James Murray
@james-bg.bsky.social
Editor-in-chief of BusinessGreen, writing for a couple of decades or so about the environment, the economy, green politics, and the Climate Theory of Everything
In further 'words no longer have any meaning' news, Lord Glasman wants 'clean, abundant' energy, including coal, fossil fuels, and North Sea gas. www.desmog.com/2025/11/28/l...
November 28, 2025 at 2:12 PM
In further 'words no longer have any meaning' news, Lord Glasman wants 'clean, abundant' energy, including coal, fossil fuels, and North Sea gas. www.desmog.com/2025/11/28/l...
Worth noting the OBR reckons that if the fuel duty freeze does end in 2027 it will have run for 16 years and cost the exchequer a full £120bn. www.businessgreen.com/analysis/452...
November 27, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Worth noting the OBR reckons that if the fuel duty freeze does end in 2027 it will have run for 16 years and cost the exchequer a full £120bn. www.businessgreen.com/analysis/452...
Lots of understandable anger from some green groups and businesses this afternoon, which could have been avoided if the government had got its plans in order. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...
November 26, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Lots of understandable anger from some green groups and businesses this afternoon, which could have been avoided if the government had got its plans in order. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...
If it hadn't been overshadowed by the row over the proposed roadmaps, this would have been quite a strong signal from the COP30 agreement. Also underscores the self-harming nature of those governments that want to restrict planning for a transition they acknowledge is inevitable.
November 25, 2025 at 9:52 AM
If it hadn't been overshadowed by the row over the proposed roadmaps, this would have been quite a strong signal from the COP30 agreement. Also underscores the self-harming nature of those governments that want to restrict planning for a transition they acknowledge is inevitable.
Gove is entirely right about this. The scale of the exemptions being proposed for Biodiversity Net Gain rules would deal a huge blow to a sector that is starting to work, while imposing very minimal costs on developers.
November 24, 2025 at 12:21 PM
Gove is entirely right about this. The scale of the exemptions being proposed for Biodiversity Net Gain rules would deal a huge blow to a sector that is starting to work, while imposing very minimal costs on developers.
This feels like the right take. www.businessgreen.com/news/4522241...
November 22, 2025 at 6:48 PM
This feels like the right take. www.businessgreen.com/news/4522241...
Why governments and businesses are rallying behind proposals for a roadmap for the transition away from fossil fuels. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...
November 21, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Why governments and businesses are rallying behind proposals for a roadmap for the transition away from fossil fuels. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...
One of the big flaws in opponents of climate action - both here and at COP30 - is they cannot credibly answer the question, 'then what?'
November 20, 2025 at 5:01 PM
One of the big flaws in opponents of climate action - both here and at COP30 - is they cannot credibly answer the question, 'then what?'
Also, the argument from Labour sources that subsidies to middle class households are inherently wrong misunderstands how such subsidies work.
November 16, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Also, the argument from Labour sources that subsidies to middle class households are inherently wrong misunderstands how such subsidies work.
Introducing a pay per mile levy at this stage would be bad for the EV transition, but scrapping salary sacrifice would be catastrophic.
November 11, 2025 at 10:32 PM
Introducing a pay per mile levy at this stage would be bad for the EV transition, but scrapping salary sacrifice would be catastrophic.
This is such a lovely tribute to Quentin Willson. Real measure of the man stuff. The air is cleaner, emissions are lower, and the journey towards a cleaner and healthier world is more advanced than it would have been because of the work he put in.
November 10, 2025 at 6:50 PM
This is such a lovely tribute to Quentin Willson. Real measure of the man stuff. The air is cleaner, emissions are lower, and the journey towards a cleaner and healthier world is more advanced than it would have been because of the work he put in.
It's all a big con, apparently.
November 6, 2025 at 5:15 PM
It's all a big con, apparently.
Not a great look, tbh.
November 6, 2025 at 4:59 PM
Not a great look, tbh.
The EV industry is none too impressed. www.businessgreen.com/news/4521435...
November 6, 2025 at 10:54 AM
The EV industry is none too impressed. www.businessgreen.com/news/4521435...
The EU's new climate targets are not as ambitious as hoped, but also...
November 5, 2025 at 5:54 PM
The EU's new climate targets are not as ambitious as hoped, but also...
