Latest news with #NetZero
Yahoo
8 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
P.E.I. government reducing many of its energy efficiency rebates as of Monday
Prince Edward Islanders who invest in some energy efficiency measures will get lower rebates from the provincial government starting Monday, while amounts offered to help pay for insulation and window and door replacement will go up. The province announced the changes to its Net Zero and efficiencyPEI rebates on Thursday, after it paused accepting new applications for some programs earlier in the year. "We're trying to balance fiscal responsibility — staying within the budgets that we have in the division — while maximizing our return on investment," said Derek Ellis, the director of sustainability for the province's Department of Environment, Energy and Climate Action. That means "moving some investments away from some of the poorer-performing programs from an energy savings and greenhouse gas emission reductions perspective and over to the higher-performing programs," he said. As a result, the amount of money Island homeowners will get for installing heat pumps, buying electric vehicles and putting in solar panels is set to decrease. The province will also pause new applications for free heat pumps, free insulation and free electric hot water heaters due to high demand, a news release said. The province measures the cost effectiveness of its programs based on dollar spent per ton of greenhouse gas emission elimination, as well as dollar per kilowatt hour saved, Ellis said. "We have a good idea of how [programs] perform over time and have made some changes in response to that," he said. Popular programs The province has seen a lot of uptake on its heat pump and solar panel rebates, Ellis said, adding that the province is happy to continue offering rebates to homeowners on those items, at a lower rate. The heat pump rebate for residential properties is set to decrease from $1,200 to $900 per unit, while the solar panel program will see a change in incentive rate and a rebate capped at $5,000 for solar panels installed on a home, compared to the prior $10,000 cap. People wanting solar panels who were previously approved by the province will get the old amount, while anyone who applied on or after Jan. 8, 2025, will get the new amount if they are deemed eligible. "Incentives and caps for commercial and agricultural clients will remain the same," the news release adds with regard to solar panels. "Rebates on energy-efficient equipment for business, community, commercial and industrial buildings [are] increasing, including air source heat pump rebate increasing from $600 to $900. Rebates are also increasing for selected lighting and for packaged terminal heat pumps." Rebates for the purchase of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles have been popular, particularly in Charlottetown and Summerside, Ellis said. While the amount of those rebates are going down, annual registration of those vehicles will still be free. Ellis also said the province will not be making changes to its infrastructure plans to support EVs, citing projects underway to create more fast charging stations in communities across the Island. Some rebates the same or higher Some of the energy efficiency and rebate programs will continue unchanged, including the e-bike incentive, instant rebates on appliances, and the provincial subsidy for home energy audits. As well, the provincial news release says, there will be a "40 per cent increase in rebates for insulation for attics, walls, basements, headers, exposed floors, windows and doors, and air sealing." As for new home construction, the news release said, "incentives will be increased and re-aligned to match national building code tiers, so people will get more money back." Ellis said the province tries to stay in line with the latest trends and best practices to help Islanders minimize energy costs. "Where we can make life more affordable and also reduce energy and GHG [greenhouse gas] emissions, we will always make the case for that, and ultimately the decision-makers here in government will have the final say."
