United Kingdom

Tidal power comes of age with Scottish project

Thursday - 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.

UK seeks advice on strengthening climate goal

Thursday - The UK government has announced that it wants official advice on the “implications” of aligning its climate goals with the Paris Agreement.

Abandoned collieries could be key to heating homes

10 Apr 18 - Scientists are finalising plans to exploit the vast reservoir of warm water that fills a labyrinth of disused mines and porous rock layers underneath Glasgow.

Selfridges to cut single-use plastic carbonated drinks

10 Apr 18 - The world-renowned department store Selfridges is to ditch single-use plastic carbonated drinks.

The UK needs a more ambitious Climate Change Act

6 Apr 18 - The UK Climate Change Act is a pioneering and far-sighted piece of legislation, but it is time to ask whether the central ambition of reducing carbon emissions by at least 80 per cent from 1990 levels by 2050 is still adequate.

UK rejects plans for new coal mine

27 Mar 18 - The UK has decided to stop plans for a new opencast coal mine because it would “adversely impact upon measures to limit climate change”.

Oil threat looms over national park land

22 Mar 18 - More than 71,000 hectares of protected countryside, including national park land, in the south-east of England are at risk from a new wave of oil drilling.

Farmers to be given first targets on soil health

20 Mar 18 - A bill will be brought before the UK parliament this year mandating, for the first time, measures and targets to preserve and improve the health of the nation's soils.

Coffee cups and food packaging could face levy

16 Mar 18 - Single-useplastic items such as disposable coffee cups, takeaway boxes and polystyrene packaging could be hit with charges in the UK akin to the 5p levy on plastic bags.

False emissions ratings cost UK more than £2b a year

12 Mar 18 - False emissions ratings for cars based on lab tests have cost the UK more than £2bn a year in lost tax revenue, according to the Green party.

UK carbon emissions at lowest level since 1890

9 Mar 18 - Fresh analysis has highlighted the dramatic fall in carbon emissions within the UK, reaching a new low unseen in normal times for 128 years.

How Scotland plans to meet climate change targets

5 Mar 18 - The Scottish government's new climate plan includes measures to significantly cut emissions from transport, buildings and industry to meet its target of a 66 per cent cut in greenhouse gas emissions.

Lloyd’s under pressure to get out of coal

1 Mar 18 - Lloyd’s of London, is under increasing pressure to back away from supporting the coal industry.

Scotland aims to be renewables powerhouse

20 Feb 18 - Scotland is making progress towards becoming a world leader in renewable energy.

Ammonia emissions rise in Britain

20 Feb 18 - Emissions of ammonia have been on the rise in the UK even while the amount of other pollutants entering the atmosphere has fallen.

ROYAL BAN: Queen says no more plastic in my houses

15 Feb 18 - The Queen has banned plastic straws and bottles from being used across the various Royal homes and palaces.

Pedals pump half-a-billion pounds into Scotland

13 Feb 18 - Pedal power is worth more than half-a-billion pounds to the Scottish economy, a report shows.

'We don't want green finance, but for finance to be green'

9 Feb 18 - Industry and regulators should be given until 2020 to boost climate risk disclosure or face government intervention, Britain’s Commons Environmental Audit Committee has been told.

Edinburgh University divests from all fossil fuels

8 Feb 18 - The University of Edinburgh is dumping all its fossil fuel investments, making it the largest UK university endowment fund to be completely free of all coal, oil and gas holdings.