International: United Kingdom
Greenwashing era is over, say ad agencies, as regulators get tough
17 May 2023
Across the advertising industry, agencies are wrestling with their role in greenwashing scandals and their support for clients driving the climate and nature crises.
BP invests in carbon capture project
12 Apr 2023
This week, Harbour Energy announced it is teaming up with British oil and gas multinational BP on the Viking carbon capture project in the UK.
UK Government backs first 20 green hydrogen projects
31 Mar 2023
Projects under development by Carlton Power, Octopus Hydrogen, ScottishPower, SSE Renewables and ERM Dolphyn are among those shortlisted for support under the UK Government’s electrolytic hydrogen scheme.
Some UK lawyers vow to not prosecute climate activists
27 Mar 2023
Leading UK lawyers say they will refuse to prosecute climate protesters or represent new fossil fuel projects.
Planting this could feed millions and lock away tons of carbon
23 Mar 2023
The world hungers for more food while wildlife yearns for untouched habitats. So goes the conflict between our seemingly insatiable need for agricultural land, razing forests to make way for cattle and crops.
Britain's Drax pauses $2.5 billion biomass carbon capture plans
23 Mar 2023
British power generator Drax will pause its planned 2 billion pound ($2.45 billion) UK investment in bioenergy with carbon capture and storage until it receives more clarity on government support, it said on Tuesday.
‘Dead’ electric car batteries find a second life powering cities
15 Mar 2023
Last month, a small warehouse in the English city of Nottingham received the crucial final components for a project that leverages the power of used EV batteries to create a new kind of circular economy.
UK pension funds target BP and Shell directors over climate goals- FT
13 Mar 2023
Two of the UK's largest pension schemes will vote against the renewal of top directors at BP Plc (BP.L) and Shell Plc (SHEL.L) at their annual meetings unless both companies strengthen commitments to tackling carbon emissions, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.
UK emissions fall 3.4% in 2022 as coal use drops to lowest level since 1757
7 Mar 2023
The UK’s greenhouse gas emissions fell by 3.4% in 2022, according to new Carbon Brief analysis, ending a post-Covid rebound.
Can a new university breathe life into Britain’s climate education
28 Feb 2023
Even before the United States entered the Second World War, American schools were preparing students for conflict.
Carbon-absorbing underwater meadows planted
24 Feb 2023
Five million seagrass seeds will be planted off Wales' coast to create climate change-fighting underwater meadows.
The climate benefits of a four-day workweek
22 Feb 2023
There's growing interest in the benefits of a four-day workweek for productivity and employee wellbeing, but the picture is more complicated when it comes to climate change.
All major road building projects in Wales are scrapped
16 Feb 2023
All major road building projects in Wales have been scrapped over environmental concerns.
UK politician attacks 15-minute city concept in parliament
16 Feb 2023
UK member of parliament Nick Fletcher has ignited a debate about 15-minute cities after stating that they "will take away personal freedoms".
Climate targets 'may mean higher taxes': Lord Stern
14 Feb 2023
The UK has made good progress towards achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 but getting there may need higher taxes.
Shell lawsuit: Institutional investors back legal challenge over climate risk
13 Feb 2023
A group of European institutional investors is backing a novel London lawsuit against energy giant Shell’s board over alleged climate mismanagement in a case that could have far-reaching implications for how companies tackle emissions.
Former British high commissioner to NZ slams UK government’s environmental “vandalism”
12 Dec 2022
Former British high commissioner to New Zealand Laura Clarke has condemned the UK government’s decision to approve a coal mine in Cumbria as “vandalism and self-harm.”
£35m carbon neutral high school opens in Cheltenham
5 Dec 2022
A £35m carbon neutral high school has opened its doors to pupils.
Carbon dioxide price surge 'could add £1.7bn to cost of UK groceries'
4 Oct 2022
The surging cost of carbon dioxide could add £1.7 billion to the cost of British groceries, according to new analysis. Research by the Energy and Climate Intelligence Unit (ECIU) suggests that the UK’s food and drink sector could end up footing the mammoth extra bill for liquid CO2 if gas prices remain high.
Milestones for carbon capture projects at sea and in Scotland’s gas sector
15 Sep 2022
A major new partnership has been struck in Asia to develop carbon capture and storage (CCS) onboard ships, shortly after plans were unveiled for a major CCS trial at a gas-fired power plant in Scotland.
Energy crisis: the UK is still heading for widespread fuel poverty – despite the government’s price cap
14 Sep 2022
In October 2021, an estimated 4 million households in the UK were in fuel poverty. But the largest increase in gas and electricity prices ever in April 2022 has pushed a further 2.7 million UK households into fuel poverty, bringing the total number to 6.7 million.
What will King Charles's reign mean for climate action?
13 Sep 2022
As Britain's King Charles III begins his reign after the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, environmental campaigners will be watching closely to see if he continues to advocate for climate action and is able to help drive change as monarch.
