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Top stories from Sat 20 Sep – Sat 27 Sep

  1. #1

    First two UK HyNet CO2 capture projects reach financial close

    The first two carbon capture projects in the UK HyNet industrial cluster have reached financial close, and will start construction on facilities designed to capture a total of 1.2 million mt/year of CO2, feeding into the Liverpool Bay store. Heidelberg Materials UK's Padeswood cement plant and Encyclis' Protos waste-to-energy plant in Ellesmere Port have signed final contracts with the UK

    S&P Global Energy Transition
  5. #5

    Powering the transition: Why leadership talent is the missing link in green growth

    The shift to net zero won't be delivered by policy alone - it will be delivered by people, writes Harriet Janman, founder of Renew Consultancy, a Women in Green Business Awards 2025 nominee As the UK accelerates its commitment to net zero, more businesses are entering the green energy market than ever before. New divisions are being launched. Established firms are pivoting. But while strategy moves fast, talent often lags behind. At Renew Consultancy, we work with companies navigating this shift. And the one thing we see time and again? You can't deliver decarbonisation without the right people in place. The challenge: Green growth, scarce talent The businesses we support are often at a crossroads. They have the vision and the market opportunity, but they lack the internal leadership or delivery bandwidth to move forward with confidence. Some are technology-led firms trying to build commercial teams from scratch. Others are operationally strong, but lack project leadership or aftersales capability. And many are entering green energy markets like CHP, hydrogen, BESS or flexible generation without existing networks of specialists who can hit the ground running. The pain points are clear: They need to grow revenue in a competitive, low-margin environment They're struggling to attract skilled professionals with sector experience They're under pressure from boards or investors to scale sustainably They can't afford mis-hires, but don't have the time for trial and error Our approach: Partnership over placements We don't just send CVs. We solve business problems through people. When a hydrogen business came to us lacking mid-level commercial structure, we helped them define what was missing, then delivered people who could own the process and bring clarity. When a well-known manufacturer needed to stabilise its operations during a period of change, we stepped in quickly to support their team structure, keeping delivery on track and supporting uptime. And when a founder-led consultancy wanted to break into new markets, we helped them build out a leadership layer that matched their ambitions. None of this happened through chance. It came from clear communication, trust-based relationships, and deep knowledge of the green energy talent landscape. The reality: There aren't enough people with the right skills One of the most consistent barriers to growth in this sector is the shortage of talent with relevant, hands-on experience in low-carbon energy. Whether it's service leadership, project delivery, or commercial strategy, green industry experience is in high demand but short supply. And too often, businesses either compromise on quality or delay key hires, losing momentum in the process. That's why our clients lean on us. Not just to find people, but to validate structures, advise on salary expectations, and help them make the right hire the first time. Inclusion as a growth strategy We also believe in widening the net, not narrowing it. That's why our hiring process always includes intentional steps to reach underrepresented professionals, including women in technical and leadership roles. These aren't 'diversity hires'. They're exceptional professionals who might otherwise go unseen. And when they're brought into organisations that value inclusive leadership, the impact speaks for itself in performance, culture, and long-term retention. Why this recognition matters Being shortlisted for the Women in Green Business Awards 2025 means a great deal. It's a recognition of the values we hold as a business, but also of the work we've done alongside our clients to deliver impact through people. We're not a volume recruiter. We work with businesses that value precision, partnership and long-term results. And we're proud of the difference we've made helping green energy firms grow, stabilise and succeed in a competitive and fast-changing market. Looking ahead: Scaling green capability with confidence The shift to net zero won't be delivered by policy alone. It will be delivered by people. At Renew, we help businesses bridge the gap between ambition and capability, hiring the leadership and delivery professionals who will shape the future of green business in the UK. If your business is building something important but struggling to find the people to deliver it, we'd love to support you. We also recently completed a sector-wide market insight study that highlights the core leadership and delivery challenges facing green energy firms today, and how others are overcoming them. If you're interested in seeing what your peers are doing to build resilience, scale effectively, and compete in this evolving space, we'd be happy to share it with you. Because hiring isn't a transaction. It's a transformation. Harriet Janman is the founder of Renew Consultancy - find out why your business should work with Renew Consultancy here. 📩 To book a short, insight-led conversation, visit www.renewconsultancy.co.uk or get in touch via our contact page. Renew Consultancy is a Women in Green Business Awards 2025 nominee - click here to secure your place.

    Business Green

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  19. #18

    Does aluminium hold the key to circularity in the drinks can industry?

