Manufacturers use method that labels plastic as circular' and climate-friendly, despite being mostly fossil-basedEurope's supermarket shelves are packed with brands billing their plastic packaging as sustainable, but often only a fraction of the materials are truly recovered from waste, with the rest made from petroleum.Brands using plastic packaging - from Kraft's Heinz Beanz to Mondelz's Philadelphia - use materials made by the plastic manufacturing arm of the oil company Saudi Aramco.This article is part of a cross-border investigation, supported by IJ4EU and coordinated by the independent journalist Ludovica Jona, with the media outlets the Guardian, Voxeurop, Mediapart (France), Altreconomia (Italy), Publico (Spain), Investigative Reporting Denmark, Deutsche Welle (Germany) and with reporters Lorenzo Sangermano and Lucy Taylor Continue reading...

Experts are watching for how other countries will react as the real economy' shifts to cheaper, cleaner energyThe United States has officially exited the Paris climate agreement for the second time, cementing Donald Trump's renewed break with the primary global venue to address global heating.The move leaves the US as the only country to have withdrawn from the pact, placing it alongside Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries not party to the agreement. While it will not halt global climate efforts, experts say it could significantly complicate them. Continue reading...

BoM to check if Walpeup and Hopetoun broke state's official heat record - set during 2009's Black Saturday

Fifteen years after a tsunami caused the Fukushima nuclear accident, only bears, raccoons and boar are seen on the streets. But the authorities and some locals want people to move backNorio Kimura pauses to gaze through the dirt-flecked window of Kumamachi primary school in Fukushima. Inside, there are still textbooks lying on the desks, pencil cases are strewn across the floor; empty bento boxes that were never taken home.Along the corridor, shoes line the route the children took when they fled, some still in their indoor plimsolls, as their town was rocked by a magnitude-9 earthquake on the afternoon of 11 March 2011 which went on to cause the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chornobyl. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Campaigners say menacing vehicles' are putting children at risk owing to their large front blind zonesThe number of US-style pickup trucks on UK roads has almost doubled in the past 10 years, data shows.The vehicles are more environmentally damaging than ordinary cars, and more dangerous for pedestrians and cyclists. Campaigners have said the extra-large vehicles, which are often too big for UK streets and parking spaces, are built like battering rams". Continue reading...

French port's green energy push, evoking second world war spirit of resilience, is seen as a testing ground for reindustrialisationA new cargo and passenger ferry service directly linking Scotland and France could launch later this year as the port of Dunkirk embarks on a 40bn (35bn) regeneration programme it claims will mirror the second world war resilience for which it is famed.The plans could include a new service between Rosyth in Fife and Dunkirk, eight years after the last freight ferries linked Scotland to mainland Europe, and 16 years after passenger services stopped. Continue reading...

Aircraft crashed on takeoff at Bangor airport as visibility diminished amid winter storm, leading to airport shutdownSix people died when a business jet crashed during takeoff as a snowstorm caused visibility to diminish at Maine's Bangor international airport on Sunday night, according to officials.The Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed on takeoff at about 7.45pm as Bangor, like much of the country, grappled with a major winter storm. The airport, about 200 miles (320km) north of Boston, shut down after the crash. Continue reading...

Scientists expect 41% of the projected global population to face the extremes, with no part of the world' immuneThe number of people living with extreme heat will more than double by 2050 if global heating reaches 2C, according to a new study that shows how the energy demands for air conditioners and heating systems are expected to change across the world.No region will escape the impact, say the authors. Although the tropics and southern hemisphere will be worst affected by rising heat, the countries in the north will also find it difficult to adapt because their built environments are primarily designed to deal with a cooler climate. Continue reading...

European retailers urge traders to adhere to commitments after Brazilian lawmakers wreck forest protection pactLeading British and European retailers are trying to salvage the core elements of the Amazon soy moratorium after the world's most successful forest protection agreement was wrecked by Brazilian lawmakers and abandoned by international traders.In an open letter, high street brands including Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda say the breakdown this month of the 20-year-old agreement will damage consumer confidence unless new arrangements are put in place to ensure grain production is not linked to deforestation. Continue reading...

