The UK government’s recent Budget underlines a delicate balancing act between maintaining energy security and advancing climate commitments, facing industry and union criticisms over limited support and fiscal policies that threaten long-term investment. The UK government’s recent Budget has signalled a cautious but consequential shift in its approach to the North Sea oil and gas sector, refining industry, and the wider energy transition, emphasising a delicate balancing act between energy security, climate commitments, and fiscal priorities. However, industry stakeholders and unions alike have expressed concerns that the measures announced fall short of providing the certainty and support necessary to sustain…

The European Commission’s plan to rollback steel import quotas to 2013 levels draws opposition from industry leaders and critics who warn it risks violating trade agreements and undermining market fairness amid rising global competition and internal reforms. The European Commission’s attempt to restore steel import quotas to 2013 levels has drawn strong criticism from industry stakeholders who consider the move economically unrealistic and legally questionable, especially against the backdrop of a significantly expanded European economy since that time. The Commission’s proposal, set out in late 2025, aims to tighten steel import restrictions to protect the EU steel sector amid pressures…

As new regulations like the EU’s CSDDD tighten requirements, companies must expand their supply chain oversight beyond Tier 1 to manage environmental and social risks embedded in lower tiers, harnessing advanced technologies to ensure compliance and mitigate liabilities. For businesses striving to decarbonise industrial operations and meet escalating environmental and social governance (ESG) standards, the challenge of robust supply chain due diligence extends far beyond the immediate purview of Tier 1 suppliers. Traditionally, companies concentrated compliance efforts on their direct suppliers, creating an illusion of control that obscures deeper risks hidden in the more complex, multi-tiered supply chain. Recent evidence…

By 2030, a significant portion of large manufacturing firms are expected to operate fully autonomous facilities, with advanced motor technologies playing a pivotal role in this transformative shift towards smarter, safer, and more sustainable production systems. By 2030, it is anticipated that 35 per cent of large manufacturing companies will operate fully autonomous facilities, a milestone highlighted by Industry 4.0 solutions specialist Intelligence Industrielle. This concept, widely known as “lights-out manufacturing,” envisages factories running with minimal human presence, leveraging advanced technologies to enhance productivity, safety, and sustainability. Mike Davies, managing director of Electro Mechanical Systems (EMS), outlines how sophisticated motor…

The EU and Australia have strengthened their collaboration on critical minerals through new agreements and initiatives, aiming to diversify supply chains, reduce dependence on China, and accelerate green and digital transitions amidst evolving geopolitical and regulatory challenges. Over recent years, Australia and the European Union have actively developed an extensive framework of agreements and initiatives aimed at reinforcing cooperation in the critical minerals sector. Central to this effort is the EU’s Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA), which came into force in May 2024. The legislation sets ambitious goals for the bloc to boost domestic production and processing of critical minerals…

As UK industrial sector faces unprecedented rises in energy bills driven by non-commodity charges, private wire renewable projects offer a strategic solution to enhance cost control, stability, and sustainability, signalling a significant shift in how large power users secure their energy needs. Amidst the volatile landscape of UK energy costs, large power users are increasingly turning to private wire renewable projects as a viable strategy to gain greater control over rising non-commodity charges (NCCs) and secure long-term price visibility. As Alexander Goodall, Founder and CEO of Xela Energy, elucidates, navigating the complex mix of commodity and non-commodity costs presents a…

A £10 million funding initiative aims to develop advanced energy solutions, combining renewable sources and storage, to enable faster, cost-effective deployment of ultra-rapid EV chargepoints in rural and grid-constrained areas across England. The UK government has launched a £10 million funding initiative to support the development of cutting-edge technology that enables electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure to operate either independently of or with minimal reliance on large grid connections. This pioneering effort targets a critical bottleneck in the rollout of EV chargepoints, grid constraints, especially in rural and hard-to-reach locations along England’s motorways and major A-roads, where costly or lengthy…

The IMF highlights the nuanced impacts of industrial strategies amid rising geopolitical tensions, emphasising cautious design to balance productivity gains with broader economic risks. Governments worldwide, across both advanced and emerging economies, have increasingly embraced industrial policy as a strategic tool to boost productivity, safeguard manufacturing jobs, and foster economic diversification. This approach, intensifying over the past decade and a half, aims to nurture “infant” industries, reduce dependency on imports, and enhance supply chain resilience, objectives that have acquired renewed urgency amid geopolitical shifts and economic uncertainties. The latest analysis from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) sheds light on the…

Innovative strategies such as auxiliary battery vessels and synthetic fuels are reshaping efforts to cut shipping emissions, with technological and regulatory developments paving the way towards a net zero future for global trade. Shipping remains a cornerstone of global trade, responsible for moving about 90% of goods worldwide, but it also accounts for nearly 3% of global carbon emissions. The sector’s decarbonisation has been notoriously difficult, primarily because container ships rely heavily on cheap, energy-dense heavy fuel oil allowing them to travel long distances without refuelling. International efforts to push shipping towards net zero have faced setbacks, notably when the…

German startup Reverion has secured $41 million in offtake agreements facilitated by Frontier, showcasing a breakthrough in biogas-based carbon removal with its innovative solid oxide fuel cell technology, backed by major corporate buyers and targeting durable CO₂ removal by 2030. Climate startup Reverion, a German company specialising in biogas-based carbon removal, has secured significant offtake agreements facilitated by Frontier, an advanced carbon removal buyer coalition. The deals, valued at $41 million, cover the permanent removal of 96,000 tons of CO₂ between 2027 and 2030 and feature major corporate buyers including Google, McKinsey, H&M Group, Autodesk, Workday, and others. This marks…