United Kingdom

Suicides indicate wave of ‘doomerism’ over escalating climate crisis

Friday - 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

Thursday - 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

Wednesday - 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 22 - 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 22 - 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.

UK wind and solar boom will bring energy surplus

9 May 22 - Britain will have excess electricity supplies for more than half of the year by 2030 as a huge expansion of wind and solar power transforms the energy system, a new analysis suggests.

Designers of cow face mask that neutralises emissions from belching win £50k Prince Charles prize

28 Apr 22 - A face mask for cows that neutralises the climate-heating gas methane in their belches has won a design award from Prince Charles and designer Sir Jony Ive.

Northern Ireland faces loss of 1 million sheep and cattle to meet climate targets

26 Apr 22 - Northern Ireland will need to lose more than 1 million sheep and cattle to meet its new legally binding climate emissions targets, according to an industry-commissioned analysis seen by the Guardian.

UK livestock only half way there on emissions

8 Apr 22 - UK’s livestock production can only get half way to its target for emissions reduction with the technology currently available to it.

Cameron’s decision to cut ‘green crap’ now costs each household in England £150 a year

22 Mar 22 - The decision by David Cameron’s government to ditch what he denounced as “green crap” policies will cost every household as much as £150 a year by the autumn, new analysis has shown.

UK ministers urged to promote e-bikes to tackle health and climate crises

14 Mar 22 - Ministers should consider subsidising e-bikes as they do electric cars, campaigners have urged, after a study found that mass use of such bikes could create more than £2bn in health benefits and cut...

Wales' first net carbon zero school and how it works

14 Mar 22 - At first glance it looks like any other new build primary, but South Point Primary in Rhoose is radically different to all other schools in Wales.

How London plans to make the entire city an Ultra Low Emissions Zone

8 Mar 22 - Three years ago, London was the first city to introduce an “Ultra Low Emissions Zone,” or ULEZ, which charged the most polluting vehicles a fee to enter—something the BBC called one of the most...

Almost all climate-related corporate disclosures are inadequate: CDP

4 Mar 22 - Just 1% of companies who submit climate change-related data to nonprofit environmental disclosure platform CDP provide investors with the information they need to assess whether they have a credible...

Low-carbon cement trial cuts CO2 emissions by 60%

4 Mar 22 - A UK Government-backed innovation and demonstration programme has successfully developed and trialled new low-carbon cements which have up to 60 per cent lower embodied CO2 emissions than Portland...

Church of England fossil fuel ties revealed

23 Feb 22 - Senior figures in charge of the Church of England’s investments have close current or past ties to high-carbon companies including Shell, Drax and BP, DeSmog can report.

Climate change activists block Hamburg port bridge

22 Feb 22 - "Uprising of the Last Generation" is protesting Germany's high level of food waste, among other issues. The group said they have taken to more drastic measures after years of marching the streets and...

UK renewables auctions to be held annually in green energy push

11 Feb 22 - The UK government has re-stated its faith in green technologies with a decision that it says will create a steady stream of renewable energy projects.

North Sea oil and gas project gets green light just months after UK hosted COP26

4 Feb 22 - The UK government's fossil fuel industry regulator has approved a new oil and gas project in the North Sea, just months after the UK hosted the COP26 climate change summit.