No 10’s new energy adviser is a former British Gas lobbyist - Independent

David Cameron has appointed Tara Singh, a former lobbyist for British Gas, to be his personal advisor on energy and climate change. Ms Singh was previously public affairs manager at British-Gas owner Centrica, a role which involved frequent contact with the Conservative Party. She is responsible for briefing the prime minister on a day-to-day basis on issues relating to energy and climate change, at a time when the Energy Bill is expected to be submitted for review. Critics will question whether impartial, and unbiased advice will be given to the Prime Minister.  

House votes to take Keystone decision out of Obama’s hands - Grist

U.S. House of Representatives have passed a bill that would allow Keystone XL to bypass environmental laws and be built without approval from President Obama. The House voted 241-175 to do away with an ongoing environmental review for the northern leg of the tar-sands pipeline project and make it more difficult for opponents to file appeals. There is a glimmer of hope to be found in that support from the Democrats is waning, thanks to years of campaigning by environmentalists. 

HSBC reviews logging policy as Bill Oddie film sparks petition - Independent

HSBC has ordered an audit of its relations with logging companies after Bill Oddie and NGO Global Witness exposed its links to clients responsible for the destruction of rainforests in Borneo. The campaign highlighted how HSBC clients have contributed to deforestation in the Malaysian state of Sarawak where less than 5 per cent of rainforests are untouched by logging or plantations. The humorous video went viral, in response to the public's outrage. 

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

Fracking could ruin German beer industry, brewers tell Angela Merkel - Telegraph

Carbon capture in Europe a 'farce', say researchers - BusinessGreen

A perfect storm of energy supply problems - Financial Times

Will green energy prove cheaper than gas? - Guardian

Food 

Booker sees boost from horsemeat scandal - Guardian

Tesco pledges action on food waste - Guardian

March Against Monsanto planned for UK cities - Farmers Weekly

Senate rejects GM food labelling amendment to farm bill - Guardian

Finance

A vision for the future - Move Your Money

Austerity fails to dent charitable giving - Telegraph

Entrepreneurs selected for social investment project - Blue&Green Tomorrow

‘The crux of sharia banking is ethical banking’ - Blue&Green Tomorrow

Other Interesting Stories

Feral: Searching for Enchantment on the Frontiers of Rewilding by George Monbiot – review - Guardian

Running shoes leave large carbon footprint, study shows - Guardian

The double-edged sword of boycotting disposable fashion - TreeHugger

Green heating payments to double for householders - Guardian

The government announced a development in its stopgap plans before the renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme's repeatedly delayed launch in 2014. These one-off payments to help householders switch from heating their homes with oil to greener systems such as biomass boilers and solar thermal will double in most cases. 

A third of councils 'in breach' of EU energy efficiency laws, FOI reveals - BG.

A third of all local authorities in England and Wales could be in breach of an EU directive designed to improve the energy efficiency of public buildings.

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

'Tangible' sign of support as Government doubles renewable heat funding - Edie

Could a tablet app help reduce wind farm objections? - BusinessGreen

Biofuels a boon for Brazil's rural poor, but obstacles remain elsewhere - Guardian

Australian researchers hail printable solar cells breakthrough - BusinessGreen

Food 

Chelsea flower show: a guide to edible flowers - Guardian

Finance for farming: scaling up urban vegetable farming - Guardian

Food swapping: the movement taking off in the UK - BBC News

Marine Harvest agrees to limit pesticides and seal killings - Guardian

Finance

Multinational CEOs tell David Cameron to rein in tax avoidance rhetoric - Guardian

Could energy bills “overtake mortgages in the next five years”? - The Carbon Brief

Mervyn King's housing warning is too little, too late - Guardian

BP wants U.S. government to reduce court-ordered oil-spill payouts - Grist

Other Interesting Stories

PG Tips targets tea bag recycling with Recyclebank - Edie

Landowner facing legal action over broad restoration - Telegraph

Amazon deforestation rate up 88% over last year - TreeHugger

Poaching rise could wipe out forest elephants - The Times

In pictures: worst natural disasters of 2012 by numbers displaced - Guardian

David Cameron's call to tackle tax avoidance - Telegraph

The Prime Minister has written to leaders of Britain's offshore tax havens to push for international action to tackle tax avoidance schemes. Letters were sent to ten crown dependencies and British overseas territories, including Bermuda, the British Virgin Islands and the Cayman Islands. Mr Cameron's call comes ahead of the G8 summit next month, where aggressive tax evasion avoidance will be discussed.  