Party's pitch to voters in May Holyrood elections dismissed as profoundly unserious, almost comically so' by analystsReform UK would slash what it calls highly dubious" environmental protection measures to help fund a 2bn cut to income tax in Scotland if it won May's Holyrood elections, the party has said.Malcolm Offord, the multimillionaire financier who was announced as leader of Reform UK in Scotland 10 days ago, used his first major speech to announce plans to realign the country's tax system - where higher earners currently pay significantly more - with the rest of the UK and institute a 1p-in-the-pound cut across the board. Continue reading...

Queensland government says it has already killed six of the 10 dingoes seen near the body of 19-year-old Piper James

The variety and scope of entries to the global Walk of Water photography contest reflect the intimate connection between water and humanity Continue reading...

Residents near Otways fire in Victoria urged to prepare to evacuate, while Ouyen and Mildura forecast to record 49C on Tuesday

Death toll sparks calls for companies to be fined under animal welfare legislation over mass fish deaths

Environmental charity to prioritise water capture and storage as it urges gardeners to prepare for new normal'The Royal Horticultural Society has unveiled emergency plans to protect its gardens from major water shortages in the future.The environmental charity, which owns and operates five renowned public gardens in England, said on Saturday it will invest in more water-capture and water-management projects in 2026 after severe droughts last year. Continue reading...

An extraordinary mosaic of wildlife has made Britain's urban jungle its homeLondon is the only place in the UK where you can find scorpions, snakes, turtles, seals, peacocks, falcons all in one city - and not London zoo. Step outside and you will encounter a patchwork of writhing, buzzing, bubbling urban microclimates.Sam Davenport, the director of nature recovery at the London Wildlife Trust, emphasises the sheer variation in habitats that you find in UK cities, which creates an amazing mosaic" of wildlife. Continue reading...

Wolves killed more than 2,100 reindeer in Finland last year, and herders are blaming the Ukraine warJuha Kujala no longer knows how many reindeer will return to his farm from the forest each December. The 54-year-old herder releases his animals into the wilderness on the 830-mile Finnish-Russian border each spring to grow fat on lichens, grass and mushrooms, just as his ancestors have done for generations.But since 2022, grisly discoveries of reindeer skeletons on the forest floor have disrupted this ancient way of life. The culprits, according to Kujala: wolves from Russia. Continue reading...

US president asks whatever happened to global warming?' Well, it could be making our winter storms worseDonald Trump has erroneously cited an enormous winter storm that is set to deliver freezing temperatures and heavy snow to half of the US as supposed proof that the world is not heating up due to the burning of fossil fuels.Trump, who has repeatedly questioned and mocked established climate science in the past, posted of the storm on Truth Social: Rarely seen anything like it before. Could the Environmental Insurrectionists please explain - WHATEVER HAPPENED TO GLOBAL WARMING???" Continue reading...

Region has higher share of net zero economic output, data shows, and Labour leaders fear Reform would dismantle industry if it wins powerRachel Reeves has been urged to put the north of England at the heart of the UK's net zero strategy as research shows the sector contributes a larger share of the region's economy than it does nationally.The Labour peer Julie Elliott said the north must be front and centre" of the Treasury's growth strategy for clean energy. Continue reading...

Architect of government's water plan says nationalisation might not fix everything and the current system can workThe privatisation of water in England is not the reason for its failings, the architect of the government's water plan has said, as he warned there was no one simple solution" such as nationalisation.Sir Jon Cunliffe, a former Bank of England deputy governor who was involved in reforming banking regulation after the 2008 financial crisis, was enlisted by the Labour government to write a report on the water industry. He was tasked with addressing problems such as the sewage scandal, frequent tap water outages and lack of preparedness for drought. Continue reading...

