Environment | The Guardian

Government says strategy would create 440,000 jobs, but Treasury warns taxes may need to rise to fund changes

Plans include replacing gas boilers with heat pumps and but no proposals for insulationMinisters have published the UK’s net zero strategy, a 400-page document detailing the future of tackling climate change and carbon emissions in the UK. What are the key policies – and what’s missing?Ambitious plans for insulationGaps in commitments on fossil fuelAlternatives to car and air travelMeat and dairy farmingFuture of fuel duty Continue reading...

Query over homeowners’ costs as government’s net zero strategy reveals lender targets to encourage energy efficiencyThe government is exploring plans to link mortgages to green home improvements by imposing targets for lenders, to help decarbonise the UK’s ageing and leaky housing stock.Highlighting the move in its net zero strategy, published on Tuesday, the government said it was working with mortgage lenders to support homeowners in improving the energy performance of their properties. Continue reading...

East Coast Cluster and HyNet North West chosen for scheme aimed at cutting 20-30m tonnes of CO2 a yearThe UK government has selected two sites in the north of England to develop multibillion-pound carbon capture projects by the middle of the decade as part of its fast-track scheme to cut 20-30m tonnes of CO2 a year from heavy industry by 2030.Ministers gave the green light to the East Coast Cluster, which plans to capture and store emissions produced across the Humber and Teesside, and the HyNet North West project in Liverpool Bay, which will also produce low carbon hydrogen from fossil gas. Continue reading...

Scientists say the animals are vital to ecosystem and true number affected is probably far higher

Party’s final proposal on net zero expected to go to cabinet and joint party room early next week• Download the free Guardian app; get our morning email briefingThe National Farmers’ Federation has made a final pitch to the National party to support a net zero emissions reduction target before Scott Morrison heads to Glasgow, telling MPs that failure to do so could “punish farmers” as the rest of the world decarbonises.Morrison is due to depart for the United Nations-led climate conference late next week by the Nationals continue to work a package of measures to accompany any 2050 commitment – including funding for regional jobs and infrastructure projects.Sign up to receive an email with the top stories from Guardian Australia every morning Continue reading...

Study author calls for coordinated efforts to remove discarded fishing nets before they reach threatened marine life in gulf’s ‘high biodiversity region’Targeted action is needed to combat the growing issue of “ghost nets” in the Gulf of Carpentaria, researchers say.Analysis of aerial surveys conducted between 2004 and 2020 has found that the number of ghost nets along the gulf coastline has increased despite years of clean-up efforts. Continue reading...

This live blog is now closed. You can find out latest stories on the government’s climate strategy below:

Driver seen inching car forwards on to protesters blocking road in Thurrock as onlookers goad her onFootage has emerged of an Insulate Britain protester being pushed by a Range Rover driven by a woman taking her son to school.In the video a woman drives up to a roadblock protest at a busy junction, leaps from the black four-wheel-drive vehicle, snatches a banner and shouts at two activists: “I’m not joking, my son needs to get to school. Move out the way. Move out the way now.” Continue reading...

GMB union calls week-long strike from 1 November with rail staff also planning industrial actionBin workers in Glasgow have confirmed that they will strike during the Cop26 climate conference, amid growing anxieties that the city’s summit arrangements are falling into chaos with threats of industrial action across services and transport.Glasgow city council urged the workers to reconsider causing disruption during a “busy and difficult time”, as the GMB union confirmed a week-long strike from 1 November, the first full day of the UN conference. Continue reading...

Campaigners say museum ‘doubling down’ on ‘reckless’ choices of funder with backing from arm of coal giant AdaniThe UK’s Science Museum has “doubled down” on its sponsorship of climate exhibitions by fossil fuel companies, campaigners say, by taking funding from a subsidiary of the Adani Group.Adani is a conglomerate with major holdings in coal, the most polluting fossil fuel. The Energy Revolution gallery, opening in 2023, will be sponsored by Adani’s Green Energy arm. Continue reading...

PM says partnership will help emerging solutions that are still too expensive for commercial developmentThe UK government has announced plans to launch a £400m package of investment alongside the US billionaire Bill Gates to boost the development of new green technologies.Boris Johnson said the deal would help power a “green industrial revolution” and develop emerging technologies that were currently too expensive to be commercially successful but were essential to hitting the government’s climate goals. Continue reading...

Their use could help the UK meet its climate targets, but there are concerns over high installation and running costsThe government has set out plans to offer £5,000 grants to help 90,000 households install home heat pumps, and other low-carbon heating systems, over the next three years as part of its plan to cut Britain’s reliance on fossil fuel heating.As gas boilers are phased out, heat pump installations could reach up to 600,000 a year in the 2030s – but is Britain ready for a home heating revolution? Continue reading...

