Friday 24 November 2017

UK Chief Scientist


Wikipedia on the Chief Scientist

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Chief_Scientific_Adviser_(United_Kingdom)


Website for Government Office for Science
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/government-office-for-science#management


Reports by policy area

Energy
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=&publication_filter_option=all&topics%5B%5D=energy&departments%5B%5D=government-office-for-science&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date=


Climate Change
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?keywords=&publication_filter_option=all&topics%5B%5D=climate-change&departments%5B%5D=government-office-for-science&official_document_status=all&world_locations%5B%5D=all&from_date=&to_date=

Future of the Sea July 2017
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/622635/FutureOfTheSea_Report_V7_final.pdf

This document summarises findings from interviews with 11 leading companies who are each exploring an emerging theme or trend that will shape the future relationship between the nation and the sea.
It then presents an analysis of the specific opportunities and challenges for the UK, based on the views expressed in the interviews.
This research was completed by the Government Office for Science, as part of the Foresight Future of the sea project.
This is a more detailed report from the series

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/634437/Future_of_the_sea_-_implications_from_opening_arctic_sea_routes_final.pd

2016-17 Annual Report
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/642307/Government_Office_for_Science_Annual_Report_final_v2_16-17.pdf

2015-16
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/584490/go-science-annual-report-2015-16.pdf

Note link to speech on Energy & Climate change policy is dead!

2014-15
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/487242/gs-15-33-go-science-annual-report-2014-15.pdf

Report 'Future of Cities: Beyond Peak Car' (August 2015)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/452923/future-cities-peak-car.pdf

Report 'London and the UK System of Cities' (2014-15)
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/429129/london-and-UK-system-of-cities.pdf

2012-13
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/275802/13-p95-government-office-for-science-annual-review-2012-2013.pdf

In Summer

Publication of the Science and Engineering Assurance reviews of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for Energy and Climate Change. Both reviews were helpful in raising awareness of the evidence support systems and processes available to policy makers. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office have subsequently commissioned an internal review, to establish how to effectively implement improvements to scientific input across a wide range of business areas


Also

Energy Shale gas The GCSA asked the Royal Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering to produce an independent report summarising the relevant scientific and engineering knowledge, including levels of uncertainty and potential risks, associated with the extraction of shale gas. The report was published in June 2012, and informed the Government's later policy decisions on the future of exploration for shale gas. In December 2012, the Government announced that exploration for shale gas using hydraulic fracturing technology could be resumed in the UK.

2012
http://www.raeng.org.uk/publications/reports/shale-gas-extraction-in-the-uk

Nuclear energy In November 2011, the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee published a report on nuclear R&D capabilities in the UK. Responding to its recommendations, the Government asked the GCSA to lead a review of the current nuclear R&D landscape in the UK and to chair an ad hoc Nuclear Research and Development Advisory Board. The Advisory Board met seven times between March and December 2012, and has used the evidence generated by the review to make a series of recommendations to government on the future direction of civil nuclear R&D in the UK. The Government has accepted all the headline recommendations.


2010 Review of Climate Science Advice

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/286122/10-1290-review-of-climate-science-advice.pdf




David King Chief Scientist 2000-2007

 Chief Scientific Adviser to H.M. Government under both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown and Head of the Government Office for Science from October 2000 to 31 December 2007.[8] In that time, he raised the profile of the need for governments to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the new £1 billion Energy Technologies Institute.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_King_(chemist)

David King set up the UK Energy Technologies Insitute

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energy_Technologies_Institute

In addition to initial funding for the ETI, the Department for Business will provide £50 million a year over a period of 10 years starting in 2008-09. When establishing the ETI, the government expected the separate Energy Research Partnership [5] to raise matching funding from commercial organisations.
As of September 2006 EDF Energy, Shell, BP and E.ON UK had committed to providing funds. By 2014, this had grown to include Caterpillar and Rolls-Royce.

Unfortunately link to website is dead, as is possibly the Institute

They did however set up the UK Energy Research Centre

The UK Energy Research Centre

The UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC) carries out world-class research into sustainable future energy systems.
It is a focal point of UK energy research and a gateway between the UK and the international energy research communities.
Our interdisciplinary, whole systems research informs UK policy development and research strategy.
For more info:

Website still working!