Canadian backpacker, 19, was found dead on K'gari island earlier this week surrounded by pack of wild dingoesThe autopsy of Piper James, whose body was found on K'gari surrounded by a pack of dingoes, has found physical evidence consistent with drowning and injuries consistent with dingo bites".The Canadian backpacker's trip to Australia ended in tragedy when the 19-year-old was found dead on a beach on Monday on the world heritage-listed island formerly known as Fraser Island off the Queensland coast. Continue reading...

This week's best wildlife photographs from around the world Continue reading...

Experts say climate crisis, corruption and lack or misuse of infrastructure among factors driving water conflictsWater-related violence has almost doubled since 2022 and little is being done to understand and address the trend and prevent new and escalating risks, experts have said.There were 419 incidents of water-related violence recorded in 2024, up from 235 in 2022, according to the Pacific Institute, a US-based thinktank. Continue reading...

Conservationists hail the desperately needed' measures and urge greater protection after up to 11% of endangered Tapanuli orangutans wiped outThe floods and landslides that tore through Indonesia's fragile Batang Toru ecosystem in November 2024 - killing up to 11% of the world's Tapanuli orangutan population - prompted widespread scrutiny of the extractive companies operating in the area at the time of the ecological catastrophe.For weeks, investigators searched for evidence that the companies may have damaged the Batang Toru and Garoga watersheds before the disaster, which washed torrents of mud and logs into villages, claiming the lives of more than 1,100 people. Continue reading...

More than 30,000 households left with defects after catastrophic failure' of Tory government schemesMembers of parliament have called for the Serious Fraud Office to investigate the UK's home insulation sector, after thousands of householders suffered ruined homes, big financial losses and months of disruption from the clear and catastrophic failure" of two Conservative government schemes.More than 30,000 households were left with defects, some of them severe, including mould, water ingress and damage to the fabric of walls, with about 3,000 dwellings so badly damaged they presented immediate health and safety risks to occupants. Continue reading...

Campaigners hail U-turn during legal challenge over proposed centre an embarrassing climbdown'The government has been forced to admit its own planning approval for a major AI datacentre should be quashed after it failed to fully consider the climate impact, in what campaigners described as an embarrassing climbdown".Angela Rayner, the former deputy prime minister, had overruled opposition from a local council to grant permission for a hyperscale datacentre on greenbelt land by the M25 in Buckinghamshire in line with Labour's pledge to enable faster private investment in AI. But her successor, Steve Reed, has admitted the reasons for not requiring an environmental impact assessment were inadequate" and that permission should be quashed". Continue reading...

Marineland seeks approval to sell belugas to United States after its China export proposal was rejected

Sheldon Whitehouse adds auto giant to investigation after US president claimed CEO requests changes to regulationsAs the Trump administration prepares to overturn the rule underpinning virtually all US climate regulations, a Senate committee is investigating whether the US's second-largest automaker lobbied for the rollback.In September, the Senate environment and public works committee launched investigations into two dozen oil companies, thinktanks, law firms and trade associations, focused on how the companies may have persuaded the White House to initiate the repeal of the 2009 endangerment finding. Now, the committee, of which the ranking member is the Democratic Rhode Island senator Sheldon Whitehouse, is expanding the investigation to include Ford Motor Company. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Beijing, Delhi, Los Angeles and Rio de Janeiro among worst affected, with demand close to exceeding supplyHalf the world's 100 largest cities are experiencing high levels of water stress, with 38 of these sitting in regions of extremely high water stress", new analysis and mapping has shown.Water stress means that water withdrawals for public water supply and industry are close to exceeding available supplies, often caused by poor management of water resources exacerbated by climate breakdown. Continue reading...

Pollution from wood burners kills thousands but proposed emissions limit would cut toxic particles by 10%New wood-burning stoves will carry a health warning highlighting the impact of the air pollution they produce, under UK government plans.Ministers have also proposed cutting the limit on the smoke emitted from wood burners by 80%. However, the measure would only apply to new stoves, most of which already meet the stricter limit. The new limit would cut the annual toxic emissions from wood burning in the UK by only 10% over the next decade, according to the consultation. Continue reading...