Howling into the void, but there's something deeply enraging at the Mail attacking an attempt to teach children about climate impacts that will shape the rest of their lives. It's catastrophically stupid nihilism dressed up as conservatism - and they have the nerve to accuse others of dumbing down.
November 5, 2025 at 3:48 PM
Howling into the void, but there's something deeply enraging at the Mail attacking an attempt to teach children about climate impacts that will shape the rest of their lives. It's catastrophically stupid nihilism dressed up as conservatism - and they have the nerve to accuse others of dumbing down.
Rare for trade bodies to be this publicly furious. The Treasury could make some relatively modest savings by cutting energy efficiency schemes, but it would do a lot of long term damage.
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521385...
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521385...
November 5, 2025 at 12:07 PM
Rare for trade bodies to be this publicly furious. The Treasury could make some relatively modest savings by cutting energy efficiency schemes, but it would do a lot of long term damage.
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521385...
www.businessgreen.com/news/4521385...
Great read from @iandunt.bsky.social on whether Starmer should stay or go, including the mystery of how, if you’re launching a popular climate, energy, and growth strategy, why wouldn’t you stage a press conference on it?
iandunt.substack.com/p/a-world-wi...
iandunt.substack.com/p/a-world-wi...
October 31, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Great read from @iandunt.bsky.social on whether Starmer should stay or go, including the mystery of how, if you’re launching a popular climate, energy, and growth strategy, why wouldn’t you stage a press conference on it?
iandunt.substack.com/p/a-world-wi...
iandunt.substack.com/p/a-world-wi...
This is almost the perfect test of whether Gates’ argument is made in good faith. If so, he’ll surely be mortified at it being weaponised by climate denialists and will want to vocally set the record straight? We can presumably expect that any minute now?
October 30, 2025 at 11:30 AM
This is almost the perfect test of whether Gates’ argument is made in good faith. If so, he’ll surely be mortified at it being weaponised by climate denialists and will want to vocally set the record straight? We can presumably expect that any minute now?
Hard agree with all of this. And it very much relates to yesterday’s failure to really promote the new climate action plan.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
October 30, 2025 at 7:49 AM
Hard agree with all of this. And it very much relates to yesterday’s failure to really promote the new climate action plan.
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
Where do you start with this? The Shadow Energy Secretary is promoting claims that even a nanosecond of thought would identify as laughably unserious.
October 29, 2025 at 6:03 PM
Where do you start with this? The Shadow Energy Secretary is promoting claims that even a nanosecond of thought would identify as laughably unserious.
There’s lots of justified criticism of the COP process and Paris Agreement, but it’s clear that without it we’d be in an even worse place. From 2005-2015 emissions rose 1.7% a year. Since Paris it’s been 0.32%. www.businessgreen.com/news/4520985...
October 28, 2025 at 7:13 AM
There’s lots of justified criticism of the COP process and Paris Agreement, but it’s clear that without it we’d be in an even worse place. From 2005-2015 emissions rose 1.7% a year. Since Paris it’s been 0.32%. www.businessgreen.com/news/4520985...
Agree with all this, but worth noting where Starmer has been consistent on net zero and clean energy there has been real progress. It’s one of many reasons why it would be mad to drop the clean power target.
www.ft.com/content/94e0...
www.ft.com/content/94e0...
October 25, 2025 at 4:51 PM
Agree with all this, but worth noting where Starmer has been consistent on net zero and clean energy there has been real progress. It’s one of many reasons why it would be mad to drop the clean power target.
www.ft.com/content/94e0...
www.ft.com/content/94e0...
On the numbers alone this is either evidence that media outlets are perfect in their communication on climate change or that Ofcom is completely failing to enforce its own standards.
October 25, 2025 at 6:46 AM
On the numbers alone this is either evidence that media outlets are perfect in their communication on climate change or that Ofcom is completely failing to enforce its own standards.
ICYM Some thoughts on the latest slightly bizarre goings on relating to the Tony Blair Institute's views on climate policy. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...
October 24, 2025 at 1:03 PM
ICYM Some thoughts on the latest slightly bizarre goings on relating to the Tony Blair Institute's views on climate policy. www.businessgreen.com/blog-post/45...