John Beddington  Chief Scientist 2008-2013

Sir John Rex Beddington, HonFREng,[2] CMG, FRS (born 13 October 1945)[1] is Senior Adviser at the Oxford Martin School, and was previously Professor of Applied Population Biology at Imperial College London, and the UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser from 2008 until 2013.[3][4][5]
Beddington has been a specialist in the economics and biology of sustainable management of renewable resources, and has previously advised UK ministers on scientific and environmental issues. He has chaired the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' science advisory panel and the Defence Scientific Advisory Committee, and is a member of the Natural Environmental Research Council.[19] He has also advised the European Commission and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation.

chief scientific officer[edit]

On 1 October 2007, it was announced by the Prime Minister Gordon Brown that Beddington would succeed Professor Sir David King as the Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK Government with effect from 1 January 2008.[20] His annual remuneration for this role was £165,000.[21] Beddington was closely involved in helping the British government formulate its response to the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster,[22] the eruptions of Icelandic volcanoes and ash dieback disease in the UK.[5][23] In April 2013 Beddington was succeeded by Mark Walport.[24][25]


Mark Walport Chief Scientist 2013-February 2017

Sir Mark Jeremy Walport FRS FRCP FRCPath FMedSci HonFRSE (born 25 January 1953[1][6]) is a medical scientist and the Government Chief Scientific Adviser in the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2017.[3][7][8][9][10][11][12][13]

Previously Walport was Director of the Wellcome Trust from 2003 to 2013.[2] Before this, he was Professor of Medicine (from 1991) and Head of the Division of Medicine (from 1997) at Imperial College London,[6] where he led a research team that focused on the immunology and genetics of rheumatic diseases.[16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]
Walport was appointed to be the eleventh Government Chief Scientific Adviser in 2013, succeeding Sir John Beddington. As of September 2015, in this role Walport was paid a salary of between £155,000 and £159,999, making him one of the 328 most highly paid people in the British public sector at that time.[24]
It was announced in February 2017 that Mark Walport is now Chief Executive Designate of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).[25]


  • Chris Whitty Chief Science Officer (interim) 2017- to date

No Wikipedia entry
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Committee on Climate Change & June 2017 report

Committee on Climate Change

https://www.theccc.org.uk/



2017 Report to Parliament – Meeting Carbon Budgets: Closing the policy gap
Published:
29 June 2017

  • UK greenhouse gas emissions are about 42% lower than in 1990, around half way to the 2050 commitment to reduce emissions by at least 80% on 1990 levels
  • although good progress has been made to date, that progress is stalling. Since 2012, emissions reductions have been largely confined to the power sector, whilst emissions from transport and building stock are rising
  • effective new strategies and policies are urgently needed to ensure emissions continue to fall in line with the commitments agreed by Parliament
This report is the Committee on Climate Change’s ninth annual assessment of UK progress in reducing emissions and meeting carbon budgets.
203 page report
Executive summary 
The UK urgently needs new policies to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Parliament has made commitments and the Government has a legal duty to propose policies to meet them. Despite this, no significant new policy plans have been published in the 11 months since the fifth carbon budget was set. Climate change will not wait while other priorities are addressed: plans must be published without delay, setting out how the Government intends to deliver the budget, which requires a 57% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from 1990 to 2030. Recent reductions in emissions should not detract from the urgent need for new policies to bring confidence to investors and to enable future targets to be met. Although UK emissions fell 6% in 2016 and are down 19% since 2012, progress has been dominated by the power sector. Carbon dioxide emissions from transport and buildings rose in 2015 and 2016, while progress in driving emissions reductions in industry and for non-CO2 greenhouse gases has been minimal. Despite promising advances in low-carbon technologies like electric cars and renewable power generation, emissions will not continue to fall without new and strengthened policies, and the fourth and fifth carbon budgets will be missed. 
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Carbon Capture and Storage


Report from the National Audit Office on Carbon Capture and Storage: 'There are still no examples of the Technology Working' Jan 2017

"The Department has now tried twice to kick start CCS in the UK, but there are still no examples of the technology working. There are undoubtedly challenges in getting CCS established, but the Department faced an uphill battle as a result of the way it ran the latest competition.Not being clear with HM Treasury about what the budget is from the start would hamper any project, and caused particular problems in this case where the upfront costs are likely to be high. The Department must learn lessons from this experience if it is to stand any chance of ensuring the first CCS plants are built in the near future."
Amyas Morse, head of the National Audit Office, 20 January 2017
The Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (the department) has not achieved value for money for its £100 million spend on the second competition for government financial support for carbon capture and storage, according to the National Audit Office.
Carbon Capture Storage (CCS) is a process to avoid the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere. CCS has the potential to help the UK achieve its ambitious targets to reduce CO2 emissions, if it is used in the power and industrial sectors. The Department also spent £68 million on the first competition on support for CCS, which it cancelled in 2011. Today’s report found that the Department’s plan to use a second competition to develop and deploy carbon capture and storage was ambitious, but ultimately, unsuccessful.
Achieving this goal was challenging because the untried nature of the technology meant the costs and benefits of the proposed projects were inherently uncertain. Given the level of challenge, it was an achievement for the Department to sustain negotiations with the preferred bidders to the point where it gained valuable technical and commercial knowledge about how to deploy the competition projects. But any value that could be gained is contingent on the Department applying the lessons it and the sector has learnt as a result of the competition.
The NAO found the Department began the competition without agreeing with HM Treasury on the amount of financial support available over the lifetime of the projects. This ultimately contributed to HM Treasury’s decision to withdraw £1 billion of funding from the competition, leading to its cancellation, as it was concerned about future costs to consumers. The Department had, however, designed the competition so it could withdraw from supporting its preferred bidders without incurring cancellation costs.
The terms of the competition contributed to one of the two shortlisted projects being unlikely to reach the construction phase. The Department funded two developers to undertake work that would reduce the commercial and technical risks surrounding the construction of the first CCS plant. One of the two shortlisted projects, backed by a consortium, was not able to present a proposal compliant with the Department’s risk allocation as it was struggling to allocate risks between the parties involved. The other competition was more commercially viable but would have had fewer benefits for reducing the costs of subsequent CCS projects.
Many stakeholders think the government needs to carry more risk if it is to enable CCS to be deployed affordably to consumers. The Department’s approach to allocating risk was in line with wider energy policy. But following the competition, many stakeholders think the government should bear more risks, particularly over stored CO2. Government taking a greater share of the risk could reduce delivery costs but would expose taxpayers to losses in the event of risks materialising. The NAO found that flaws in the Department’s design and implementation of its Levy Control Framework, which caps the costs of certain consumer-funded policies, also impacted on CCS investors’ confidence.
In developing the next phase of CCS, the NAO recommends that the Department should maximise the potential value from the competition by incorporating into its new CCS strategy the lessons it and the key stakeholders have learned.
Full article here:
https://www.nao.org.uk/report/carbon-capture-and-storage-the-second-competition-for-government-support/