New U.K. Prime Minister brings worries about research funding and climate measures
7 Sep 2022
Liz Truss may not honour promises by outgoing leader Boris Johnson to make Britain a 'science superpower'
World’s largest wind farm begins full operation off the coast of Yorkshire
5 Sep 2022
The world’s largest completed wind farm, the 1.3GW Hornsea 2 project off the coast of Yorkshire, is now in full operation, according to its developer, the Danish energy giant Ørsted.
Here’s what you get if you ask airlines what they can do about the climate crisis
23 Aug 2022
Last year, the UK government’s own climate change advisers, the Climate Change Committee, said that demand for flying must fall if the UK is to meet its climate commitments.
The big firms snapping up Scottish carbon credits
23 Aug 2022
Weapons manufacturers, the oil giant Shell, and financial institutions which poured billions of pounds into fossil fuels are among firms buying Scottish carbon credits, prompting critics to claim the country is experiencing an era of “rampant carbon capitalism”.
Meet the pilot who quit flying because of the climate crisis
9 Aug 2022
Not many pilots climbing steadily up the ranks retire their wings in the name of environmental activism. But Todd Smith did just that at great expense. He spoke with DW about this life transition.
Tata Steel faces crunch-time, professor warns
8 Aug 2022
The UK's largest steelworks is facing "crunch time" over reducing carbon emissions, a professor has warned.
Twelve angry children: young jurors call adults to account for climate crisis in The Trials
5 Aug 2022
In 2019, the playwright Dawn King was booking flights to New York for a writing residency. It was the day of the UK’s first large-scale School Strikes for Climate, a movement launched by Greta Thunberg in Sweden. Checking her news feeds, King – who had meant to join the protests – realised she had clean forgotten. She winces at the memory.
Cycling surges 47% in England as fuel price hikes bite
4 Aug 2022
Compared to 2021, cycling levels in England rose by 47% on weekdays and 27% on weekends in the five months to the end of July, according to the latest statistics from the U.K.’s Department for Transport.
Britons would rather give up meat than pay more tax to tackle global warming, poll reveals
1 Aug 2022
More Britons would be willing to cut back on meat than pay extra in taxes to tackle climate change, a new poll has revealed.
UK targets 10GW by 2030 with “world-first” hydrogen subsidy scheme
25 Jul 2022
The UK government has officially opened the world’s first national low carbon subsidy scheme for hydrogen, which will target up to 1GW of clean hydrogen production by 2025 on the way to 10GW of low carbon hydrogen capacity by 2030.
UK's hottest day sparks culture war
21 Jul 2022
“Calm down, it’s just a sunny day.” That was the refrain from a small but powerful section of the British establishment this week, as temperatures in the U.K.—where summer highs rarely reach 30°C —topped 40°C for the first time in recorded history.
Legal setback for government over net zero plan as Britain swelters in heatwave
19 Jul 2022
Ministers failed to outline exactly how their net zero strategy will achieve emissions targets, a court ruled on Monday – dealing the government’s climate change credentials a serious blow on the day Britain sweltered under its first ever red extreme temperature alert.
A hypothetical weather forecast for 2050 is coming true next week
18 Jul 2022
Two years ago, forecasters in the UK conducted an interesting thought experiment: What will our forecasts look like in 2050?
Carbon tariff needed to tackle Britain’s energy and manufacturing crisis: report
13 Jul 2022
A new carbon tariff needs to be imposed on polluting foreign manufacturers that import goods into the UK, according to a report on the energy crisis released by the John Mills Institute for Prosperity.
Climate change forcing nature reserves to adapt, warns new report
7 Jul 2022
Projects to help wildlife adapt to habitats affected by climate change will become more commonplace, warned a new report.
Climate activists glue hands to Vincent van Gogh painting, other artworks in UK
4 Jul 2022
British climate activists have glued their hands to the frames of three valuable works of art — including one from Vincent van Gogh — in three separate incidents this week to protest the United Kingdom’s environmental policies.
The UK could comfortably cut energy use in half to meet climate targets. Here’s how.
30 Jun 2022
Dramatic yet feasible changes to industry, technology, and society could enable people in the UK to cut their energy use in half by 2050, according to a new study. And rather than feeling deprived by the effort to save energy, people would likely be better off in many ways, researchers say.
UK’s first ‘industrial scale’ carbon capture plant opens in Cheshire
29 Jun 2022
A carbon capture plant that has opened in Northwich is the largest such project in the UK. The £20 million facility will convert 40,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide into food and pharmaceutical grade sodium bicarbonate each year.
Key ways climate change is affecting UK dairy farming and agriculture
17 Jun 2022
Climate change and the public’s response to it is affecting almost every aspect of agriculture, but what does it mean for cattle farming? In this guide, Brushtec discusses a few ways global warming may directly impact the dairy industry, as well as a few tips for how to handle it.
