By Graeme McLellan and Aonghus Heatley on Posted in Environment,GovernmentThe removal of diesel trains from operation in the UK could be accelerated as part of the UK government’s plans to reduce carbon emissions. In a speech in February 2018, the UK’s then-Minister of State for rail, Jo Johnson (brother of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson), stated that he “would like to see us take… Continue Reading
By Aonghus Heatley and Cate Sharp on Posted in EnvironmentOn 6 January 2016, the European Commission published the Implementing Regulation 2016/9 on the joint submission of data and data-sharing (the Regulation). Concerns have been raised that the Regulation is likely to increase the administrative burden that prospective Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regime registrants are subject to. The Regulation is intended to… Continue Reading
By Aonghus Heatley on Posted in EnvironmentEuropean Union (EU) leaders recently reached agreement to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40 percent by 2030 as compared with 1990 levels. The leaders also agreed a binding, at the EU level, target to obtain at least 27 percent of the EU’s energy from renewable sources by 2030 and a voluntary target to cut energy… Continue Reading
By Aonghus Heatley on Posted in EnvironmentThe bidding process has opened in the UK for licences to allow companies to begin exploring for onshore oil and shale gas deposits. The ‘fracking’ process used to extract such deposits – which has been linked to localised earth tremors – is controversial, with environmental pressure groups and many residents of the areas where such… Continue Reading