Carbon Capture and Storage Association


The Lobby group in the UK for the CCS industry is the Carbon Capture and Storage Association.

Website and key pages are here:

http://www.ccsassociation.org/

http://www.ccsassociation.org/what-is-ccs/

http://www.ccsassociation.org/press-centre/ccsa-press-releases/

It appears to be 'whistling a happy tune' after the fiasco of having a competition with a £1bn 'prize' offered by the UK government cancelled after it failed to produce any results in 7 years (2008-15).

It's press releases are a good source of news and developments in the sector, though all put a positive spin on developments.

A list of the press releases for the last couple of years are here. I have put links on some you can see the rest with the link above.

CCSA press releases

2017

12th October

The UK Government today published its Clean Growth Strategy. As part of this Plan, the Government has reaffirmed its commitment to developing CCS.

5th October

On the 5th October, the CCS study "Clean Air, Clean Industry, Clean Growth: How Carbon Capture Will Boost the UK Economy" was published. The CCSA welcomes this study.

28 April

The CCSA welcomes the Public Accounts Committee report "Carbon Capture and Storage". The report is a summary of the evidence session that was held on the 30th March and sets out a number of recommendations; including the need for Government to set out a "clear, joined-up strategy for deploying CCS in the sectors where it is needed to achieve decarbonisation at least cost".

20 January

The CCSA welcomes today's launch of the National Audit Office report "Carbon Capture and Storage: the second competition for government support". On the same day, the CCSA is formally endorsing the key conclusion from the report of the Parliamentary Advisory Group on CCS; CCS projects in the UK power sector can be cost-competitive with other low-carbon technologies from day one.
View the CCSA press release 

2016

15 November

The CCSA welcomes today's launch of the Global Status of CCS: 2016 Summary Report and the IEA report "20 Years of Carbon Capture and Storage".

4 November

The CCSA welcomes today's announcement by the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative to launch a $1billion fund to support low-carbon technologies (including a large proportion for CCS).

6 October 

The CCSA welcomes today's announcement by the Norwegian Government to move ahead with a number of CCS projects.

12 September

The CCSA welcomes today's launch of the Parliamentary Advisory Group on CCS report "Lowest Cost Decarbonisation for the UK: The Critical Role of CCS".

11 July

The CCSA welcomes today's launch of the H21 Leeds City Gate report, which sets out how to convert the UK's gas grid into a hydrogen network - using CCS to reduce emissions.

29 June

The CCSA has today launched a new report on “Lessons Learned: Lessons and Evidence Derived from UK CCS Programmes 2008 – 2015”. 

22 March

The CCSA today welcomes its new Honorary President, The Rt Hon Baroness Liddell. 

10 February

The CCSA welcomes today's Energy and Climate Change Committee report into the Future of Carbon Capture and Storage in the UK.
Select Committee Report
Letter of Select Committee to Amber Rudd (Secretary of State for Energy)
Response of Secretary of State basically 'we'll form a committee to look at it, but we'll only back it with £100m not £1bn"

2015

25 November

On the 25th November 2015, the Government announced to the London Stock Exchange that the £1 billion funding for the CCS competition is no longer available.
The CCSA responded with the following Press Release.





