International: United Kingdom
Scientists will risk prison to get climate action
2 Nov 2018
A group of British scientists and their supporters is willing to risk a prison term to press governments to tackle climate change and environmental crises.
UK announces tax on plastic packaging
1 Nov 2018
The UK has announced a world-leading plastics tax which will apply to any business that produces or imports plastic packaging that does not contain at least 30 per cent recycled content.
How one small island showed us how to clean up our act
25 Oct 2018
In just 10 years, the Isle of Man has rid its beaches of plastic and earned Unesco status as a world leader in ocean protection. So how did it do it?
Wales to turn back on coal mining
19 Oct 2018
Future coal mining applications are set to be rejected as a matter of policy for the first time in Wales.
Fracking protesters set free on appeal
19 Oct 2018
Three protesters jailed for blocking access to a UK fracking site have walked free after the court of appeal quashed their sentences, calling them “manifestly excessive”.
Banks and insurers must have plans, says BoE
18 Oct 2018
The Bank of England has told Britain’s banks and insurers they must come up with credible plans for protecting themselves against risks from climate change and that they might need to hold more capital.
UK steps towards zero-carbon economy
17 Oct 2018
The UK is taking a tentative step towards a radical "green" future with zero emissions of greenhouse gases.
Fracking part of the deal, says UK minister
16 Oct 2018
As she considers setting a date for the UK emissions to hit net-zero, UK energy and clean growth minister Claire Perry said fracking for new gas resources remained “pragmatic policy”.
Top climate scientist blasts fracking plans
15 Oct 2018
One of the world’s leading climate scientists, James Hansen, has launched a scathing attack on the UK government’s fracking programme, accusing ministers of aping Donald Trump and ignoring scientific evidence.
BBC to show first climate film since 2007
15 Oct 2018
A 90-minute film with the working title Two Degrees will be shown on BBC television next March. It will be the first time BBC One has aired a primetime documentary dedicated to the topic of climate change since 2007.
Labour’s low-carbon plan is a good start
8 Oct 2018
The UK Labour Party’s plan for a low-carbon Britain breaks new ground and could offer a lifeline to a clean energy sector hit by the withdrawal of subsidies.
Financial watchdog chases big firms over climate risk
18 Sep 2018
Budget airline EasyJet and three other major companies have been reported to the UK’s Financial Reporting Council for failing to adequately report to shareholders on their climate change exposure.
THIS IS THE BBC: How to best report climate change news
10 Sep 2018
The BBC, one of the world’s largest and most respected news organisations, has issued formal guidance to its journalists on how to report climate change.
World's largest offshore windfarm opens
7 Sep 2018
The world’s biggest offshore windfarm has officially opened in the Irish Sea, amid warnings that Brexit could increase costs for future projects.
Pension funds could face legal action over risk
16 Aug 2018
Some of the UK’s largest pension funds are in danger of legal action over the risks posed by climate change.
Landmark churches turn to renewable energy
6 Aug 2018
Some of the UK’s oldest and most prominent church buildings are making the switch to 100 per cent renewable energy.
Cross-party MPs urge May to go carbon free
3 Aug 2018
A cross-party group of British MPs has called on the government to create a net-zero emissions target before 2050.
How Penzance became the UK's first plastics-free town
26 Jul 2018
The Cornwall community of Penzance last December became the UK's first plastics-free town. Now, 330 towns aim to follow suit.
Large chunk of supermarket plastic not recyclable
25 Jul 2018
An investigation by a consumer body has found mixed results on the levels of recyclable plastic in the UK’s largest supermarkets.
Burning of waste set to overtake recycling in England
20 Jul 2018
England is on the brink of burning more of its rubbish in incinerators than it recycles for the first time, according to a new analysis.
UK can go low-carbon at no extra cost, say advisers
16 Jul 2018
The UK can have low-carbon electricity, heat and transport in 2050 at the same cost as today’s high-carbon energy system, according to infrastructure advisers.
Church of England wields divestment axe
11 Jul 2018
The Church of England will divest from all fossil fuel companies which are not taking steps to combat climate change.
London might have found a new job for lost rivers
10 Jul 2018
Campaigners are targeting London’s lost rivers, water courses that have been gradually buried over the centuries, as a source of fossil fuel-free heat.
UK moves on e-car charging in new homes
10 Jul 2018
New homes in suburban England would need to be fitted with electric car charging points under a government proposal to cut emissions.
Energy firm launches ‘vegan electricity tariff’
9 Jul 2018
A UK energy company has launched the world’s first vegan electricity tariff in a bid to highlight the use of animal products within the energy industry.
Diesel car buyers in UK living a 'nightmare'
6 Jul 2018
Ultra-dirty new diesel engines are being sold alongside ultra-clean models in the UK, according to new data, leaving car buyers facing what experts call a nightmare.
Pensioners benefit from wind farm sell-off
5 Jul 2018
Pensioners in the UK are set to financially benefit from a fleet of wind farms.
Bikes the obvious solution to Oxbridge traffic
4 Jul 2018
UK university cities Oxford and Cambridge are seeking ways to transport expanding populations without impacting their historic centres, yet the simplest solution is staring them in the face.
Housing and car industries 'should be ashamed’
2 Jul 2018
The homebuilding and carmaking industries should be ashamed of their efforts to tackle global warming, says the UK government’s official climate change adviser.
London sets up as centre for green finance
27 Jun 2018
The UK has set up a Green Finance Institute with the aim of solidifying London’s role as the go-to destination for this new work.
SUSTAINABLE STYLE: Ten ways to make fashion world greener
27 Jun 2018
Sustainable style is back on the agenda after the UK announced an inquiry into ‘fast’ clothes. This is what a greener clothing future might look like.