How much can e-bikes reduce carbon emissions?
15 Jun 2022
E-bikes could take the place of enough car trips to cut transportation emissions in England by as much as 24.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide per year, according to a new study. What’s more, the greatest per capita benefits of e-bikes—with the potential to shave more than 750 kilograms of carbon dioxide off a person’s annual carbon footprint—are seen in rural and exburban areas.
Alok Sharma in running to be UN’s global climate chief
9 Jun 2022
Alok Sharma, the UK cabinet minister who led last year’s Cop26 climate summit, is in the running to be the UN’s global climate chief, at a crucial time for international action on greenhouse gas emissions.
Climate breakdown threatens economic breakdown
31 May 2022
Climate breakdown impacts could cause damage to the UK equivalent to cutting the size of the economy by at least 7.4 percent by the end of this century, unless there are stronger reductions in global greenhouse gas emissions.
UK’s net zero target is under threat because there’s no plan to pay for it
25 May 2022
The UK government’s plan for achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is at a serious risk of sinking before it’s been fully launched. With the Treasury having rejected a request by MPs to come up with a “clear funding plan”, there’s now every chance that an already bad plan will turn into no plan at all.
Suicides indicate wave of ‘doomerism’ over escalating climate crisis
20 May 2022
It was a stunning, grisly act. A man, a climate activist and Buddhist, had set himself on fire on the steps of the US supreme court. He sat upright and didn’t immediately scream despite the agony. Police officers desperately plunged nearby orange traffic cones into the court’s marbled fountain and hurled water at him. It wasn’t enough to save him.
The simple act of spreading rock dust on farms is an overlooked but tantalizing climate solution
19 May 2022
The simple act of sprinkling rock dust—an abundant byproduct of mining—on farmland could capture 45% percent of the carbon dioxide required to help the UK meet its 2050 net-zero targets.
UK carbon tax on imports could stop firms from outsourcing CO2 emissions as nations tackle climate crisis
18 May 2022
The UK has moved a step closer to imposing a carbon tax on all imports to stop companies from outsourcing their CO2 emissions to foreign countries.
UK aviation industry misses all but one climate target: study
16 May 2022
The United Kingdom’s bid to decarbonize its aviation industry—a plan that depends largely on self-regulation—is being described as “implausible and credulous,” after a new report showed how little the industry has done to meet emission reduction targets set since 2000.
What comes after London’s congestion charge?
11 May 2022
When it was introduced in 2003, London’s congestion charge made history: The UK capital was the first major city after Singapore to introduce road pricing for vehicles entering the urban core.
Battery subsidy scheme set for 'urgent' overhaul as costs run out of control
Tue 16 Dec 2025
Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen has announced big changes to the government's battery subsidy scheme amid claims most of its $2.3 billion budget has been spent in just six months.
EPA erases references to human-caused climate change from websites
Fri 19 Dec 2025
EPA has scrubbed references to people’s contribution to rising temperatures from some of its climate change webpages.
Verra cancels four tree planting projects in China. And starts reviews of 45 more projects
Tue 16 Dec 2025
“Multiple carbon projects in China are facing serious allegations regarding the authenticity of government approval documents."
France updates its 2050 carbon neutrality roadmap
Wed 17 Dec 2025
To mark the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, France released a revamped climate plan promising to phase out oil and gas and sharply increase electricity use.
The ecological havens flourishing beneath power lines
Fri 19 Dec 2025
Initiatives to foster native wildflowers, grasses and shrubs are turning utility corridors into wildlife corridors.
‘Not normal’: Climate crisis supercharged deadly monsoon floods in Asia
12 Dec 2025
Cyclones like those in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Malaysia that killed 1,750 are ‘alarming new reality’.
Pacific fisheries summit gives a boost to albacore and seabirds
Fri 19 Dec 2025
Much of the world’s albacore tuna catch, which usually ends up in a can, comes from the southwestern Pacific Ocean, where fishery managers just passed a new set of conservation rules.
Arctic endured year of record heat as climate scientists warn of ‘winter being redefined’
Thu 18 Dec 2025
Region known as ‘world’s refrigerator’ is heating up as much as four times as quickly as global average, Noaa experts say.
Are rainforests now a cause of, rather than the answer to, climate change?
Mon 15 Dec 2025
A new study finds that Africa’s forests, responsible for one-fifth of global carbon removal, are beginning to generate carbon as the result of human activity.
Thousands of climate disasters are not included in official reports from Amazonian countries
12 Dec 2025
More than 12,500 extreme weather events impacted the Amazon and its population in 10 years, but countries have not generated enough information about it, according to a new scientific study.
UN environment report 'hijacked' by US and others over fossil fuels, top scientist says
11 Dec 2025
A key UN report on the state of the global environment has been "hijacked" by the United States and other countries who were unwilling to go along with the scientific findings, the co-chair has told the BBC.