It’s vital that unions and employers join forces to ensure staff can transfer their skills into low-carbon businesses• Paul Clarke is a former engineer in a coal-fired power stationIn the past, industrial change was poorly managed, leading to skilled staff being made redundant, withdrawing from work or drifting into less skilled employment. Anyone who remembers the dole queues after the closure of our country’s coalmines in the 1980s may be rightly wary of promises of a “just transition” for fossil fuel workers as we move into a net-zero future. But, it doesn’t have to be this way, and I’d like to share my story as a testament to what is possible when we come together to properly prepare for the future.Three years ago, I worked at Cottam, an EDF coal-fired power station in Nottinghamshire, as a professional engineer. I was proud of my job. My skills kept the country’s lights on and kettles boiling. It was more than a career for me, it gave me a sense of purpose. Continue reading...

Despite overwhelming support for onshore windfarms, planning rules mean it is possible for only one person to prevent developmentThe UK, being a windy island, has vast potential to produce more electricity from onshore windfarms. With urgent action required on the climate crises, the latest renewable prospectus is that substantial investment by 2030 in cheap onshore wind would cut household bills by £25 a year, create 27,000 jobs and level up deprived areas.Polls show more than 70% of people, especially Conservatives, are in favour. The government’s December 2020 energy white paper seems to agree, saying onshore wind is one of the “key building blocks of the future generation mix”. Continue reading...

Doubts over sustainability of company’s wood-burning power plant mount within financial sectorDrax has been booted from an investment index of clean energy companies as doubts over the sustainability of its wood-burning power plant begin to mount within the financial sector.The FTSE 100 energy giant, which has received billions in renewable energy subsidies for its biomass electricity, was axed from the index of the world’s greenest energy companies after S&P Global Dow Jones changed its methodology. Continue reading...

Liberals and Nationals increasingly confident the Coalition is moving towards agreement on climate pivot

Funding comes as part of government’s heat and buildings strategy, but campaigners say plan lacks ambitionMinisters have unveiled plans for £5,000 grants to allow people to install home heat pumps and other low-carbon boiler replacements as part of a wider heat and buildings strategy that some campaigners warned lacked sufficient ambition and funding.Labour also condemned the plans as “more of Boris Johnson’s hot air”, without sufficient substance. Continue reading...

An analysis of coastal rubbish collected over a decade reveals almost half of it is local litter, but in some areas plastic is washing up from overseasPlastic makes up 84% of the rubbish found on Australian beaches, according to analysis of a decade of clean-up efforts by more than 150,000 citizen scientists.Since 2004, the Australian Marine Debris Initiative – launched by the non-profit Tangaroa Blue Foundation – has documented more than 20m items of rubbish collected from beach clean-ups around the country. Continue reading...

Former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon appeals to Joe Biden and Xi Jinping to meet and find common groundUS president Joe Biden and the president of China, Xi Jinping, have been urged to meet before the UN Cop26 climate talks to search for common ground by the former UN secretary-general Ban Ki-moon and other prominent global voices.“We are appealing to the leaders of the US and China to see their common interest and find a way to work together. We need an ambitious 2030 [carbon] target from China and the US to deliver what they have pledged,” said Ban, speaking on behalf of the Elders group of former world statespeople and prominent community and business leaders. Continue reading...

News comes day after the Guardian revealed data that lists 120,000 sites in US that may be, or may have been, handling the chemicalsThe US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Monday announced a “strategic roadmap” it said would help restrict a class of toxic chemicals from being released into the environment and accelerate the cleanup of existing contamination of “forever chemicals” that are associated with a range of human health dangers.The news comes a day after the Guardian revealed an EPA data set that lists roughly 120,000 industrial sites around the country that may be, or may have been, handling PFAS chemicals. The data set includes facility locations and operation details, and was compiled by EPA researchers to help state and local officials work with the federal government in addressing contamination concerns.“Aggressive” timelines to set enforceable drinking water limits under the Safe Drinking Water Act “to ensure water is safe to drink in every community”.Timelines for actions involved in the establishment of “effluent guideline limitations”, for nine industrial categories.Establishment of a hazardous substance designation under the federal Superfund law that enhances the government’s ability to hold PFAS polluters financially accountable.A review of past actions on PFAS taken under the Toxic Substances Control Act to address those that are insufficient.Increased monitoring, data collection and research so that the agency can identify what actions are needed and when to take them.A final toxicity assessment for a type of PFAS called GenX used in manufacturing nonstick coatings that has been found in drinking water, rainwater and air samples.Continued efforts to address PFAS emissions into the air. Continue reading...