Cocaine in rivers means bad trips for eels
26 Jun 2018
Tiny amounts of cocaine flushed into rivers cause eels to become not only hyperactive but to suffer from muscle wastage, impaired gills and hormonal changes, a study has found.
UK orders probe into throwaway fashion industry
25 Jun 2018
Throwaway “fast fashion” in the UK will be investigated amid growing concerns that the multi-billion pound industry is wasting valuable resources and contributing to climate change.
UK pension funds get green light to dump fossil fuels
20 Jun 2018
Managers of the £1.5tn invested in Britain’sworkplace pension schemes are to be given new powers to dump shares in oil, gas and coal companies in favour of long-term investment in green and “social impact” opportunities.
City of London commits to 100% renewable
20 Jun 2018
The City of London Corporation has announced plans to source 100 per cent of its electricity from renewables.
McDonald's bows to customer demands over straws
18 Jun 2018
McDonald’s will end the use of plastic straws in its British restaurants next year, after nearly half a million people called on the company to ditch them.
Scotland takes pride in emissions cuts
15 Jun 2018
The Scottish Government says that as of 2016 the country has managed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 49 per cent compared to 1990.
Investor seeks removal of eight company chairs
13 Jun 2018
Britain’s biggest asset manager wants to remove the chairmen of the board at eight companies worldwide, which it says have failed to confront the threats posed by climate change.
Scotland wants to be among first to carbon zero
29 May 2018
New targets will set Scotland on course to become one of the first countries in the world to achieve a 100 per cent reduction in carbon emissions, the government has claimed.
Ex-coal plant to try new carbon capture system
23 May 2018
A former coal plant in the north of England will become the test site for a new way to remove carbon dioxide from electricity generation.
Brexit could wreck green agenda, says UN
22 May 2018
The United Nations has warned the UK government that the country's reputation is at risk over plans that would significantly weaken protections for the environment after Brexit.
London considering car-free days
18 May 2018
London is considering introducing car-free days in an attempt to tackle the city’s air pollution crisis that experts say is responsible for thousands of early deaths each year.
GAS BYPASS: UK could go from coal to clean
17 May 2018
The UK has been told there's no need to build large gas-fired power stations to replace the coal plants that the government has pledged to switch off by 2025.
UK proposes new law to create Green Brexit
16 May 2018
The UK Government is seeking to reassure the public that environmental laws will not be watered down after the country’s planned departure from the European Union.
Lloyds Bank pumps £2b into green projects
16 May 2018
Lloyds Bank is making an extra £2 billion available to help UK businesses implement sustainability initiatives.
Green homes earn more mortgage money
15 May 2018
Borrowers in the UK will be able to take out a bigger mortgage when buying greener properties for the first time, under a pioneering scheme to encourage energy efficiency.
UK faces huge bill to get rid of North Sea oil
8 May 2018
The UK’s North Sea clean-up costs – the price to be paid for decommissioning its oil and gas industry – will probably more than double, a British group says.
Starbucks customers like reusable cups
30 Apr 2018
A survey in UK Starbucks stores shows that reusable cup usage has surged by 156 per cent since the intoduction of a 5p charge.
BP chief urges Cambridge not to divest
26 Apr 2018
BP chief executive Bob Dudley has come under fire from campaigners after he urged Cambridge University not to drop its fossil fuel investments.
Tidal power comes of age with Scottish project
19 Apr 2018
The potential for the tides to generate clean, reliable electricity has taken a significant step with the completion of a flagship project in Scottish waters.
Australian rainforests no longer a carbon sink – study
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Australia's tropical rainforests are among the first in the world to start emitting more carbon dioxide than they absorb, scientists said Thursday, linking the "very concerning" trend to climate change.
States sue to stop Trump cancellation of $7 billion solar grant program
Today 11:00am
Nearly two dozen states are suing the Trump administration over its cancellation of a $7 billion grant program aimed at expanding solar energy in low-income communities, according to court papers.
In China, climate litigation starts with the state
Thu 16 Oct 2025
With thousands of dedicated courts and more than a million recent cases, environmental and climate litigation is booming in China, but it often looks different to the trend seen elsewhere.
How one country’s Russian gas crisis became a green energy boom
Today 11:00am
When Russia invaded Ukraine, Moldova quickly empowered its small towns to produce their own renewable energy so no one could push it around.
Renewables are a global economic engine, not a culture war threat
2 Oct 2025
Energy companies are learning this lesson faster than Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Indonesia restarts international carbon trade after four years
Fri 17 Oct 2025
Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto has issued a new decree to restart international carbon emission trading after a four year hiatus.
Mystery heatwave warms Pacific Ocean to new record
Today 11:00am
The waters of the north Pacific have had their warmest summer on record, according to BBC analysis of a mysterious marine heatwave that has confounded climate scientists.
Scientists discovered something alarming seeping out from beneath the ocean around Antarctica
13 Oct 2025
Planet-heating methane is escaping from cracks in the Antarctic seabed as the region warms, with new seeps being discovered at an “astonishing rate".
Angola lowers climate ambition in blow to spirit of Paris Agreement
14 Oct 2025
Angola has scaled back its targets for reducing emissions in its new national climate plan, saying it chose “realism and implementability” over the Paris Agreement's calls for governments to set progressively more ambitious goals.
Four Brazilians to watch at COP30
Wed 15 Oct 2025
Influential Brazilians, from government figures to Indigenous activists, will take center stage during UN climate talks in the Amazon next month.
New UN carbon market rules could reshape how investors value nature
Mon 20 Oct 2025
A debate over carbon permanence – how long CO2 must stay stored to count towards offsetting emissions – is reshaping global carbon markets and could determine whether nature remains investable.