Climate risk: UN says business response needs more urgency - BusinessGreen

A new report by the UN International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and consultancy giant PwC says that while there is a growing awareness of the threat floods, drought and storms can pose to business operations, companies rarely share expertise on how to cope with extreme weather threats with each other or the public sector. "Globalisation means disaster doesn't stop at the factory gate or the office door, and British businesses can't stick its head in the sand and hope it won't affect them," said Celine Herweijer, a partner in PwC's sustainability and climate change practice. 

Britain’s Tory MPs face fracking challenge - Financial Times

Dozens of Conservative MPs in the southeast of England could see shale gas exploitation taking place in their constituencies as the government seeks to accelerate “fracking”. No fewer than 38 out of 62 MPs in the region have land with existing oil and gas drilling licenses – and 35 of them are Conservatives – according to data from DECC.  Next month ministers will announce new tax breaks for shale gas, incentives for communities, and an major uplift in estimates of the size of reserves. Critics may wonder why tax breaks and community incentives are actively offered to fracking sites, but opposed for low-carbon energy generation sites.

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

Tar sands exploitation would mean game over for climate, warns leading scientist - Guardian

UK clean tech missions lined up for Colorado and Brazil - BusinessGreen

Empower Energies completes GM solar projects - Today's Energy Solutions

Saint Lucia waves goodbye to fossil fuels - BusinessGreen

Food 

Science promises strawberry fields forever - Guardian

FSA Northern Ireland horsemeat misnaming 'cost 31 jobs' at Freeza - The Grocer

Ethical water brand One launches Juiced and Flavoured ranges - The Grocer

Finance

Tax avoidance: how to change corporate behaviour - Guardian

Green Investment Bank makes £5m biomass commitment - BusinessGreen

Pope Francis calls for ethical financial and economic reform - Irish Times

Bill Oddie takes on HSBC, and we like it - Move Your Money

Other Interesting Stories

Climate change: human disaster looms, claims new research - Guardian

Chelsea Flower Show 2013: a preview of the gardens - Telegraph

Video: eco-minded 204 sq. ft. tiny home packs in tons of thoughtful details - TH.

Lauren Laverne on fashion: shopping with a conscience - Guardian

IBM's 'Building Whisperer' on the future of smart buildings - GreenBiz 

MPs confront Google over 'devious' attempt to avoid paying UK tax - Independent

The Internet giant on its back foot after shopping giant Amazon admitted it receives more in government grants than it pays in UK corporate tax. Labour MP Margaret Hodge led the committee's questioning.

Energy Bill could pass this summer as Parliament confirms date for Report Stage - E

Parliament has confirmed that The Energy Bill will go through the next stage of progress in the first week of June. Those in the industry will welcome the news as many have criticised its progression and particularly the length of time it took the Government to release the Draft Bill.  

Guardian Sustainable Business Awards: who are the winners? - Guardian

Highlighting the great and the good of the business world, the Guardian Sustainable Business Awards are a highlight on the industry calendar. We share our pick of the winners below.

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

Desertec solar project to be sidelined, says German broadcaster - B&G T.

Some light in clean tech investing, despite the gloom - GreenBiz

DECC ‘doesn’t recognise’ figures in Civitas green subsidies study - B&G T.

Australia's 'unpopular' carbon price isn't to blame for Labor's poor polling - Guardian

Food 

Asda regains trust of customers after horsemeat scandal - Guardian

Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant: Our critics are fuelled by 'Elitism' - Huffington Post

Organic Food is $63 Billion Global Industry - Sustainable Business

Finance

MP on Google tax avoidance scheme: 'I think that you do evil' - Guardian

Financial Times advises on how to become a shareholder activist - B&G T.

Financial sustainability: why NGOs are failing to engage investors - Guardian

Pope Francis attacks 'cult of money' in reform call - Guardian

Other Interesting Stories

Letters: How 'fair trade' could tackle sweatshops - Guardian

Comedy video spoofs Facebook's Keystone XL support - TreeHugger 

In pictures: Raw power of the Sun - BBC News

Guardian Sustainable Business Awards: Our Picks

David Jones: Guardian Sustainable Business Leader of the Year - Guardian

BAM Nuttall peer-led training unlock wealth of hidden talents - Guardian

Neal's Yard Remedies: raising a swarm of protest against deadly pesticides - G.