Analysis of why the UK Carbon Capture and Storage 'Competition' was cancelled in 2015

http://www.ccsassociation.org/press-centre/reports-and-publications/lessons-learned/

The CCSA has published a new report entitled “Lessons Learned – Lessons and Evidence Derived from the UK CCS Programmes, 2008 – 2015”. Particularly focused on the recent CCS Competition, which was cancelled in November 2015, the report sets out 36 key lessons for industry and policy makers. These lessons are based on interviews with the two preferred bidders in the previous CCS Competition; the Shell Peterhead project and the Capture Power White Rose project, as well as interviews with a number of other companies interested in developing CCS projects.
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Sources and Links



UK GOVERNMENT

Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-business-energy-and-industrial-strategy

DBEIS: Energy and Climate Change Evidence and Analysis
https://www.gov.uk/government/policies/energy-and-climate-change-evidence-and-analysis

Minister of State for Climate Change
https://www.gov.uk/government/ministers/minister-of-state--43

Website for the Office for low emission vehicles
https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/office-for-low-emission-vehicles


News

Amber Rudd Questioned on Climate Change in Front of the Energy Select Committee September 2015

SHAMEFUL ENERGY POLICY PART 1

Just been watching the new Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change being interviewed by the Parliamentary committee on the same. What a shamefully bankrupt energy policy the current government is pursuing!
Despite the fact that they actually admitted that cost of onshore wind power has actually fallen to the level that it can operate without subsidy (& 20% of the cost on average of a UK windfarm goes on the cost of getting planning permission due to a completely uncoordinated policy and given the difficulty in getting sites the highest cost was often in paying landowners for the sites), AND windfarms are actually delivering far more energy than expected due to technological improvements, all new development on and off shore wind projects are being blocked?!? I have to say I cannot believe that people you claim to be environmentalists like the CPRE have backed this! (Alex!)
The idea that when there is a complete oligopoly in gas and power production and distribution that encouraging consumer 'switching' to bring down prices is a complete joke, and hardly any surprise as admitted it is failing to get companies to pass on savings from the fall in wholesale gas prices. Having been suckered by one company into switching only to find they lowered my monthly charge only to hit me with a massive bill when I moved, I spent 4 whole days a couple of years ago researching whether I should switch. As someone who is an experienced financial analyst who had actually got out my bills to work out my kilowatt hour and cubic metre consumption, I found the Comparison websites and calls to the companies totally misleading and uninformative and when I actually got the companies to give me their prices in cost per kilowatt hour/per cubic metre they proved to be virtually identical. If you think people are going to spend days of their time every quarter or 6 months to get the best energy price is going to be effective is the sort of 'free market fundamentalist' BS pushed by silly Economics professors and known by anyone in the real world to be ridiculous, that permeates so much of this government's nonsense (like justifying loan sharks to TV advertise).
Secretary of State, Amber Rudd admitted that the Heating Initiative is completely falling short of targets on either reducing energy consumption or carbon targets despite lavishing loads on advertising and giving incentives on companies to offer new insulation/boilers etc., and they have NO OTHER POLICY, other than crossing their fingers and hoping a technological solution will somehow turn up (like decarbonisation projects that have all proved a monumental failure so far).
Last but not least the only policy seems to be relying on fracking to deliver gas for new gas-fired plants plants despite the fact that the financial markets and even President Obama has finally caught on to the fact that fracking is just a complete scam by the worst type of Wall Street spivs in hyping a very high cost and environmentally damaging type of hydrocarbon production, which cannot generate a profit for companies now oil prices have fallen, and would only have been worth exploiting economically if gas prices soared much higher than now and would leave us in the UK being locked into much more expensive power source than countries which have more sensibly invested in renewables like off-shore wind (not just my view but that of the Government's Chief Scientist on energy!).
I'll finish my rant with an excellent series of articles from the New York Times on why fracking is a complete scam, and one swallowed by George Osbourne on our behalf hook, line and sinker

SHAMEFUL ENERGY POLICY - PART 2
For those of you with an hour and a half on your hand you might want to watch the new Secretary of State be quizzed on the UK Goverment's policy by the Energy & Climate Change Select Committee.
Amber Rudd does a valiant job defending the indefensible and gallantly tell us Britain is leading the world on Climate Change Initiatives despite the fact that the government's own Climate Change Committee has pointed out it has in the last 5 years completely failed to make any progress at all on meeting any of its targets. She does at least seem deeply embarassed at having to confess that windpower is vastly exceeding all expectations in terms of what it is delivering on cost and output but is still being stopped dead in its tracks by this government, and that a policy of encouraging 'switching' by consumers is mainly failing to have any impact on lowering gas and power prices despite a huge fall in wholesale gas prices, and that the only policy to constrain energy demand and reduce carbon emissions, the Heating Initiative, is falling far short of expectations and is 'deeply disappointing'.
I myself attended a briefing by the then Minister of Energy who pointed out the extreme urgency to take effective action on Energy Policy and develop alternative sources of energy given procrastination by both governments of both colours to take an real policy decisions on Energy if the UK was actually going to even 'keep the lights on' in the next decade, given our entire coal fired capacity was due to be closed and all our whole nuclear capacity is scheduled to be decommissioned (and effectively have to be rebuilt). That Minister, a Conservative, who was widely respected throughout the Industry and by the LibDems for his knowledge of the industry and balanced view of renewable and conventional energies was unexpectedly sacked (it is widely believed by the intervention of George Osbourne) and replaced by a complete thug whose only qualification appeared to be his declared opposition to any form of wind power and a long association with the oil lobby.
Amber in contrast is a younger face, in fact very young to hold such a high position, and her only experience seems to be a 12 month stint as a PuS (very junior minister) in the department and the fact she is a Cheltenham Ladies College Girl, which will doubtless mean George Osbourne can actually talk to her (has this man actually ever spoken to anyone from a State School or even a minor public school for that matter?).
I guess I'm turning into grumpy old man, and she's doubtless a very capable 'gal', and what do I know about energy policy anyway apart from starting analysing the sector since before Amber started prep school. Enough grumpiness!! Good night!

