‘Epidemic of climate anxiety’: Woodland Trust warns nature loss is impacting mental health

"Drastic action" is required to increase the dwindling stock of UK woodlands to help tackle the climate and nature crisis, as well provide increasingly anxious younger generations with access to green spaces which can improve their mental health. That is the…

Continue Reading‘Epidemic of climate anxiety’: Woodland Trust warns nature loss is impacting mental health

Get back on the bus: Government unveils plans to boost UK’s bus sector

Travelling by bus could soon become much easier, cheaper, and cleaner, after the government today launched a series of initiatives to improve bus services across the UK and drive investment in new zero emission fleets. Roads Minister Richard Holden today announced…

Continue ReadingGet back on the bus: Government unveils plans to boost UK’s bus sector

Vertical farmers Harvest London secure investment for third site

Sustainability-led investment manager Foresight has announced it has invested in London-based vertical farming company Harvest London in support of plans to deliver a new 140,000 square foot farming project in South London. Foresight said its investment, which was for an undisclosed…

Continue ReadingVertical farmers Harvest London secure investment for third site

Dam good news: Plan unveiled to re-introduce beavers to West London in Amazon-backed rewilding project

Beavers could soon be returning to London waterways after a project proposing their re-introduction to an area in West London was selected for a grant from the Rewild London Fund. The restoration project is one of 22 separate re-wilding initiatives to be…

Continue ReadingDam good news: Plan unveiled to re-introduce beavers to West London in Amazon-backed rewilding project

Sainsbury’s aims to clean up waste with new cardboard laundry detergent packaging

Sainsbury's has this morning unveiled new cardboard packaging for all its own-brand liquid laundry detergent, which the supermarket has estimated could save around 22 tonnes of plastic waste ever year. The change in packaging format is to be rolled out across…

Continue ReadingSainsbury’s aims to clean up waste with new cardboard laundry detergent packaging

TfL unveils first Climate Action Plan in response to worsening extreme weather risks

Transport for London (TfL) has this week published its first Climate Change Action Plan as it looks to respond to the escalating impact of extreme weather events on the capital's transport network. The transport operator warned climate change is now an…

Continue ReadingTfL unveils first Climate Action Plan in response to worsening extreme weather risks

Portsmouth Water confirms £325m funding for UK’s first new reservoir in a generation

Portsmouth Water has announced it has secured £325m in funding to construct the first major reservoir in the UK since the 1980s, in a bid to boost climate resilience in the South of England and prevent water shortages as summer droughts…

Continue ReadingPortsmouth Water confirms £325m funding for UK’s first new reservoir in a generation

‘Vital role’: BlackRock defends continued investment in fossil fuels

The world's largest asset manager has signalled it will continue to work with fossil fuel companies which are "essential in meeting society's energy needs", BlackRock's chief executive Larry Fink has said as he this week defended the investment giant's approach to…

Continue Reading‘Vital role’: BlackRock defends continued investment in fossil fuels

‘Heat pumps work’: Study confirms Air Source Heat Pumps three times more efficient than gas boilers

Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs) could be as much as three times more efficient than traditional gas boilers and are capable of working well even in the coldest weather conditions, new data from a government-backed research project has revealed. The Electrification…

Continue Reading‘Heat pumps work’: Study confirms Air Source Heat Pumps three times more efficient than gas boilers

That rocks: Study estimates novel rock crushing process could capture 0.5 per cent of global CO2

Around 0.5 per cent of global carbon emissions could be safely captured by tweaking the way in which rocks are crushed to make aggregates for use in mining and construction, scientific research has claimed. More than 50 billion tonnes of rock…

Continue ReadingThat rocks: Study estimates novel rock crushing process could capture 0.5 per cent of global CO2

Tens of thousands of Scottish students favouring renewables studies

There are almost 22,000 students in Scotland currently studying renewable energy, marking an increase of 70 per cent from 2019, fresh figures have revealed. Thirty-three Scottish colleges and universities responded to a Freedom of Information request submitted as part of research…

Continue ReadingTens of thousands of Scottish students favouring renewables studies