Cancellation follows reports local estate owners were worried about predator’s impact on other birdsA pioneering project to return white-tailed eagles to Norfolk for the first time in 200 years has been cancelled at the last minute to the dismay of conservationists.The UK’s largest birds of prey were to be released at Wild Ken Hill, the estate that is home to the BBC’s Autumnwatch programme, from next year, with plans to set 60 birds loose over 10 years. Continue reading...

In a greenhouse in Worcestershire, Shockingly Fresh grows towers of leafy veg for supermarket shelvesThe largest naturally lit vertical farm in Britain has begun harvesting and the creators plan to build 40 more.It looks nothing like a traditional farm, with bright white towers of leafy green vegetables stacked as high as the eye can see. But Shockingly Fresh’s first giant greenhouse, in Offenham, Worcestershire, is harvesting thousands of bunches of pak choi and lettuce destined for supermarket shelves. The farm is suited to a variety of leafy greens, as well as strawberries and herbs. Continue reading...

The weather system could intensify the drought much of the region is already in, including higher wildfire risks and water shortagesThe wet winter the American south-west has hoped for as it battles extreme drought and heat is increasingly unlikely to materialize as scientists now predict that a phenomenon known as La Niña will develop for the second year in a row.The weather system could intensify the worst effects of the drought that much of the region already finds itself in, including higher wildfire risks and water shortages through 2022. Continue reading...

Failure to pass legislation to cut emissions before the UN summit in Glasgow could be catastrophic for efforts to curb global heatingWith furious environmental activists at the gates of the White House, and congressional Democrats fretting that a priceless opportunity to tackle catastrophic global heating may be slipping away, Joe Biden is facing mounting pressure over a climate agenda that appears to be hanging by a thread.Biden’s allies have warned that time is running perilously short, both politically and scientifically, for the US to enact sweeping measures to slash planet-heating emissions and spur other major countries to do the same. Failure to do so will escalate what scientists have said are “irreversible” climate impacts such as disastrous heatwaves, floods, wildfires and a mass upheaval of displaced people. Continue reading...

Many people suffered following power cuts in the aftermath of two hurricanes, but advocates say solar power will withstand future disastersRosalina Marrero spends the best part of each day ironing and watching telenovelas at her modest bungalow in Puerto Rico’s coastal Guayama province. When it gets too hot or her asthma plays up due to the toxic coal ash from the nearby power plant, the 78-year-old widow rests on an adjustable hospital bed, clicks on the fan and thanks God for the solar panels on her roof.Earlier this year, Marrero was among two dozen residents in a low-income, predominantly Black neighbourhood blighted by coal pollution, fitted with a rooftop solar and storage system. Campaigners say systems like hers should be rolled out more widely to tackle the island’s energy crisis and the global climate emergency – both of which are exacerbating racialized health inequalities. Continue reading...

Fumio Kishida said every effort would be made to reassure local people that disposing of the water in the Pacific was safeJapan’s new prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has said that there can be no delay to plans to release contaminated water from the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the sea, despite opposition from fishers and neighbouring countries.Kishida, who made his first trip to the plant at the weekend since becoming prime minister last month, said every effort would be made to reassure local people that disposing of the water in the Pacific Ocean was safe. Continue reading...

Exclusive: NatWest, Microsoft and GSK among firms to raise complaint over poor planning and breakdown in relationsCompanies that stumped up millions of pounds to sponsor the Cop26 climate summit have condemned it as “mismanaged” and “very last minute” in a volley of complaints as next month’s event in Glasgow draws near.The sponsors, which include some of Britain’s biggest companies, have raised formal complaints blaming “very inexperienced” civil servants for delayed decisions, poor communication and a breakdown in relations between the organisers and firms in the run-up to the landmark talks. Continue reading...

White House has said clean energy provisions likely to be dropped from bill to secure support of Joe Manchin and Kyrsten SinemaThe transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg delivered a blunt warning on Sunday to Joe Manchin and other Senate Democrats who are forcing Joe Biden to scale back his climate crisis agenda: your resistance is going to cost lives.Manchin, senator for the coal-dependent state of West Virginia, opposes elements of the president’s clean energy performance program (CEPP), a $150bn central plank of his Build Back Better plan and $3.5tn spending bill. Continue reading...

