“Think Global, Act Local” is as relevant today as it was in 1992
In May's local elections, anti-Net Zero party Reform UK took control of 10 UK Councils. This month the party has started to dismantle Net Zero...
Do we need a Climate Elvis?
Jun 16, 2025
Last week I had a coffee with Alex Slack of Everyturn, chewing the cud over the state of Sustainability. Alex relayed an anecdote about when...
Reform hits Reality – and Net Zero wins!
Jun 4, 2025
There has been much wailing in the environmental sector about the success of Reform UK in the recent local elections given the party's loud anti-Net...
What do the UK local election results mean for Net Zero?
May 6, 2025
Regular readers will know I’ve been an elected City Councillor here in Newcastle for 20 out of the last 21 years*. Normally at midnight on...
Mr Blair, you were the future once, now get out of the way of Net Zero
May 1, 2025
When Tony Blair made his ill-advised foray into the world of Net Zero last week, one of my various uncharitable thoughts was just how old...
In the low carbon transition, there are experts and there are ‘experts’…
Apr 30, 2025
Within seconds of the Iberian blackout, the Telegraph splashed a headline that 'experts' had blamed Net Zero policies. "Which experts?" I asked myself with a...
Should a Sustainability Leader be a weathervane, compass or sailor?
Apr 28, 2025
On the face of it, Sustainability here in the UK and abroad is in turmoil. Political pundits claim ESG, Net Zero and DEI are a...
Trying to make sense of Trump’s trade policy from a Sustainability point of view
Apr 14, 2025
It was the most predictable u-turn ever. If the US consumer had been faced with smartphones costing 250% of their pre-tariff price tag, the idiocy...
Unpicking the Politics of Net Zero with Michael Liebreich
Feb 7, 2025
This week on the Net Zero Business Podcast, I talk politics with Michael Liebreich, one of the foremost commentators and advisors on the clean energy...
Can we have the promised “presumption in favour of sustainable development”?
Jan 29, 2025
On Monday, I gave a guest lecture on the UK Planning system to civil engineering students at Durham University. Having served on Newcastle Council’s Planning...