Cash, gold, mercury and firearms seized in operations in Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and SurinamePolice and prosecutors from Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana and Suriname have arrested nearly 200 people in their first joint cross-border operation targeting illegal gold mining in the Amazon region, authorities said.The operation was backed by Interpol, the EU and Dutch police specialising in environmental crime. It involved more than 24,500 checks on vehicles and people across remote border areas and led to the seizure of cash, unprocessed gold, mercury, firearms, drugs and mining equipment, Interpol said. Continue reading...

Road safety activists vindicated' after success of campaign supported by NHS trusts and headteachers

Extreme heat is getting worse and whether we like it or not ... there's ultimately a limit to what we can actually physically cope with,' scientist says

The removal of sulphur from shipping fuels caused a lot of extra sunlight' to get through atmosphere and hit reef in 2022Steps to clean up the shipping industry by removing sulphur from fuels intensified a major coral bleaching event on the Great Barrier Reef by allowing more of the sun's energy to hit the oceanic wonder, according to a new study.Sulphur pollution can cause respiratory problems for humans and cause acid rain, but it also has a shading effect and can make clouds brighter, providing more shade to areas underneath. Continue reading...

Described by one researcher as looking already dead', the enigmatic creatures are one of the least understood species on the planetIt looks more like a worn sock than a fearsome predator. It moves slower than an escalator. By most accounts, it is a clumsy and near-sightless relic drifting in the twilight waters of the Arctic, lazily searching for food scraps.The Greenland shark, an animal one researcher (lovingly) said, looks like it's already dead", is also one of the least understood, biologically enigmatic species on the planet. Continue reading...

Manual for building design aims to encourage low-carbon construction as alternative to steel and concreteAn airport made of bamboo? A tower reaching 20 metres high? For many years, bamboo has been mostly known as the favourite food of giant pandas, but a group of engineers say it's time we took it seriously as a building material, too.This week the Institution of Structural Engineers called for architects to be bamboo-ready" as they published a manual for designing permanent buildings made of the material, in an effort to encourage low-carbon construction and position bamboo as a proper alternative to steel and concrete. Continue reading...

It's not just Tunbridge Wells - a country famous around the world for its rain is in danger of self-imposed droughtYou get up and go to the loo, only to find the flush doesn't work. You try the shower, except nothing comes out. You want a glass of water, but on turning the tap there is not a drop. Your day stumbles on, stripped of its essentials: no washing hands, no cleaning up the baby, neither tea nor coffee, no easy way to do the dishes or the laundry. Dirt accumulates; tempers fray.The water company texts: we are so sorry; colleagues are working to restore connection; everything should soon be normal. You want to believe them, but the more it's repeated, the more it becomes a kind of hold music. There's no supply the next day, and the day after, and the day after that. Each morning brings with it the same chest-tightening question: what will happen today? Buckets and bottles don't stop you feeling grubby and smelly, or from noticing the taint on your family and friends and neighbours. You're not quite the people you thought you were and nothing feels normal.Aditya Chakrabortty is a Guardian columnist Continue reading...

Experts say big flaw is the lack of mandatory requirements, meaning developers could ignore the guidanceHousing where shops, schools, public transport and possibly pubs are close by, with green spaces and access to nature, and where heritage is preserved, should be the norm for all new developments, according to guidelines set out by the government.King's Cross in London, for example, where industrial buildings have been converted into shops, restaurants and public spaces, and where schools and care homes mingle with social and private housing near to a cleaned-up canal and nature reserve, could become the model, according to the new vision. Continue reading...

The storm will stretch 2,000 miles from south-west to east, disrupting travel and threatening power outagesA vast winter storm is set to descend across much of the US starting on Friday, sweeping snow, ice and brutal cold across nearly 2,000 miles from the south-west to the east coast and affecting more than 200 million people.The system is expected to disrupt travel, bring down trees and power lines, and create the risk of prolonged power outages, followed by dangerously cold air. Continue reading...