http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/energy-and-climate-change-committee/news-parliament-2015/decc-priorities-2015/




SCOTLAND

Scottish Parliament

Leader of the Scottish National Party, First Minister for Scotland      Rt Hon Nicola Sturgeon MSP

Deputy First Minister, Cabinet Secretary for Education & Skills        John Swinney MSP

Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change & Land Reform   Roseanna Cunningham MSP

Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy


SNP in Westminster

Group Leader in the House of Commons           Ian Blackford MP
Deputy Group Leader, Economy                        Kirsty Blackman MP
Small Business, Entreprise & Innovation           Marion Fellows MP
Industries for the Future                                      Martin Docherty Hughes MP
International Development & Climate Justice    Chris Law MP
Transport, Infrastructure and Energy                  Alan Brown MP
Ennvironment & Rural Affairs                           Angus Brendan Macneil MP
(formerly on the Select Committe for Energy)
Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy              Drew Hendry MP


Scottish Parliament website
http://www.parliament.scot/index.aspx

SNP's Programme for Government in Scotland
https://www.snp.org/the_snp_scottish_government_s_programme_for_government

SNP Conference 8-10th October in Glasgow
https://www.snp.org/conference

Article on Scottish Parliaments programme
https://www.holyrood.com/articles/news/campaigners-welcome-%E2%80%9Cgreenest-programme-government-history-scottish-parliament%E2%80%9D

Climate Change Bill Consultation

Note the Consultation period ran June30th to September 22nd 2017
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/8208

Article on Scottish Energy/Transport Plan

Switched on Scotland: A roadmap to widespread adoption of plug in
vehicles
2016 Review 

Transport Scotland's Publication Library

http://utilityweek.co.uk/news/Scottish-Government-reveals-plans-for-public-power-company/1311402?utm_source=Utility+Week+Daily+Newsletter&utm_campaign=570c23a205-UW_Daily_news_alert&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_4b3e4ed9dc-570c23a205-100214205#.WcVgxsiGPIV

Scotland's A9 on Google Maps
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/A9,+Perth+PH1/@57.293368,-6.1085186,7z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x488f61f2e010b877:0xd34dd91436b36bb4!8m2!3d57.293368!4d-3.86730

Transport Scotland's statement on UK H2 Mobility website
http://www.ukh2mobility.co.uk/member/transport-scotland/

Transport Scotlands Directorate - With names of people responsible
https://www.transport.gov.scot/about/our-directorates/

Scotland's Draft Energy Strategy: The Future of Energy in Scotland. January 2017
http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/01/3414/downloads

"Our future transport needs will be met substantially through electricity or alternative fuels"

"Choices about the scale of supply and consumption of energy have substantially broadened in recent years. Consumers can now generate energy for their own needs, from solar panels or a wind turbine for example. In the future, groups of consumers may choose to invest jointly in new local energy solutions. The ability to store energy is also changing dramatically, with local solutions to complement larger-scale, national infrastructure provision. Scotland will need a more exible energy system, which can accommodate the many choices that consumers and generators will make in the future. This energy challenge represents an exciting opportunity to capture the economic bene ts of pioneering these approaches, here, in Scotland."