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
STEPHEN DAISLEY: Ross sauntered out, sulkier than a teenager sent to his bedroom
Russell Findlay has a way of putting questions. It's the incredulous tone, the dagger-sharp diction, the arctic stare, the shoulders that recoil like a feline catching its reflection. No matter the topic, no matter how outwardly reasonable the government's position, Findlay treats it like a monstrous crime. He could be querying climate mitigation policy and still he sounds like a desk sergeant reading a list of charges to a toerag who'd just been caught after his 17 mugging in as many days. In fact, climate mitigation policy was the very topic under discussion yesterday, and Findlay was in the highest of dudgeon. The Climate Change Committee had put out a report recommending steps to be taken so Scotland can meet Net Zero. It's the kind of report almost written for Findlay to steam about at FMQs, containing as it did proposals to turn Scotland into a high-tax, high-price, electric-motored, heat-pumped, semi-vegan dystopia. Imagine Planet of the Apes only at the end Charlton Heston finds a giant statue of Lorna Slater. Findlay fumed that, under the report's recommendations, 'the number of cattle and sheep in Scotland would need to fall by two million' in the next ten years. Culling two million sheep. There goes the SNP 's core vote. This was the point where Swinney should have said: Are you mad, man? I'm the MSP for Perthshire North. I'm hardly about to put thousands of farmers on the dole. Alas, he couldn't say that because, having signed up to the Net Zero religion, open deviation would make him a heretic. The doctrine would have to be finessed without any admission that the dogma was wrong. Or, as the First Minister put it: 'The government will consider specific proposals and bring them forward, and the parliament will have the opportunity to decide whether those proposals should be approved or not.' Ah, of course. When there's credit to be taken for climate targets, it belongs to the government. When there's a problem, it's parliament's mess to clear up. Next Findlay railed against the report's call for heat pump installations to be ramped up. He said 70 per cent of homes would need one to meet the Nationalists' eco goals, and only one per cent of houses boasted one today. And they don't come cheap: somewhere between £8,000 and £15,000. SNP ministers could cover that with their recent £20,000 bonus, but what about ordinary punters? Swinney blamed Brexit. I'm still not sure how, but he slipped it in there, as if it was a perfectly logical response, as if he didn't blame it in every answer to every question. One MSP not terribly impressed by this answer was Douglas Ross who began heckling from the cheap seats up the back of the Tory benches. Swinney began to stumble over his words, when Alison Johnstone's patience snapped like an overstretched bungee rope. The Presiding Officer gave Ross a right telling off, scolding him for having 'persistently refused to abide by our standing orders', then ordered him out of the chamber and told him not to come back for the rest of the day. He didn't move a muscle. Throats cleared awkwardly across the room. 'Mr Ross, I have asked you to leave the chamber,' Johnstone said. Still no movement. For a fleeting second or two, it looked as though things might get hairy, but after a pronounced pause, the former Tory leader picked up his parliament pass and sauntered out, sulkier than a teenager sent to his room. Johnstone seemed to think booting him out of FMQs was a sanction. If she really wanted to punish him, she should have made him sit through all 45 soul-sapping minutes. Ross was deprived of watching Nat backbencher Clare Adamson's halting attempt at reading out a question so planted it should have come with its own watering instructions. That's what they consider orderly at Holyrood, but speaking your mind, they chuck you out for that.
Al Etihad
16 hours ago
- Business
- Al Etihad
EMSTEEL partners with Magsort to produce decarbonised cement
29 May 2025 18:34 ABU DHABI (WAM)EMSTEEL, one of the largest publicly traded steel and building materials manufacturers in the region, has announced a major milestone in its decarbonisation journey where it has signed a strategic partnership with Finnish company Magsort to produce decarbonised agreement follows the success the Group has had in implementing an industrial-scale pilot for decarbonised cement production at its Al Ain facility through utilising 10,000 tonnes of materials that reduce carbon, which have been developed by incorporating Group's pilot provides a unique use-case for complementary operations between its two main business lines: Steel and Cement. This is achieved by incorporating steel slag at scale as raw material for clinker and cement production, reinforcing the Group's commitment towards driving sustainability in the to its diverse product range, EMSTEEL in uniquely positioned to pioneer a viable and practical circular economy case study. This simultaneously underscores EMSTEEL's strategic capability to expedite decarbonisation efforts across diverse sectors and strengthens its standing as a regional sustainability leader setting new benchmarks for industrial innovation in developing low-carbon address the growing local market demand for low-carbon cement, an integrated line will be built at the company's Al Ain plant. This line will process steel residue and refine materials sourced from EMSTEEL's steel plant in Abu Dhabi. This significant initiative is a crucial step expected to directly contribute to reducing Scope 1 carbon dioxide initiative is a core component of EMSTEEL's decarbonisation strategy. The company aims to achieve a 40% reduction in absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in its Steel Business Unit and by 30 percent reduction in its Cement Business Unit by 2030, using 2019 as the baseline year. EMSTEEL remains firmly committed to reaching net-zero emissions by CEO of EMSTEEL, Saeed Ghumran Al Remeithi, said, 'This is a proud moment for EMSTEEL and a strong signal of what is possible when innovation meets ambition. By transforming steel slag into a valuable input for cement, we are not only cutting emissions but also proving the commercial value of industrial circularity. Our integrated model is unlocking real results, and this milestone is a testament to our commitment to accelerate our decarbonisation journey and help deliver the UAE's Net Zero vision.'CEO of Emirates Cement, part of EMSTEEL Group, Hugo Losada, stated, 'This milestone represents an important step in our decarbonisation journey. Proving the technical and commercial viability of this decarbonisation effort is a promising sign that we will be able to achieve our objective of hitting the 2030 decarbonisation targets by 2026. We look forward to continuing this very fruitful co-operation with Magsort over the years to come.' CEO of Magsort, Kalevi Kostiainen, added, 'We are extremely happy in achieving this key milestone in Abu Dhabi. The co-operation with Emirates Cement has been incredibly productive and this facility serves as a large-scale example for the industry on how to achieve significant CO₂ reduction with today's technology and existing materials. It's a clear win-win for the cement and steel industries. We would like to thank Emirates Cement for leading the way and taking action.'