M&S: proud to be the biggest – and the greenest - Guardian

National Trust Wales: king of the eco-castle - Guardian

Centrica stokes energy fears by revealing EDF nuclear timescale has doubled - T.

In news that surprised no one, Centrica has ratcheted up fears over Britain’s energy security by warning that its rival EDF will take twice as long as originally planned to build the first of a new generation of nuclear power stations. 

UK government to oppose 2025 European vehicle emissions target - Guardian

The UK government is to oppose a proposal for a tough new EU-wide target on carbon emissions from vehicles, provoking protests from environmental campaigners. The proposal for a 2025 target, by which emissions per car should not exceed 70g of carbon dioxide per kilometre, was made by Fiona Hall, a Liberal Democrat MEP. The UK coalition continues to forget they promised their voters the Greenest Government ever. 

Bankwatch: Bill Oddie evicted from HSBC headquarters after logging protest - I.

Bill Oddie, the naturalist and BBC television presenter, has made a provocative protest film intended to embarrass the global bank HSBC over its links to logging companies blamed for the destruction of the rainforest in Malaysia. The brilliant stunt has attracted national coverage, driving up campaigners call to Move Your Money. 

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

Lightsource liaises with local community over Wells 5.4MW solar farm - SPP.

Scotland awards £6.5m to develop energy sector skills - BusinessGreen

Horse meat burgers are scary but not as much as CO2 emissions - Guardian

Rainforest plays critical role in hydropower generation - BBC News

Food 

EU's 'wasteful' fish discards policy nears the end of the line - Guardian

Breed insects to improve human food security: UN report - Guardian

UN urges people to eat insects to fight world hunger - BBC News

Vermont House passes GMO-labeling law - Grist

Finance

Conference calls for diversity in UK financial system - Blue&Green Tomorrow

Finance that turns people’s lives around: social impact bonds - B&G T.

The risks and benefits of green sovereign wealth funds - Project Syndicate

Driving the circular economy: info graphic - Guardian

Other Interesting Stories

Fallon tells business not to worry – he can multi-task - Energy Live News

Can Patagonia and eBay make shopping more sustainable? - Guardian

Canadian oil company threatens the survival of Peru’s ‘Jaguar people’ - Ecologist

Shed of the Year Competition has some inspiring entries - TreeHugger

Deutsche Bank and IFC accused of bankrolling Vietnam firms' land grabs - Guardian

Two Vietnamese firms bankrolled by Deutsche Bank and the International Finance Corporation – the World Bank's private lending arm – are leading a wave of land grabs in Cambodia and Laos, causing widespread evictions, illegal logging and food insecurity, according to a report. 

Green energy boss Dale Vince accuses Government of risking energy security by cutting subsidies and changing agenda - Independent

Ecotricity boss accused the Government of hugely undermining confidence among potential investors, who are desperately needed to finance an essential overhaul of the UK’s energy infrastructure at a cost of around about £200bn over the next decade. 

Campaigners warn against rise of the 'mega-farms' - Independent

The Government has signalled its backing for large-scale farms ahead of an announcement this week of a timetable for plans for a 25,000-capacity pig farm in Derbyshire. Lord Melchett, the Soil Association's director of policy, said: "The solution is not to create huge-scale intensive operations that threaten our landscape, farming and rural communities. Large-scale industrial farms may be able to produce food a little more cheaply in the short term, mostly through reducing the number and cost of people employed. But we will end up paying a high price for what may be marginally cheaper food." 

