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The last 7 days: what you might have missed

Never a dull moment. 

Even last week's decision by the Bank of England to keep interest rates the same as they have been for the last seven years wasn't dull, because it was the opposite of what was expected. Borrowers will now look to August for the promised rate cut. Will it even happen now inflation is at 0.5 per cent? Savers are so over even caring.

It's possible you missed that the Department for Energy and Climate Change has now been subsumed into the ominously-entitled (to those who are bothered about carbon dioxide emissions, anyway) Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - the DBEIS, as it will catchily be known.

Who is the man on the right? Why, it is Greg Clark, now heading up this new department with Nick Hurd, which, according to Ed Davey, speaking at an UKSIF summer event this week, are the best appointments anyone could expect from Theresa May for these roles.

But then, Andrea Leadsom is now environment minister. As you can see from her voting track record, this is a bit like asking King Herod to be your nanny.

Mark Carney doesn't believe the energy transition is about to be thrown off course, however, predicting $7 trillion of investment globally in clean energy in the next two decades. 

Let's hope that's not too much optimism from the perspicacious Bank of England chief, as it would entail a reversal of the 2016 trend, which showed investment down from record highs in 2015 and a rather disappointing reminder of reality over rhetoric so soon after the Paris climate summit.

Green Business UK isn't taking any chances. 30 leading companies from the green economy wrote to Theresa May asking her to voluntarily commit to the EU's 2020 carbon reduction goals, to remove the uncertainty for investors of the impact of Brexit on policy. 

All that is required, it seems, is to follow the example of London, that other country within a city, and its Green Fund, extolled in this report on the role of cities.

Back to reality. There is already evidence that energy bills are rising after Brexit. Don't be a muggins. Switch to clean renewable energy. It's more secure, prices are more stable and it doesn't even have to cost an arm and a leg any more. If you are reading this newsletter, you've probably already switched to a 100% renewables tariff. If you haven't do it today.

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