Angus Taylor briefs junior Coalition partner on policy proposal but any deal remains a long way off

List of facilities makes it clear that virtually no part of the US appears free from the potential risk of air and water contamination with the chemicalsThe US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified more than 120,000 locations around the US where people may be exposed to a class of toxic “forever chemicals” associated with various cancers and other health problems that is a frightening tally four times larger than previously reported, according to data obtained by the Guardian.The list of facilities makes it clear that virtually no part of America appears free from the potential risk of air and water contamination with the chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Continue reading...

Junior Coalition party briefed on Morrison government’s climate policy proposal by minister Angus TaylorThe Nationals leader, Barnaby Joyce, has suggested it is “highly unlikely” his party will agree to Australia significantly increasing its 2030 emissions reductions target, with the party room meeting on Sunday to discuss the Morrison government’s climate policy.The Liberal energy minister, Angus Taylor, spent three hours walking the junior Coalition partner through the government’s policy proposal, with the Nationals yet to make a decision on what they’re prepared to support. Continue reading...

Roadblocks have caused anger but members say only maximum economic disruption will make politicians listenThe riskiest time in Insulate Britain’s road block protests is before the police arrive, their activists say. When they targeted a busy junction of the A1090 in Thurrock, Essex, on Wednesday morning, just outside the eastern edge of London, the police didn’t appear for nearly an hour. No serious injuries were reported, but it was close.The first lorry, hurtling towards the T-junction, did not look like it was going to stop: it ground to a halt inches from the faces of three activists. Cars and vans mounted kerbs and central reservations to evade them. Motorists emerged from their vehicles, pink with rage, snatched protesters’ banners and dragged them from the road like ragdolls. Continue reading...

Results showed wetlands provide natural barriers offering protection against speed and turbulence of extreme storms, Australian researcher says

White House forced to rewrite domestic bill as it makes late bid to secure backing for international dealPresident Joe Biden is likely to abandon a clean energy programme that was the centrepiece of his efforts to tackle greenhouse gas emissions at home, US media reported, because of opposition from a swing-vote Democratic senator from a state with a historically large coal industry.Funding to replace coal- and gas-fired plants with wind, solar and nuclear generation was part of a massive budget bill that Biden is struggling to get through Congress. Continue reading...

More than 80 landowners and conservationists team up to design a new brokerage model

With weeks to go before the Cop26 climate summit, documents show PM being warned about the risks of damage to the UK from green investmentConfidential documents leaked to the Observer reveal an extraordinary rift between Boris Johnson and his chancellor, Rishi Sunak, over the potential economic effects of moving towards a zero-carbon economy, with just weeks to go before the crucial Cop26 climate summit.As Johnson prepares to position the UK at the head of global efforts to combat climate change and curb greenhouse gas emissions as host of the Glasgow Cop26 meeting, the documents show the Treasury is warning of serious economic damage to the UK economy and future tax rises if the UK overspends on, or misdirects, green investment. Continue reading...

AFL Players For Climate Action counts members from the men’s and women’s leagues and hopes to build club and fan support

Wildlife groups call for protection as numbers fall due to human activities around UK coastThis month should be prime pupping season on the spectacular Cornish coast, whose rich waters and sheltered coves attract grey and common seals from all around the British Isles and beyond. But wildlife groups are concerned that seal numbers appear to be lower than in previous years – and part of the reason is down to a rise in “silent” water sports.Up and down the country there has been an alarming increase in incidents where humans, dogs or drones have caused disturbance to one of the UK’s most important wildlife populations. The number of recorded seal disturbances in Cornwall alone has doubled since last year, according to data collected by the Seal Research Trust. It believes that the huge growth in kayaking, paddleboarding and wild swimming is now a significant factor. Continue reading...

Those who helped fuel China’s growth fear for livelihoods, while power shortages create transition dilemma for Xi JinpingWhen he was a little boy in the 1980s, Wang Xiaojun was taught to be proud of his home town of Lüliang in the north-western Chinese province of Shanxi. Shanxi is China’s biggest coal-producing region, and Lüliang was a significant base for the army during the second world war.Nestled in the mountains of the dusty Loess Plateau, Lüliang, a city of 3.4 million people, has had less to shout about in recent years. A series of corruption scandals in the city brought down several high profile officials shortly after President Xi Jinping came to power in 2013; there are concerns over the high number of babies born with congenital defects, blamed by experts on air pollution; and, last week, a huge flood forced coal mines to close just as China scrambles to tackle its energy crunch. Continue reading...

