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The Latest Climate Issues:
Please note: This page is an endless chronological store (newest at the top) of UK-based published climate and environmental news and information, offering a research facility (with special thanks to Mick Holder and others). Links to articles are placed separately above each headline (not below), and take you away from this page:
What about the workers???!!!! ‘Like a sauna’: London tube travellers swelter in temperatures higher than legal limit for cattle
‘Huge wave’ of carbon storage projects causes alarm in small-town USA as oil firms eye billions in subsidies
Green MP Hannah Spencer to introduce bill on maximum workplace temperatures
Britain’s biggest community solar farm forced to shut over grid overload fears
May and June heatwaves caused excessive deaths, highlighting ‘tragic indictment of energy system’
Reviving old buildings could meet nearly half of 1.5m new homes target, say MPs
‘This is harming people here and now’: Campaigners demand ‘ambitious’ response to worsening heatwaves
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/more-2700-excess-deaths-estimated-during-may-and-june-heatwaves
FoE: More than 2,700 excess deaths estimated during May and June heatwaves
https://neu.org.uk/latest/press-releases/zanes-law-campaign-forces-independent-inquiry?_locale=en
NEU: Zane’s Law campaign forces independent inquiry
Government confirms it will introduce per mile electric vehicle levy from 2028
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532718/zero-emission-buses-market-share-grows-half
Zero emission buses’ market share grows to a third during first half of the year
Lancashire chemicals factory facing potential legal claim announces closure
https://www.rmt.org.uk/news/rmt-backs-cross-industry-call-for-domestic-north-sea-energy
RMT backs cross-industry call for domestic North Sea energy production
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyey14r4wzo
Wildfires burn in parts of UK as fire chiefs warn of extreme pressure
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/14/china-car-exports-june-trade-us-eu-trump-tariffs
China’s monthly car exports top 1m for first time as overall trade soars
Most UK media reports on June heatwave failed to mention climate crisis
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/labour-mps-urged-back-north-sea-fossil-fuel-drilling
Labour MPs urged to back North Sea fossil fuel drilling
‘The climate of the 20th Century has now gone’: Met Office warns weather extremes are ‘new normal’
Government vows to step up UK climate preparations for 2C of warming by 2050
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532736/truly-stratospheric-quarter-eu-power-solar-june
‘Truly stratospheric’: A quarter of EU power came from solar for the first time in June
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/heatwave-london-weather-record-temperature-fire-b1289976.html
Heatwave London: How 30C days more than quadrupled in the capital fuelled by climate change
England risks building new ‘death traps’ as experts warn of overheating crisis
https://pirg.org/articles/dow-chemical-seeks-to-legalize-plastic-pollution-in-texas-bay
Dow Chemical seeks to legalize plastic pollution in Texas bay
New study quantifies how future climate change threatens mental health
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c802041g4v8o
Climate we had in 20th Century ‘has now gone’ – Met Office
Sadiq Khan backs calls for maximum workplace temperature in UK
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dydw0r246o
Heatwave prompts Italy’s delivery riders to strike for extra rights
Revealed: how Europe’s most powerful farming lobby killed EU’s pesticide law
Unison: Inquiry into Zane Gbangbola’s death is vital step towards truth and justice, says UNISON
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532926/electric-car-grant-helped-140-uk-drivers-switch-ev-past
Electric Car Grant helped 140,000 UK drivers switch to an EV in the past year
Government launches £5m Port Talbot green skills funding boost for young people
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532917/government-extends-solar-schools-investment-drive
Government extends solar for schools investment drive
Paula Radcliffe urges sports industry to lead fight against air pollution
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0m7n427xd8o
Canada wildfires spread smoke across North America, sparking air quality alerts
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c5ywdl9ne3yo
What to know about the Canadian and US wildfires and their impact
North Sea oil and gas plans ‘won’t take a penny off our bills,’ campaigners warn as public consultation begins
Residents evacuated as major wildfire sweeps through Cairngorms
‘Forever chemicals’ – the national cancer scandal brewing in a Lancashire town
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgv0zd497zo
EU proposes slowing down cuts to carbon emissions for businesses
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/17/jackdaw-gasfield-north-sea-drilling-andy-burnham
Jackdaw gasfield would create only 27 direct full-time jobs, documents show
Southern Water fined £7m after illegally dumping sewage off Kent coast
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532991/york-issues-air-quality-warning-ahead-world-cup-final
New York issues air quality warning ahead of World Cup Final
Commission hid information of environmental impact on mining projects, EU watchdog finds
Number of full-time workers at Jackdaw gas field couldn’t fill a small bus
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3v0kpderp9o
Cairngorms wildfire is ‘not contained’ and still burning hard, residents warn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyq93j34lgo
Trump threatens new Canada tariffs over fires sending ‘filthy’ air into US cities
London Underground users should know about toxic dust risk, whistleblower says
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jul/18/wessex-water-chief-pay-rise-bonus-ban
Wessex Water chief pockets above-inflation pay rise despite bonus ban over sewage spills
Europe’s most effective tool to cut greenhouse gas emissions ‘risks being weakened’
India: Rupesh Kumar Singh has now spent four years behind bars for exposing the disastrous effects of industrial pollution
What does observing London’s air from the BT Tower tell us about pollution?