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

SSE mis-selling 'not as bad as banks', chief executive Ian Marchant claims - Telegraph

European energy chief puts forward case for funding coal - Guardian

Climate change: swift political action can avert a carbon dioxide crisis - Guardian

Food 

Lamb births at 30-year low after drought, heavy rain and snow blizzards - Independent

Editorial: Who needs mega-farms? - Independent

FSA delayed plans to test every horse before crisis - BBC News

Cambridge-based scientists develop 'superwheat' - BBC News

Finance

Video: Western banks financing illegal south-east Asian land grabs - Guardian

World's first green bank loans $1bn in first months of operation - Business Spectator

Anger as no-tax company wins mobile deal - Financial Times

Other Interesting Stories

Climate change 'will make hundreds of millions homeless' - Guardian

Are plastic jars worse for the environment? - Guardian

Coffee and chocolate at risk as global warming threatens plants and animals - The Times

On The Blog

Exhibition showcases sustainability leaders' wishes for the future 

Ministers 'not totally committed' on carbon - Independent

The parliamentary advisory group Committee on Climate Change has accused the Government of being only "half-committed" to low-carbon energy generation, warning that the UK is likely to miss emissions reduction targets as a result. In other breaking news, the Pope reveals his Catholicism.  

Food for thought: Ben Affleck to ‘Live Below the Line’ with $1.50 daily budget - I.

Actor Ben Affleck is due to take up the #BelowTheLine challenge, and will live on $1.50 (£1) a day for five days next week, as one of thousands of participants around the world taking part, to raise awareness of global poverty. 

Drax one step closer to biomass conversion project with £75m loan - Edie

The owner of the UK's largest power station has announced it has agreed a £75m private loan, underpinned by a Government guarantee to fund its biomass conversion project. 

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

Drax secures £75m Treasury loan guarantee to switch from coal to biomass - BG.

Carbon Omissions: how the UK outsourced its carbon footprint – video animation - G

Why is Reuters puzzled by global warming's acceleration? - Guardian

Canadian oil minister Joe Oliver condemns climatologist James Hansen - Guardian

Food 

Mining and logging companies 'leaving all of Chile without water' - Guardian

Food security: will a mix of policy, investment and biotech feed the world? - G.

Sainsbury's cuts water consumption by 50% - Edie

Finance

Co-op pulls out of buying Lloyds branches - Move Your Money

Will the public subsidise new nuclear? - The Carbon Brief

Brewin Dolphin looks to Bristol for ethical hub - City Wire

Firm launches research tool for sustainable investment - Blue&Green Tomorrow

Other Interesting Stories

Dhaka: many dead as garment factory building that supplied west collapses - G.

A Gap between your words and the truth - Greenpeace

UK Government fails to take wildlife crime seriously - Ecologist

Attenborough to launch Tweet Of The Day on Radio 4 - BBC News

On The Blog

National Trust commits to renewable energy

The Bottled Wishes exhibition showcases an installation of 50 fused recycled glass bottles, each one containing a different wish for the future. Contributors include Greenpeace, Fairtrade Foundation, Triodos Bank, presenter Julia Bradbury and environmental journalist Lucy Siegle.

The diversity of contributors is reflected in the wishes, which showcase ‘ideal world’ visions for issues such as waste, food, poverty, water and development, as well as more conceptual ideals concerning the happiness and attitudes of people.

Curated by the consumer forum Friends of Glass, the project’s aim is to celebrate the 100% recyclable qualities of glass while promoting ideas for more sustainable solutions in all areas of life.

Rebecca Cocking, Head of Container Affairs at British Glass, the trade body behind the Friends of Glass campaign, said: “Glass is a healthy and sustainable material that has and will continue to stand the test of time. We wanted to create a window into what other things we would like to see as part of a more sustainable future and thus the Bottled Wishes concept was born.

“While many of the wishes are aspirational and ambitious, the key to success is to start with a clear goal. We hope in exhibiting the wishes, we will help inspire the action required to turn them into reality.”

The exhibition will run for one month at Global Action Plan’s offices near Covent Garden, London, beginning Wednesday 24th April. At the end of the exhibition the bottles will be auctioned with 100% of proceeds donated to clean water charity drop4drop. 

Members of the public are invited to share their own wishes for the future on Twitter. Those that include the #bottledwishes hashtag in their tweets will be entered into a competition to win dinner for two at Galvin at Windows, and five pairs of viewing tickets for the spectacular new all-glass building The Shard for the lucky runners up. 

What is your Bottled Wish? 

Business leaders push for energy efficiency ahead of EU meeting in Dublin - Edie

The business community has calculated that the efficient use of energy over the next 17 years can offset the investment required for energy infrastructure in Europe by €30bn (£25.6m) per year. The meeting is ahead of European Energy and Environment Ministers' summit in Dublin this week to discuss, among other items, the Commission Consultation Paper on post-2020 vision.  