The mayor of Imperial Beach, California, says big oil wants him to drop the lawsuit demanding the industry pay for the climate crisisSerge Dedina is a surfer, environmentalist and mayor of Imperial Beach, a small working-class city on the California coast.He is also, if the fossil fuel industry is to be believed, at the heart of a conspiracy to shake down big oil for hundreds of millions of dollars. Continue reading...

An insider talks about efforts to cut methane, one of the most prevalent greenhouse gases but which has had little attentionWhile global climate efforts have tended to focus on the fight against carbon dioxide, many other threats that attract less attention are just as dangerous to our planet.Negotiations over these more granular issues take place away from the limelight. But the policies and agreements that emerge are some of the most vital steps in the fight against climate change.Every week we’ll hear from negotiators from a developing country that is involved in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change negotiations and will be attending the Cop26 climate conference. Continue reading...

Campaigners fear net zero strategy is being hamstrung by Rishi Sunak, who refuses to provide adequate fundingBoris Johnson faces a significant test of his leadership before the Cop26 climate summit as the chancellor and business secretary are at war over the imminent plan for reaching net zero carbon dioxide emissions.The government is poised to publish its long-awaited net zero strategy on Monday, setting out how the UK will meet its targets to cut CO emissions by 78% by 2035 and reach net zero by 2050. This will also include the heat and buildings strategy for insulating draughty homes and phasing out gas boilers, along with a massive expansion of offshore wind, and building electric vehicle charging networks. Continue reading...

Xi Jinping’s vision for a greener future was showcased at the UN biodiversity summit in Kunming this week, but what does it mean for China and the world?This week, China took charge of hosting a major UN environmental conference for the first time, at the opening of Cop15 in Kunming. The world’s biggest greenhouse gas emitter and largest consumer of natural resources might seem a strange choice to host talks to stop the destruction of ecosystems and mass extinctions of wildlife, but the conference marks a tipping point in China’s development and an international debut for “ecological civilisation”, a little-known phrase outside its borders with big implications for the planet.Amid uncertainty around whether President Xi Jinping will attend critical climate talks at Cop26 in Glasgow, the environmental slogan is at the heart of a potential misunderstanding between China and the west. Some commentators have been quick to suggest that Xi’s reported absence is proof that China has reverted to type, an example of the world leaders that “talk but don’t do” who have so irritated the Queen. But others point out that Xi, who has not left China since last year – he did not attend the UN general assembly in New York – and did not even travel to Kunming for the Cop15 summit that China was hosting this week, has been clear about his guiding principles on the environment. Continue reading...

Exclusive: The Australian Industry Group’s Innes Willox says the case for strong climate action has strengthened rapidly and the cost has turned out to be lower than expected

Rolls-Royce-led consortium already has £210m in private backing for plans to build 16 reactors across the countryThe government is poised to approve funding for a fleet of Rolls-Royce mini nuclear reactors that the prime minister hopes will help the UK reach his target of zero-carbon electricity by 2035.A consortium led by the British engineering firm had already secured £210m in backing from private investors for the small modular reactor (SMR) project, a sum that the government is expected to match or better. Confirmation is expected before the spending review on 27 October, according to well-placed sources. Continue reading...

Queen ‘irritated’ by lack of action, Prince William targets space race and Prince Charles appeals to businessesAs the UN Cop26 climate conference approaches, members of the royal family have increasingly been weighing in on green issues.The Queen, Prince Charles and Prince William have all made comments in support of taking more urgent action on the climate crisis in the past few days. Continue reading...

The best of this week’s wildlife pictures, including a rutting deer, a Javan langur and some cunning foxes Continue reading...

Government will call for producers and consumers of commodities such as soya and cocoa to commit to stopping land clearancesThe UK government is pushing for an ambitious agreement among world leaders at Cop26 to halt and reverse forest loss and degradation, the Guardian can reveal.Big producers and consumers of deforestation-linked commodities such as soya, cocoa, coffee and palm oil have been asked to commit to halting land clearances, the second largest source of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. A coalition of world leaders is expected to announce the initiative on the second day of the climate summit in Glasgow alongside new funding to protect forests. Continue reading...

Dutch team designed and built two-person van with kitchen, bed, shower, loo and range of up to 450 miles a dayA team of students from the Netherlands are due to complete an 1,800-mile (3,000km) road trip across western Europe in a solar-powered camper van that they designed and built themselves.The Stella Vita is designed for two passengers and has a kitchen, sitting area, bed, shower and toilet. Using solar energy alone, the vehicle can cover up to 450 miles on a sunny day, reaching a top speed of 75mph, as well as powering all the inside amenities, a TV and a laptop. Continue reading...