IoD urges government to boost green investment in response to US Inflation Reduction Act

The UK government is being urged by business leaders to do "significantly more" to incentivise the development of low carbon industries and technologies in the UK, amidst growing fears new US and EU subsidy programmes could result in clean tech investment…

Continue ReadingIoD urges government to boost green investment in response to US Inflation Reduction Act

How regulations can tear down the barriers faced by the cultivated meat industry

The cultivated meat industry has potential to deliver numerous environmental and health benefits, but the sector will struggle to attract investment and sustain growth unless it is supported by both effective regulations and consensus-based standards. That is the headline recommendation contained…

Continue ReadingHow regulations can tear down the barriers faced by the cultivated meat industry

Sustainable Apparel Coalition launches fashion industry decarbonisation guide

The Sustainable Apparel Coalition (SAC) has unveiled a new set of guidelines for the textile and fashion industry, which aims to help organisations set and commit to science-based targets (SBTs) and develop action plans to deliver deep emissions reductions across the…

Continue ReadingSustainable Apparel Coalition launches fashion industry decarbonisation guide

‘Littered with problems’: New analysis warns retained EU Law Bill puts 1,800 environmental laws at risk

Environmental charities ClientEarth, WWF, and RSPB are calling for the Retained EU Law (REUL) Bill to be dropped, amidst fresh warnings the proposed legislation could put 1,800 environmental laws at risk of being axed at the end of this year. The…

Continue Reading‘Littered with problems’: New analysis warns retained EU Law Bill puts 1,800 environmental laws at risk

SMMT: Electric vehicles represented nearly a quarter of all new car sales in February

Battery electric vehicles (BEVs) represented almost a quarter of all new car deliveries in February, with uptake of plug-oin models now expected to near half a million units in 2023, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and…

Continue ReadingSMMT: Electric vehicles represented nearly a quarter of all new car sales in February

UK energy sector unites behind calls to grant Ofgem ‘net zero mandate’

Scores of energy firms, environmental groups and clean tech trade associations have today called on the government to empower Ofgem with a specific net zero mandate in order to accelerate the regulator's efforts to remove barriers to investment towards accelerating the…

Continue ReadingUK energy sector unites behind calls to grant Ofgem ‘net zero mandate’

Lidl signs up to WWF initiative to halve environmental impact of UK shopping baskets

Lidl has become the latest supermarket to sign up to the WWF's Retailers' Commitment for Nature, which aims to halve the environmental impact of UK shopping baskets by 2030. WWF announced this morning that Lidl had become the first discount supermarket…

Continue ReadingLidl signs up to WWF initiative to halve environmental impact of UK shopping baskets

Bureau Veritas publishes new guide to help firms avoid greenwashing

Bureau Veritas has published a new guide for businesses on how to avoid greenwashing, as businesses face growing pressure from regulators and customers to ensure their environmental claims are accurate. The French certification firm published the new guidelines last week, promising…

Continue ReadingBureau Veritas publishes new guide to help firms avoid greenwashing

Net Zero Tourism: Report warns global collaboration required for ‘climate-ready’ travel

It will require a global effort, involving policy makers, investors, and collaboration between the tourism and transportation sector, if the tourism industry is to deliver on its goal to achieve net zero emissions. That is the headline conclusion from a new…

Continue ReadingNet Zero Tourism: Report warns global collaboration required for ‘climate-ready’ travel

‘Not compliant with our climate change targets’: Think tank warns many new homes will require costly retrofitting

The government is once again facing calls to make building new green homes an urgent priority, as part of its efforts to deliver on the UK's net zero emissions goals. Fresh analysis from think tank Bright Blue has today criticised the…

Continue Reading‘Not compliant with our climate change targets’: Think tank warns many new homes will require costly retrofitting

Cleantech for UK launches with promise to support next generation of green technologies

A coalition of venture capital funds has this week announced the launch of a new initiative, dubbed Cleantech for UK, which aims to better co-ordinate support for the next generation of UK cleantech firms.  Backed by Bill Gates' Breakthrough Energy investment…

Continue ReadingCleantech for UK launches with promise to support next generation of green technologies