Huge spike in fats, oils and grease going to Malabar treatment plant follows 2017 changes to reporting regime and reduced inspections, critics say

Our nation's fascination with rubbish knows no bounds - as was proved by one recent online debateEven if you've never been anywhere near it, the Mumsnet message board is legendary. Since it launched in 2000, it has changed the vernacular - am I being unreasonable?" is not just a question, it's a shorthand for the type of person who asks it - and introduced us to the penis beaker (one maverick husband's postcoital hygiene regime, made infamous). It's a screenshot of society, a cultural thermometer; if it's happening on Mumsnet, it's big news. And one of the most popular recent threads is about bins.The post that kicked it off was written by a woman who lived opposite an empty house where tenants had moved out. The landlord popped round late at night to drag the bins out for collection, and the next morning, at 6.45am, she could hear the lorry approaching. The coast was clear, and she still had a backlog of rubbish from Christmas. Deciding it was a victimless crime, she slipped one of her bags in their bin, which easily had room. Enterprising? Without a doubt. Moral, though? Continue reading...

Felling of 500-year-old oak has provoked fury from public and Enfield council, which leases land to Mitchells & ButlersThe restaurant chain Toby Carvery is facing eviction from one of its sites after taking a chainsaw to an ancient oak tree without the permission of its council landlord.The partial felling last April of the 500-year-old oak on the edge of a Toby Carvery car park in Whitewebbs Park, Enfield, provoked widespread public dismay and fury from Enfield council, which leases the land to the restaurant's owners Mitchells & Butlers Retail (M&B). Continue reading...

Critics accuse leading firms of sabotaging climate action but say data increasingly being used to hold them to accountJust 32 fossil fuel companies were responsible for half the global carbon dioxide emissions driving the climate crisis in 2024, down from 36 a year earlier, a report has revealed.Saudi Aramco was the biggest state-controlled polluter and ExxonMobil was the largest investor-owned polluter. Critics accused the leading fossil fuel companies of sabotaging climate action" and being on the wrong side of history" but said the emissions data was increasingly being used to hold the companies accountable. Continue reading...

Exclusive: Sydney Water erects sign at Malabar beach near wastewater facility stating do not touch any debris ... we are cleaning the area'

Actor says it is more important than ever' to safeguard city's parks as report finds more than 50 are at riskDame Judi Dench has called for greater protections for London's parks and green spaces, as research finds more than 50 of the city's parks are at risk from development.The Oscar-winning actor has long loved trees, and in 2017 fronted a BBC documentary about her love for them. She plants a tree every time a close friend or relative dies, including for her late husband, Michael Williams, who died in 2001, and the actor Natasha Richardson, who was killed in a skiing accident in 2009, and one for her brother Jeffery Dench, who died in 2014. Continue reading...

Government opts against phasing out new boilers by 2035 in effort to cut energy bills by as much as 1,000 a year

Ecosystem destruction will increase food shortages, disorder and mass migration, with effects already being feltThe global attack on nature is threatening the UK's national security, government intelligence chiefs have warned, as the increasingly likely collapse of vitally important natural systems would bring mass migration, food shortages and price rises, and global disorder.Food supplies are particularly at risk since without significant increases" the UK would be unable to compete with other nations for scarce resources, a report to ministers says. Continue reading...

Even 25% increase in meat and dairy consumption would require 100m more acres of agricultural land, analysis saysThe Trump administration's new dietary guidelines urging Americans to eat far more meat and dairy products will, if followed, come at a major cost to the planet via huge swathes of habitat razed for farmland and millions of tons of extra planet-heating emissions.A new inverted food pyramid recently released by Donald Trump's health department emphasizes pictures of steak, poultry, ground beef and whole milk, alongside fruits and vegetables, as the most important foods to eat. Continue reading...

The Andaman coast was one of very few places in the world with a viable population but then dead dugongs began washing up. Now half have goneA solitary figure stands on the shore of Thailand's Tang Khen Bay. The tide is slowly rising over the expanse of sandy beach, but the man does not seem to notice. His eyes are not fixed on the sea, but on the small screen clutched between his hands.About 600 metres offshore, past the shadowy fringe of coral reef, his drone hovers over the murky sea, focused on a whirling grey shape: Miracle, the local dugong, is back. Continue reading...