2010 – Tom Burke

Tom Burke’s political commentary: This killer bill will weaken environmental regulation

On November 29, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in ENDS Report 430, p. 70, November 2010. The alarming Public Bodies Bill gives ministers sweeping powers to abolish or change regulatory and advisory bodies set up by act of Parliament. Fraudsters and conjurers are both skilled in the art of misdirection. They are masters at deceiving you into […]

Speech: The launch of the BBC’s internal sustainability action plan – ‘The Difference’

On November 1, 2010May 17, 2014 By admin

I spoke at the launch of the BBC’s sustainability strategy and action plan The Difference, which was held in November 2010. You can watch my talk here Speech: The launch of the BBC’s internal sustainability action plan – ‘The Difference’

Speech: The challenges for nuclear new build: investment, engineering and the planning system

On October 27, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

Given at the Westminster Energy, Environment and Transport Forum, in London, on 27th October 2010. Follow the link to see the full text of The Challenges for Nuclear New Build.

Tom Burke’s political commentary: The risks that mining can’t dig its way out of

On October 26, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

ENDS Report 429, p. 52, October 2010. With its big environmental impacts and need for huge upfront investments, the global mining industry needs political and policy stability more than ever before. I was in Western Australia in early October. I had been invited to speak at the Minerals Council of […]

Without a true green investment bank there can be no environmental progress

On October 7, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in The Guardian on 7th October 2010. If David Cameron is to deliver his promise of a low-carbon economy, he must demonstrate the political will. David Cameron promised this to be the greenest government ever. Brave words. But it is not yet clear they will be matched by brave […]

Tom Burke’s political commentary: corporate culture, risk and responsibility: navigating the abyss

On September 28, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

ENDS Report 428, p. 54, September 2010. BP’s analysis of what caused the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico sounds uncomfortable echoes of the US military’s reaction to events at Abu Ghraib prison during the Iraq war. Corporate and military approaches to risk have much in common. Unpicking the […]

Q&A session on the politics of cutting carbon before Cancun

On September 11, 2010April 3, 2012 By admin

Q&A session, which appeared in The Independent, published in September 2010. Can we cut carbon in time? Yes. If we really want to. If all our current carbon intensive vehicles, power stations, factories and other sources of carbon dioxide were replaced by zero carbon technologies at the end of their […]

Cities, Civilisation and Climate

On September 7, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

Published in CEOs for Cities, on 7th September 2010. Civilisation is the thin film of order that human beings with ingenuity and imagination have constructed around the chaos of events. In a rapidly changing climate this is at its most brittle in our cities. More than half the world’s population […]

A climate for European action

On September 3, 2010February 24, 2012 By admin

by Tom Burke. Published in The Independent, on 3rd September 2010. The global effort to reach a legally binding agreement on tackling climate change has stalled. There is little prospect of a quick breakthrough when the negotiators reconvene at Cancun in Mexico in December. Nor is it likely that there […]

Tom Burke’s political commentary: Cameron’s big test: the green investment bank

On August 26, 2010March 13, 2012 By admin

ENDS Report 427, p. 61, August 2010. The scene is set for a major battle over the shape of the green investment bank. The outcome will say everything about the prime minister’s commitment to a green government. David Cameron promised “the greenest government ever”. Brave words. But it is not […]