RTÉ News
19 hours ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Reddy is first Irish president of Institute of Concrete Technology
John Reddy, Ecocem's Director of Concrete Technology Deployment, is the new President of the Institute of Concrete Technology (ICT), the international professional body for concrete technologists and engineers. Mr Reddy is the first person from Ireland to hold the role of President of ICT, which has a term of two years. He has been vice president of the organisation since 2023. Veronika Elfmarkova becomes the body's new Vice President, ahead of her becoming the ICT's first ever female President in 2027. She is Head of Commercial RMX at Holcim and is based at the group's headquarters in Switzerland. "Now is perhaps the most exciting and critical time to be a concrete technologist as demand is increasing for concrete in terms of performance, volume and Net Zero ambitions," John Reddy said. "I am honoured to take on the leadership of the ICT and it is my ambition to elevate further the status of the ICT internationally and to see concrete technologists develop their roles in delivering solutions to improve further the concrete we use today," he added. ICT is today holding its 53rd Annual Convention Symposium in the Trinity Business School in Trinity College Dublin, the first time the annual event has been staged outside of the UK. The theme of this year's ICT event is "The Pursuit of Net Zero Concrete: Materials, Design and Practical Applications", with speakers drawn from industry and academia in both Ireland and the UK. As Director of Concrete Technology Deployment, Mr Reddy is helping to drive the rollout of Ecocem's breakthrough technology ACT, which can deliver a 70% decarbonisation of cement at scale globally. Ecocem last week announced an additional investment of €170m to construct four new production lines in France and to accelerate delivery of ACT to the market.
Zawya
a day ago
- Business
- Zawya
Oman: Omantel advances Net Zero plan with emission cuts and renewables
Muscat – As climate action becomes increasingly urgent across industries, Omantel is stepping forward with a clear commitment to sustainability. The company has formally adopted a Net Zero target for 2050 and set an ambitious near-term goal to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 45% by 2030, using 2023 as the baseline year. This commitment reflects Omantel's broader sustainability vision and its role as a national digital enabler, supporting Oman's transition towards a low-carbon future. Rather than treating Net Zero as a distant aspiration, Omantel said it is taking measurable steps today to reshape its environmental impact. 'Our responsibility extends beyond digital infrastructure. It includes contributing to a more sustainable future for Oman. This target reflects both our ambition and the action we are taking to achieve it,' Lujaina Saif al Kharusi, Vice President of Governance, Regulatory Affairs and Compliance at Omantel, said in a press statement. A major step in this journey was reached in 2024, when Omantel redeemed 40,000 International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs) sourced from the Dhofar Wind IPP through Nama Power and Water Procurement (Nama PWP). This clean electricity, equivalent to 40,000 MWh, led to a 12.38% reduction in the company's market-based Scope 2 emissions and prevented more than 88,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent from entering the atmosphere. Without intervention, emissions would have risen alongside business growth. Instead, Omantel achieved a 2.77% decrease in total emissions for 2024 compared to 2023, avoiding a projected 10.96% increase. By 2026, emissions are expected to remain just 5.15% above 2023 levels, significantly below the business-as-usual projection of nearly 31%. These results underscore the effectiveness of Omantel's approach. Omantel also ranks among the first telecom operators in the region to adopt renewable energy certificates at this scale. This signals both technical capability and a serious commitment to operational sustainability. 'Setting goals is important, but following through on them is what defines leadership,' said Lujaina. 'Integrating wind power into our energy portfolio is just one example of how we are aligning climate goals with real action.' By embedding sustainability into its strategy, Omantel is contributing to Oman's national Net Zero roadmap and helping shape a future where connectivity and climate responsibility advance hand in hand. © Apex Press and Publishing Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