    Partner Insight: The Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance - an initiative of the International Aluminium Institute -explains why the future is circular, and packaged in an aluminium can As the world's leaders, innovators, and thinkers gather for Climate Week NYC, the decarbonisation conversation will turn to every facet of our lives, from the cars we drive to the food we eat. But for the beverage industry, the traditional debate between glass and plastic is a distraction from the real solution: the aluminium drinks can. The Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (GBCCA), an industry-led coalition with ambitious goals to achieve a global recycling rate of 80 per cent by 2030 with 87 per cent of all recycled cans going back into cans in the next five to 10 years, will be making a powerful case at Climate Week for aluminium's role in establishing a circular economy across the entire beverage can value chain. Key for achieving these goals is to have ideally separation at the consumer level and if not possible using technology that separates cans from the waste and generates high quality cans for recycling. "Reaching the 2030 targets hinges on a dual approach," says Alison Lee, director for corporate sustainability at Novelis, a GBCCA member. "We must invest in the technology that makes recycling more efficient and advocate for the policies that make it a consumer norm." Glass, plastic, or aluminium? The scale of the challenge is immense. By 2030, the global beverage can industry will produce 630 billion cans annually. The most common materials used for beverage packaging – aluminium, glass, and PET plastic – each have their own environmental challenges, but their circularity potential varies wildly. A recent report by the International Aluminium Institute (IAI) highlights this disparity between materials. Globally, only 34 per cent of glass bottles and 40 per cent of PET plastic containers are recycled, while 70 per cent of aluminium cans are recycled. The issue is further compounded by downcycling: only 20 per cent of glass bottles are recycled into new bottles, and a mere seven per cen of PET plastic containers are recycled into new containers. In contrast, 33 per cent of aluminium cans are recycled into new cans, a figure the GBCCA is determined to see rise exponentially, as a 60 per cent to 70 per cent used beverage can (UBC) recycled content can be reached without changes to remelt operations or alloy properties globally. Aluminium's superpower is that it can be infinitely recycled without any loss of quality. The advantages of aluminium also extend beyond its recyclability. Its light weight offers substantial logistical and carbon savings. Last April, Aldi UK launched its first own-brand aluminium wine bottle. Fully recyclable and weighing a mere 95g, it is nearly 75 per cent lighter than a standard glass bottle. This weight reduction saves over five tonnes of CO2 emissions per lorryload, a saving equivalent to the weight of an adult elephant. Delivering solutions The key to increasing beverage can recycling rates lies in technological innovation and policy. The GBCCA is hosting an ‘Investment and Technology Spotlight Session' at Climate Week as part of the IAI's event ‘Aluminium in Action: How Beverage Cans Are Closing the Circularity Loop.' This session will spotlight breakthrough technologies designed to accelerate recycling rates. AI systems capable of extracting aluminium beverage cans from unsorted municipal solid waste streams, are revolutionising the sorting process. "Advancing technology solutions can significantly boost recycling," says John O'Maoileoin, group sustainability director at CANPACK Group, a GBCCA member. "However, technology alone isn't enough. Policy changes that help to shift consumer behaviour are equally crucial. The consumer is the first and most critical link in the circular chain. If we can't get the can back, no amount of advanced sorting technology can help us achieve our goals." In the UK, over 17 million single-use drinks bottles and cans go to waste every day. In response, in May this year, the government followed the lead of countries such as Germany, the Republic of Ireland, and Sweden and introduced a Deposit Return Systems (DRS) scheme for aluminium – and steel – drinks cans and plastic bottles. DRS is proving to be a success in Europe, with the average return rate for countries with a scheme being 87 per cent, with Germany top at 98 per cent. "By advocating for and supporting the implementation of such systems globally, the GBCCA is tackling the ‘last mile' problem of getting the can from the consumer back to the recycling facility," says Najeeba Al Jaberi, chief ESG & sustainability officer at Emirates Global Aluminium. The economic case The final piece of the puzzle is the compelling business case for the GBCCA's mission. Recycled aluminium isn't waste; it's a high-value commodity. Unlike other materials, recycled aluminium has a robust market, which helps to subsidise the recycling infrastructure and create a resilient, closed-loop supply chain. This reduces the beverage industry's reliance on primary production and protects against market volatility and resource scarcity. "The GBCCA is not just an environmental initiative," says Mauritz Faenger-Montag, head of external affairs at Speira, "It's also an economic one – the alliance represents a powerful lever. A circular economy for aluminium cans reduces costs, keeps a strategic raw material in regional loops, and creates a more sustainable business model for the wider industry." The message from Climate Week NYC is clear: The future is circular, and it's packaged in an aluminium can. Learn More This article is sponsored by the Global Beverage Can Circularity Alliance (an initiative of the International Aluminium Institute).

    Business Green
  24. #23

    The race to find a way to recycle old turbine blades from windfarms

    Made from carbon fibre, they are difficult to break down, but in UK and elsewhere in Europe there are plans to tackle the waste In the Scottish port town of Irvine in Aryshire, almost 80 of Britain’s oldest wind turbine blades lie disused in an old warehouse. Thirty years ago they towered 55 metres above the South Lanarkshire countryside, powering Scotland’s first commercial windfarm at Hagshaw Hill. Today, they wait for a green energy breakthrough of another kind: blade recycling. Continue reading...

    The Guardian Environment
  25. #24

    Aggreko and Katoni Engineering Release Whitepaper on Temporary Power for North Sea Decommissioning

    Aggreko and Katoni Engineering have released a whitepaper, Temporary Generation for North Sea Oil & Gas, spotlighting the growing need for low-emission, compliant power solutions in offshore decommissioning. With the UK Continental Shelf approaching peak decommissioning by 2030, operators face mounting challenges around emissions, generator availability, and continuity post-cessation of production. The paper compares legacy […]

    Offshore Energies UK (OEUK)