Justin Welby calls for introduction of regional banks - Guardian

The archbishop of Canterbury has warned that Britain was stuck in an economic depression and called for major steps to drag the country out of it, including the breakup of a major bank in order to create regional lenders. His proposal has been met with some cheer from ethical financiers. Welby speaks days before key GDP data is expected to show the economy remains stalled. 

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

No Dash for Gas plans return to West Burton power station for protest - Guardian

Devon set to get 4.8MW solar development - Blue&Green Tomorrow

LED lamps illuminate Philips' first quarter results - BusinessGreen

Facebook launches live data center efficiency dashboard - TreeHugger

Food 

Scientists attack government climbdown on marine protection - Guardian

Sainsbury's claims new store in Solihull is Britain's 'greenest' - Edie (Energy)

Weetabix supplies hit by dismal harvest - Guardian

Unearthing the value of soil - Green Futures

Finance

This faith in the markets is misplaced: only governments can save our living planet - Guardian

Bloomberg: Renewables investment set to triple by 2030 - BusinessGreen

Improving energy efficiency is good for investors as well as the planet - Guardian

Responsible investment terms: what is norms-based screening? - B&G T.

Other Interesting Stories

Earth Day 2013: Philippines unveils building made from plastic bottles - Guardian

Indian man who planted a 1,360-acre forest now plans to plant another - TreeHugger

How the burning of fossil fuels was linked to a warming world in 1938 - Guardian

Study: Green spaces boosts wellbeing of urban dwellers - BBC News

Brazil's green flagbearer Marina Silva ready to get back in the race - Guardian

On The Blog

National Trust commits to renewable energy

Google Doodle celebrates Earth Day 2013 - Independent

Earth Day 2013 has been given a major boost thanks to Google featuring it as its doodle (it is Google's 13th Earth Day doodle). Earth Day is held every year on 22 April to highlight environmental issues, with events held around the world to show support. More than one billion people across 192 countries now participate in activities every year, with planting trees being one of the most popular ways to show support. 

Marine scientists attack government climbdown on marine protection - Guardian 

The UK's top marine scientists have denounced government ministers for reneging on plans to protect marine life by banning the most destructive fishing and dredging in the seas around the British Isles. Sealife, including fish, lobsters, oysters and seahorses, has been in rapid decline for years. A two-year, £8m consultation involving thousands of people and the government's own scientific advisers concluded that 127 marine protection zones (MPZs) were needed to halt the decline. But the environment minister, Richard Benyon rejected this advice, proposing instead to establish just 31 MPZs, none of which would be completely protected. 

Exclusive: Minister confirms plan to increase support for renewable heat technologies - BusinessGreen

The financial returns for businesses installing renewable heat technologies are likely to increase from next year, after climate minister Greg Barker confirmed an upcoming consultation on the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme will increase tariffs for some technologies. The news was announced as Barker acknowledged the department had faced a series of technical and resource issues that have resulted in repeated delays to the introduction of the domestic RHI scheme. 

OTHER STORIES 

Energy 

Close coal power plants, says report - Financial Times

Fracking 'unlikely to give UK cheap gas', report says - Independent

Google asks utilities to make it easier for companies to buy renewable energy - TC

Am I paying a lot for 'green' energy? - The Observer

Best energy deals this spring - Telegraph

Food 

Watered down? Experts' fury at ministers over plans for protecting British seas - I.

Recyclebank launches new food waste reward scheme - BusinessGreen

UK apple growers set to benefit from EC pesticide rule change - The Grocer

How Monsanto went from selling aspirin to controlling our food supply - TruthOut

Finance

Global finance officials endorse World Bank target to end poverty - AlertNet

Burn our planet or face financial meltdown. Not much of a choice - Guardian

Mounting threat to pollinators undermining $200bn of environmental services - BG.

Islamic finance as a viable alternative financial system - The Express Tribune

Other Interesting Stories

On this day in 2010: BP’s Deepwater Horizon oil spill - Blue&Green Tomorrow

Report: Locals need more legal rights in big African land deals - AlertNet

Dawn French marries partner at luxury eco-hotel - Telegraph

On The Blog

National Trust commits to renewable energy