protests

Most of the people arrested during a summer of demonstrations against fracking in the village of Balcombe have been acquitted, leading to the accusations that police tactics in a £4 million operation criminalised peaceful protest. The last of the criminal trials resulting from 126 arrests made by Sussex police finished this month. Guardian.

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Interesting picks

Cloud business may be more efficient but is it greener? – BBC

What is the most dangerous form of energy? – Guardian

5 questions about divestment strategies as fossil fuels take center stage – Non-Profit Quarterly

IPCC’s outdated climate change communication won’t cut it – Guardian

Three reasons investors are beginning to take sustainability seriously – Guardian

Photo: Sanja gjenero via Freeimages