In the News
Wednesday, July 15, 2020
Millions of people around the world could be exposed to dangerous levels of heat stress - a dangerous condition which can cause organs to shut down.
Many live in developing countries, and do jobs that expose them to potentially life threatening conditions. These include being out in the open on farms and building sites or indoors in factories and hospitals.
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
A record-breaking heatwave in Siberia would have been almost impossible without human-caused climate change, a study has found.
The Russian region's temperatures were more than 5°C above average between January and June of this year and temperatures exceeded 38°C in the Russian town of Verkhoyansk on 20 June, the highest temperature ever recorded north of the Arctic circle.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
The prime minister hopes hydrogen technology, an area where the UK leads the world, will help to create clean jobs in the future. But is the hydrogen revolution hope or hype?
Whilst hydrogen seemed to lose the head-on battle for the motor car, it’s now back in the frame for the sort of transport, industry and heating tasks that batteries are struggling to fulfil.
Monday, June 29, 2020
The first post-lockdown crops of the land army have been harvested. The food – chard, spinach, lettuce and radish – is being parcelled out to the local shops, market stalls and those in need. Now the volunteer labour force has its sights on a new goal: a land-use revolution that will make UK farming more nature friendly, plant-based and resilient to future shocks.
Extra £14bn needed a year for climate, report says
Sunday, June 28, 2020
An extra £14bn is needed each year to help the UK meet its climate commitments, a new think tank report suggests.
Green Alliance says the cash is needed for clean transport, nature restoration, and low-carbon buildings.
Over the past three years, it says that £9bn has been spent on projects that actually increase CO2, like roads.
Wednesday, June 24, 2020
Car taxes should be increased to help fund the battle against climate change, government advisers say.
They say ministers should bring forward the date for ending sales of new conventional cars from 2035 to 2032. The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) says the chancellor should also consider increasing the tax on gas for home heating.
Friday, June 19, 2020
Greta Thunberg says the world needs to learn the lessons of coronavirus and treat climate change with similar urgency.
That means the world acting "with necessary force", the Swedish climate activist says in an exclusive interview with BBC News. She doesn't think any "green recovery plan" will solve the crisis alone.
Thursday, June 11, 2020
Making people's homes cosy is the cheapest way to create jobs as the UK prepares to fight recession, a report says. Its authors say a job insulating homes would be much cheaper than creating a road maintenance job, for example.
They say home insulation would create jobs in all areas of the UK as well as supporting the government's aim of net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Monday, June 08, 2020
Britain is about to pass a significant landmark - at midnight on Wednesday it will have gone two full months without burning coal to generate power.
A decade ago about 40% of the country's electricity came from coal; coronavirus is part of the story, but far from all.
Thursday, June 04, 2020
Business leaders, cities and investors are being urged to back a UN campaign aiming for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Race to Zero is part of the diplomatic push to increase ambition in the lead up to the COP26 international climate change summit in Glasgow next November.
It is the first major event since it was confirmed the summit was being postponed due to coronavirus.
Wednesday, June 03, 2020
Greenpeace has joined a growing list of organisations demanding that the UK government puts protecting the environment at the heart of any post-Covid-19 economic stimulus package. The campaign group has produced a detailed "manifesto" with measures to boost clean transport and smart power.
The document follows a comparable call from some of Britain's most powerful business leaders earlier this week.
Saturday, May 30, 2020
Good news is in short supply at the moment, so brace yourself for a rare burst of optimism about climate change. World leaders know their countries face one of the most severe recessions in history thanks to the coronavirus restrictions.
That presents a unique challenge, but also a massive opportunity. Politicians know they are going to need to spend huge amounts of money to kick-start economic activity as the threat of coronavirus finally recedes.
Friday, May 15, 2020
Barriers closed a stretch of Deansgate, Manchester's main thoroughfare, to motor vehicles on Saturday. Elsewhere in the city, new pedestrian walkways and pop-up bike lanes have appeared.
It is part of a nationwide effort to create more space for social distancing as the country gradually begins to lift the coronavirus restrictions.
Friday, May 15, 2020
London has announced plans to create the largest car-free zones in Europe. It wants to encourage cycling, so that people can commute while also social distancing. Several European cities are taking similar measures.
Gil Penalosa of urban reform group 8 80 Cities says lockdown measures during the coronavirus outbreak represent an "opportunity of a lifetime" to make cities more bike-friendly.
Friday, May 08, 2020
People across the UK are finding it impossible to stay safe outside because our cities were not built for social distancing. Pavements are too narrow for people to pass safely at a 2m distance. Public transport is closed or reduced, leading more people to cycle, but there's limited space where they can feel safe. If cyclists are pushed into the gutter or on to shared-use paths, that can bring them uncomfortably close to pedestrians.
Tuesday, May 05, 2020
The UK must avoid lurching from the coronavirus crisis into a deeper climate crisis, the government’s advisers have warned.
They recommend that ministers ensure funds earmarked for a post-Covid-19 economic recovery go to firms that will reduce carbon emissions.
Thursday, April 30, 2020
One of the few parts of the UK economy to have a good April was solar power.
The Met Office says it has probably been the sunniest April on record and the solar power industry reported its highest ever production of electricity (9.68GW) in the UK at 12:30 on Monday 20 April.
Friday, April 24, 2020
Tackling climate change must be woven into the solution to the Covid-19 economic crisis, the UK will tell governments next week.
Environment ministers from 30 countries are meeting in a two-day online conference in a bid to make progress on cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
Tuesday, April 21, 2020
Europe is heating faster than the global average as new data indicates that last year was the warmest on record. While globally the year was the second warmest, a series of heatwaves helped push the region to a new high mark.
Over the past five years, global temperatures were, on average, just over 1°C warmer than at the end of the 19th century.
Monday, April 20, 2020
The UK government’s climate change adviser is urging ministers to reconsider plans for road-building and switch the investment into broadband. The government plans £28bn worth of new roads to relieve congestion.
But the head of the Climate Change Committee, says it could be cheaper, better for the economy, and climate-friendly to expand fibre optics.
Thursday, April 09, 2020
Many cities around the globe are struggling to reconcile ambitious environmental targets with development pressures, a study has suggested. Scientists in Melbourne recorded a net gain in street tree cover but a net loss in parks and private land.
The Australian team says measures to protect mature trees are "critical" if the urban forest's cover is to be enhanced in the future.
Sunday, April 05, 2020
More than 250 trades unions and environment groups have signed an open letter opposing plans for bailing out the aviation industry.
The letter to governments demands that any bailouts lead to better labour conditions and a cut in emissions.
They say aviation should make changes already evident in other sectors amid the coronavirus lockdown.
Thursday, April 02, 2020
The aftermath of the Covid-19 crisis will transform the way we live, work and travel in the UK, the AA says.
It predicts a permanent reduction in the demand for travel because people have learned during the crisis to use home-working technology.
The implications are profound for commuters and for government finances.
Friday, March 27, 2020
New data confirms the improvement in air quality over Europe, as a byproduct of the coronavirus crisis.
Lockdown policies and the resulting reductions in economic activity have seen emissions take a steep dive.