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Tory ministers accused of ‘rigging the rules’ to help rail firm bosses get bonuses 

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/tory-ministers-accused-of-rigging-the-rules-to-help-rail-firm-bosses-get-bonuses/ Many articles from LeftFootForward today.

‘They are desperate to help their chums, the privateers, keep their private snouts in the public trough’

The Shadow Transport Secretary has accused the Tories of a “scandalous misuse of taxpayers’ money” after it was revealed that more rail operators have had their performance targets lowered, helping company bosses get bonuses. 

At least eight rail firms have had their performance targets lowered by the Government as Labour accused ministers of “rigging the rules” to reward “abject failure”.

In February it was reported that Tory ministers cut the standards for train cleanliness, ticketing, staffing and customer services at Govia Thameslink Railway, after the company had failed to reach service quality standards on most measures. 

Now the Mirror has revealed that a further seven other operators have had service standards on key measures lowered, after failures to meet targets. Government rule changes in 2020 mean that companies are now paid an annual fee for operating lines and have the chance to earn bonuses for performance on top. 

Rail bosses have raked in billions in bonus payments from the Government, with the two Chief Executive of First Group, which owns major stakes in South Western Railway, sharing a £1.3m bonus.

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/tory-ministers-accused-of-rigging-the-rules-to-help-rail-firm-bosses-get-bonuses/ Many articles from LeftFootForward today.

Continue ReadingTory ministers accused of ‘rigging the rules’ to help rail firm bosses get bonuses 

Vast majority of public do not trust water companies, new research shows

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Image of a burst water main.
Image of a burst water main.

https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/vast-majority-of-public-do-not-trust-water-companies-new-research-shows/

‘There is a growing perception that the water industry cares more about profit than the service it provides.’

Public trust in water companies has hit a new low. Less than one in four people believe water companies will help protect the environment.

Just 23 percent of water consumers in England and Wales say they trust their water companies to “do what’s right for the environment,” marking a 9 percent drop from 31 percent two years ago.

These were the findings of a consumer survey commissioned by Ofwat and the consumer watchdog Consumer Council for Water (CCW). The Savanta study was conducted between December 4 and 18, 2023. It surveyed 2,399 UK adults in England and Wales.

The research found that satisfaction with the quality of water services has fallen to 58 percent from 65 percent in 2021. Similarly, consumer satisfaction with wastewater and drainage services has dropped to 49 percent from 56 percent.

The water regulator Ofwat says the findings underscore the importance of the need for a transformative change in the water sector, so that it “delivers better outcomes for customers and the environment.”

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https://leftfootforward.org/2024/04/vast-majority-of-public-do-not-trust-water-companies-new-research-shows/

Continue ReadingVast majority of public do not trust water companies, new research shows

Report Outlines Which Companies Are Most Responsible for Climate Crisis

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Original article by THOR BENSON republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

“It is morally reprehensible for companies to continue expanding exploration and production of carbon fuels in the face of knowledge now for decades that their products are harmful,” said Richard Heede, who established the Carbon Majors dataset.

A report released by Carbon Majors on Thursday says that 57 companies were responsible for 80% of the world’s CO2 emissions from fossil fuel and cement production between 2016 to 2022.

Saudi Aramco, Russia’s state-owned energy company Gazprom, and state-owned producer Coal India were at the top of the list. Carbon Majors has been keeping track of which companies are contributing the most to the climate crisis since 2013.

“The Carbon Majors research shows us exactly who is responsible for the lethal heat, extreme weather, and air pollution that is threatening lives and wreaking havoc on our oceans and forests,” Tzeporah Berman, international program director at Stand.earth and chair at Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty, said in a statement. “These companies have made billions of dollars in profits while denying the problem and delaying and obstructing climate policy.”

The report states that nation-state producers account for 38% of CO2 emissions in the database. That’s the highest percentage of any of the types of companies listed in the database.

“The Carbon Majors database finds that most state- and investor-owned companies have expanded their production operations since the Paris agreement. Fifty-eight out of the 100 companies were linked to higher emissions in the seven years after the Paris agreement than in the same period before,” the report reads.

In terms of investor-owned companies, Chevron, ExxonMobil, and BP contributed the most to CO2 emissions. ExxonMobil alone was responsible for 3.6 gigatons of CO2 emissions over a seven-year period.

“It is morally reprehensible for companies to continue expanding exploration and production of carbon fuels in the face of knowledge now for decades that their products are harmful,” said Richard Heede, who established the Carbon Majors dataset, told The Guardian. “Don’t blame consumers who have been forced to be reliant on oil and gas due to government capture by oil and gas companies.”

Original article by THOR BENSON republished from Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Continue ReadingReport Outlines Which Companies Are Most Responsible for Climate Crisis

BP continues to rake in billions as households struggle to pay energy bills

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Greenpeace activists display a billboard during a protest outside Shell headquarters on July 27, 2023 in London.
Greenpeace activists display a billboard during a protest outside Shell headquarters on July 27, 2023 in London. (Photo: Handout/Chris J. Ratcliffe for Greenpeace via Getty Images)

https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/h-150-bp-continues-rake-billions-households-struggle-pay-energy-bills

OIL giant BP raked in a profit of $13.8 billion (£11bn) last year as the company continued to prosper on the back of struggling households.

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Warm This Winter spokeswoman Fiona Waters said that while the figures were less than the record numbers reported in 2022, BP was “still making billions while people’s energy bills continue at unaffordable levels and more and more people are being pushed into poverty.

“Meanwhile, this government continues to hand massive subsidies to these international profiteers,” she added.

“We need real energy solutions, notably renewable energy and proper insulation, to stop this ongoing cycle of obscene profits and to keep ordinary people warm this winter.”

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https://morningstaronline.co.uk/article/h-150-bp-continues-rake-billions-households-struggle-pay-energy-bills

Continue ReadingBP continues to rake in billions as households struggle to pay energy bills