 "Scotland’s communities and island populations are increasingly playing an active and important part in the delivery of innovative, low carbon, local smart energy systems in partnership with local government and a range of private and public sector bodies.
With the creation of local solutions to meet local needs – so-called decentralised or distributed energy systems – there is the potential to create vibrant local energy economies. Heat, electricity and storage technologies combined with demand management and energy ef ciency measures on an area-by-area basis, could realise substantial local economic, environmental and social bene ts."
"Despite the widespread use of gas as a heating fuel, there remains a high proportion of households in Scotland with no access to the national gas network. According to the Scottish House Condition Survey, approximately 16% (nearly 400,000) of Scottish households are off the gas-grid, with two-thirds of those homes in rural areas. The increased dependence on electricity for heating is demonstrated in the differences in average electricity consumption between Scottish distribution zones, with a substantially higher consumption of electricity in the North of Scotland."
" The pattern of our energy use over the year demonstrates the value of gas in managing the large swings in energy consumption, the seasons drive our energy use up in the winter. This pattern also demonstrates the potential value in storing energy, within days and seasons, to offset energy demand at peak times. Energy can be stored in different ways including as potential energy in pumped hydro storage facilities, as chemical energy such as batteries, biomass or hydrogen or as thermal energy in individual properties (such as a hot water tank or a battery) or as large-scale storage used with a heat  network. The appropriate storage system will depend on factors including costs, geographic opportunities, how that energy needs to be used, and level of exibility necessary."
 Alongside this progress at a national level, the Scottish Government has been a rm supporter of community and locally-owned renewables. Scotland now has 595MW of community and locally-owned renewable capacity. There are a total of 15,570 locally and community-owned renewables sites in Scotland at present. The two largest power sources continue to be onshore wind (273MW) and biomass (162MW).
Low carbon transport continues to grow. Electric vehicle (EV) uptake is increasing.
At the end of June 2016, there were 3,575 electric cars and vans licensed in Scotland (eligible for the UK Government’s plug-in car and van grant schemes). This is compared to 2,050 at the end of June 2015. More EVs were sold in Scotland in 2015 than the previous four years combined, with 2016 sales on track to rise further. Our ChargePlace Scotland network has expanded to over 600 publicly available EV charging points, equating to over 1,200 charging bays. This includes over 150 ‘rapid’ charge points, one of the most comprehensive networks in Europe. Renewable energy is an input to the transport sector in the form of biofuels - which, in 2015 made up 3.2% of total road fuels used in the UK. 


News
Scotland to 'phase out' new petrol and diesel cars by 2032, The Independent, September 5 2017
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/scotland-petrol-diesel-cars-phase-out-ban-2032-nicola-sturgeon-snp-environment-air-pollution-a7930781.html

Lobby Groups

Article by Head of Greenpeace in the Guardian
https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/26/offshore-wind-power-energy-price-climate-change

Information on the Ecofin Foundation (contact Angela Whelan)
http://www.ecofinfoundation.org/about-us/staff-and-trustees

Global Warming Policy Forum (Climate Change Deniers, headed by Lord Lawson)
http://www.thegwpf.com
http://www.thegwpf.com/category/uk-news/


TRANSPORT TRANSITION


China looks at plans to ban petrol and diesel cars, BBC News, 10 September 2017
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-41218243



ENERGY TRANSITIONS

Shell releases its study on Energy Transitions
http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/scenarios/shell-scenarios-energy-models.html

HYDROGEN FUELS

Overview of Hydrogen Fuels

Shell's webpage on Hydrogen
http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/future-transport/hydrogen.html

Shell - Study on Hydrogen. 'Energy of the future?'
http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/future-transport/hydrogen/_jcr_content/par/textimage_1062121309.stream/1496312627865/46fec8302a3871b190fed35fa8c09e449f57bf73bdc35e0c8a34c8c5c53c5986/shell-h2-study-new.pdf


Presentation pack on the Study

http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/future-transport/hydrogen/_jcr_content/par/textimage_1062121309.stream/1496999618812/8ecf45b7823e96bee4ffab7df3c4873




Hydrogen Refuelling Network

UK H2 Mobility Website
http://www.ukh2mobility.co.uk/

Communication Pack

UK H2 Mobility: The Project
Refuelling Infrastructure


News
New hydrogen taxi service allows Hamburg to hail cabs guilt-free 12 September 2017
https://www.thelocal.de/20170912/state-of-the-art-hydrogen-taxis-mean-you-can-call-a-cab-guilt-free

Mercedes-Benz GLC F-Cell unveiled: Mercedes joins the hydrogen car revolution, albeit with a novel powertrain that combines a fuel cell with a plug-in battery in the GLC F-Cell
12 September 2017
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/motor-shows-frankfurt-motor-show/mercedes-benz-glc-f-cell-unveiled?utm_content=buffer19bd9&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer


Mercedes Benz is about to reveal a hydrogen-powered SUV
http://uk.businessinsider.com/frankfurt-motor-show-2017-mercedes-hydrogen-glc-car-2017-9

The Companies

Toyota UK Motors website
http://www.toyotauk.com/

Toyota video on Environmental challenges
http://www.toyotauk.com/environment/environmental-challenge.html

Hyundai Motors Webpage on FCEVs
http://www.hyundai.com/eu/en/Innovation/Eco/index.html

Ballard Power Systems

Plug Power
Products
Genfuel Products
Financials
http://www.ir.plugpower.com/Financial-Information/Financial-Summary/default.aspx
Q2 2017 Update


Nikola Motors: Nikola Two Heavy Truck
https://nikolamotor.com/two

Convoy
https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=315266380

News on Hydrogen Vehicles

Suzuki Fuel Cell Scooters to be trialled by the Metropolitan Police
https://www.bikesure.co.uk/bikesureblog/2017/09/hydrogen-fuel-cell-scooters-trialled-met.html?utm_source=fbook&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=Hydrogenfuelcellscooter&utm_campaign=bikesure

Hyundai
https://insideevs.com/hyundai-hydrogen-fuel-cell-car-production/


ITM Power

Product list (Hydrogen Electrolysers for fuel)

http://www.itm-power.com/product/hfuel

ITM Annual Report
http://www.itm-power.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ITM_annual_report_2017.pdf


News on ITM Power

Shell's webpage on Hydrogen
http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/future-transport/hydrogen.html

Shell - Study on Hydrogen. 'Energy of the future?'
http://www.shell.com/energy-and-innovation/the-energy-future/future-transport/hydrogen/_jcr_content/par/textimage_1062121309.stream/1496312627865/46fec8302a3871b190fed35fa8c09e449f57bf73bdc35e0c8a34c8c5c53c5986/shell-h2-study-new.pdf


Presentation pack on the Study

Announcement of 2017 Capital Raising
http://www.itm-power.com/news-item/proposed-placing-of-new-ordinary-shares-to-raise-25-million-and-proposed-open-offer-to-raise-up-to-4-4-million


Article on ITM's bulk Power to Gas project with Shell
https://www.gasworld.com/shell-and-itm-power-plan-for-bulk-h2-production-/2013399.article#.WamV7gJmW1s.linkedin

ITM Power Video February 2014
https://player.vimeo.com/video/51895158


Nel Hydrogen
http://nelhydrogen.com/news/awarded-usd-8-3-million-hydrogen-electrolyser-fueling-station-contract/

-Proton On-site
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/lets-talk-hydrogen-fuel-john-stevenson/?trackingId=a1y6gvEDBaIIjvCNoFE1Yw%3D%3D




Electric Vehicles

Criticism of power needs for electric vehicles
http://www.thegwpf.com/britain-faces-huge-costs-to-avoid-power-shortages-with-electric-car-plan/

Tesla's Long Term Plans, 9 September 2017

EV Sales in the USA in H1 2017 Update

Inside EVs Website
https://insideevs.com/


Gas for Transport

Article by T.Boone Pickens on opportunity to use VW fine money for CGT Transport
http://newsok.com/article/5536700

http://newsok.com/article/5536700

http://www.automotive-fleet.com/channel/natural-gas/article/story/2017/09/why-some-fleets-still-like-natural-gas.aspx


WORLD ENERGY

International Energy Agency (IEA)
https://www.iea.org/

IEA Publications
https://www.iea.org/publications/
https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/

International Energy Agency (IEA)
https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/

IEA Overviews for 2017


ELECTRICITY INDUSTRY


IEA report on Comparative cost of Renewables August 2015
https://www.iea.org/newsroom/news/2015/august/joint-iea-nea-report-details-plunge-in-costs-of-producing-electricity-from-renew.html

Windpower

Goldman Sachs video in Windpower
https://www.facebook.com/goldmansachs/videos/10105280028217930/



Solar Power

Article on Bloomberg on Solar Power in Chile
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-06-01/chile-has-so-much-solar-energy-it-s-giving-it-away-for-free

Nuclear Fusion Plants

http://www.thegwpf.com/37063/



UK Energy

IEA 2012 Review
https://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/publication/UK2012_free.pdf


UK Electricity Industry

Energy Trends from DBEIS
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/647388/Electricity.pdf



News


Electricity shake-up could save consumers 'up to £40bn'
By Roger HarrabinBBC environment analyst24 July 2017
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-40699986


UK Windpower

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/sep/26/offshore-wind-power-energy-price-climate-change

Scottish Power/Greenpeace video
https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2017/09/19/video-offshore-wind-suddenly-cheap-uk/

Anti-Windfarm Lobby's take on this
http://www.thegwpf.com/forget-the-spin-offshore-wind-costs-are-not-falling/
http://www.thegwpf.com/cheap-renewable-contracts-could-be-options-in-disguise/

Guardian September 10 2017
https://amp.theguardian.com/business/2017/sep/10/uk-windfarms-become-cheaper-than-hinkley-point-c


Article in the Independent on Windpower being blocked. Shell sponsored study
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/25/uk-windfarm-subsidies-ban-cheap-energy-electricity?utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=SocialSignIn&utm_source=Facebook


UK Solar

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/mar/06/solar-powered-schools-bill-business-rates-rise-england-wales


UK Tidal Power

Wales Is Set to Become the Green Power Capital of Britain, 11 September 2017https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-09-11/tidal-lagoon-power-secures-grid-connection-for-cardiff-project

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/poetry-in-motion-power-plant-will-use-ocean-tides-to-power-155k-homes/

Battery Storage

National Grid warns UK will miss 2020 targets, predicts big battery future
https://theenergyst.com/national-grid-warns-uk-will-miss-2020-targets-predicts-big-battery-future/


Power to Gas

http://www.europeanpowertogas.com/media/files/European%20Power%20to%20Gas_White%20Paper.pdf

Excellent article on potential for Power to Gas in a renewables context
https://medium.com/@cH2ange/hydrogen-enables-renewables-fcc397fa8459

Another article on hydrogen's role in storage
https://medium.com/@cH2ange/making-h2-while-the-sun-shines-2cbd04b496c7

Video on ITM's integration with Windpower from the Hanover-Messe Conference
http://www.hannovermesse.de/en/news/key-topics/integrated-energy/



RENEWABLE FINANCE

Green Investment Bank
http://www.thegwpf.com/uks-green-bank-abandons-britain/


UK ROAD NETWORK

CPRE 'End of the Road'
http://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/transport/roads/item/4543-the-end-of-the-road-challenging-the-road-building-consensus

OIL AND GAS

Offshore Magazine
http://www.offshore-mag.com/oil-production/northsea-europe.html

IMF warning on Saudi Finances from 2015
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/10/imf-saudi-arabia-151022110536518.html

Fracking

A great report on how a quite very small company (U.S. Company Cuadrilla) and a not particularly large UK one (Ineos the rump of ICI) managed to influence the policy of the U.K. Government in the face of widespread opposition and despite this being an economically ridiculous policy.
I was once given the names of all these companies to apply for jobs with. After I looked into them I decided not to, but when I saw how effectively they knackered the windpower industry I saw how effective it was.
http://www.spinwatch.org/index.php/issues/climate/item/5940-meet-the-frackers-a-spinwatch-lobbying-tour

New York Times report into geologists doubts about Fracking in the US
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/us/natural-gas-drilling-down-documents-4-intro.html?_r=1


Chesapeake Energy Stock price chart
https://twitter.com/ChuBailiang/status/648432165936500736?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=BBCCarrie&utm_content=648521856023183360


WATER

Desalinator
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/may/01/the-innovators-desalination-unit-brings-clean-water-on-wheels



MINERALS AND METALS


https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-21/supplying-lithium-gets-trickier-as-electric-revolution-quickens



ENVIRONMENT

Article by George Monbiot
http://www.monbiot.com/2017/09/02/dont-look-now/#.WbQfWxQ8RSM.facebook

Air Pollution in the UK
http://www.wired.co.uk/article/air-pollution-maps-carbon-emissions
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/apr/27/air-pollution-plan-election-campaign-bomb-court-government

Renewables in China
https://theconversation.com/china-is-planning-ahead-for-life-after-coal-76892?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+May+9+2017+-+73405612&utm_content=Latest+from+The+Conversation+for+May+9+2017+-+73405612+CID_33f392bdb7ca5bad52e427a8bda45026&utm_source=campaign_monitor_uk&utm_term=China+is+planning+ahead+for+life+after+coal


Article on Solar Power in India
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/10/indian-solar-power-prices-hit-record-low-undercutting-fossil-fuels


Solar Power in Africa
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pierce-nahigyan/solar-power-is-freeing-ru_b_10564586.html

China's Hidden Pollution
https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2017-05-10/china-s-hidden-pollution

Pollution in China
https://twitter.com/ChuBailiang/status/648432165936500736?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=BBCCarrie&utm_content=648521856023183360

Arnold Schwarzenegger video where he talks to US Navy on rising sea levels
https://www.facebook.com/ajax/sharer/?s=11&appid=2392950137&id=1404011326352588&p%5B0%5D=1404011326352588&sharer_type=all_modes


Palm Oil (Greenpeace) video
https://www.facebook.com/ajax/sharer/?s=11&appid=2392950137&id=10153716201074229&p%5B0%5D=10153716201074229&sharer_type=all_modes

Federal site on Climate Change Science being closed down by Trump Administration
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/01/27/the-top-download-from-any-federal-site-right-now-is-a-park-service-report-on-climate-change/?postshare=2661485649294421&tid=ss_fb&utm_term=.8a9086e10835


Arctic Iceshelf Retreating in 2016
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-arctic-is-seriously-weird-right-now/?WT.mc_id=SA_FB_ENGYSUS_NEWS


Antarctic Iceshelf Melt 9n 2016
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/antarctica-ice-shelf-is-breaking-from-the-inside-out/?WT.mc_id=SA_FB_ENGYSUS_NEWS

Antarctic Iceshelf Melt in 2016
http://www.sciencealert.com/thousands-of-strange-blue-lakes-are-appearing-in-antarctica-and-it-s-very-bad-news

Science on Sea Level Rises
https://skepticalscience.com/Past-150000-Years-of-Sea-Level-History-Suggests-High-Rates-of-Future-Sea-Level-Rise.html

Disruption of Cloud Patterns Caused by Global Warming
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/07/11/the-worlds-clouds-are-in-different-places-than-they-were-30-years-ago/?tid=sm_fb&utm_term=.e802a5aef0c1

Graphic on Global Warming
http://www.climate-lab-book.ac.uk/files/2016/06/spiral_optimized.gif

Rainforest destruction in Indonesia
https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/petitions/1052/siberut-our-forest-is-not-your-biomass?t=358-297-4643-1

Global icecap melting from 2016
http://news.sky.com/story/fears-melting-glacier-will-raise-sea-levels-1028747
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