New study links Lough Neagh pollution with rise in pig and poultry farms
Desert dust pollution surges across Europe
Thornton chemical firm AGC Chemicals Europe’ huge pollution promise amid talk of site closure
‘Extreme heat is not just a climate issue. It is a housing crisis too’
https://en.people.cn/n3/2026/0718/c90000-20479226.html
As climate risks grow, China centers disaster preparedness on saving lives
https://www.channel4.com/news/how-climate-crisis-is-causing-disasters-across-the-world
How ‘climate crisis’ is causing disasters across the world
Debajit Chanda https://altviewpoint.in/india-under-super-el-nino-a-climate-emergency-meets-political-failure/ writes on what the 2026 Super El Niño means for India — the monsoon, the peasant squeezed between failed rains and war-inflated fertilizer prices, and a government that manufactures the very vulnerabilities it now scrambles to manage.
What’s holding back Britain’s green energy revolution? – a visual story
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cewqzrkvwvqo
Turbines turning from wind to sustainable products
UK building code lacking climate resilience
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/renewables-case-ai-data-centres-built-bunk
Renewables case for AI data centres built on ‘bunk’
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/jul/07/air-pollution-dna-changes-sperm-men
Air pollution linked to DNA changes in sperm, research shows
June heatwave in UK led to ‘mass sleep deprivation’, poll suggests
Fuel on the fire: why oil companies are profiting as the world gets dangerously hot
Low-cost loans for solar panels could save households hundreds on bills – thinktanks
Men’s average testosterone levels have halved in last 50 years, say scientists
‘Sunbathers’ protest against new oil outside Parliament amidst heatwave
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/15-million-adults-left-feeling-unwell-recent-heatwave
Unions and climate activists pressure government to consider legislation for maximum working temperature
‘Once in a generation opportunity’: UK nuclear manufacturing set to benefit from £100bn investment drive
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532433/iea-global-gas-demand-set-fall-05-cent-2026
IEA: Global gas demand set to fall 0.5 per cent in 2026
Human rights complaint filed against Belgium over PFAS
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-penalties-introduced-in-crackdown-on-water-companies
EA: New penalties introduced in crackdown on water companies
Leading Environmental Groups Set Six ‘Tests’ for Next Prime Minister
Sleep loss, spoiled food, ill health – major new survey reveals heatwave’s impact on UK households
FoE – Heatwave: As heat-related deaths rise ministers must do more to protect those most at risk
Remediating PFAS pollution in Europe could cost €100 billion a year
Painted walls are a ticking time bomb of ‘forever chemical’ pollution
Climate initiatives saving council tens of thousands
UN Human Rights Council 62: UK Explanation of Position on the draft resolution on human rights and climate change
Severn Trent spared Ofwat fine after ‘serious’ waterwaste and sewage failures
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crm0rvzw9xlo
Rail operator suspends services amid heat warning
The great carbon capture con: behold the wasted billions Burnham could claw back
https://www.thecanary.co/uk/news/2026/07/07/maximum-working-temperature
Government urged to legislate on maximum working temperature amid third heatwave
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1dy1rdv17lo
Life of Sizewell B extended by another 20 years
HERE WE GO AGAIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All lobbying should be publicly declared in transparency laws shake-up, watchdog says
https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/sizewell-b-lifetime-extension-will-bolster-britains-energy-security
GMB: Sizewell B lifetime extension will ‘bolster Britain’s energy security’
Unison: Extreme heat means summer crisis plans are needed for ambulances
Wildfires in southern Spain kill 12 amid soaring temperatures
‘I just want to know if it has caused my cancer’: life in the shadow of Lancashire Pfas factory
Climate finance: Wealthy nations accused of ‘exaggerating true value’ of support by $100bn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c36y9nzwry6o
Major incident as large island fire breaks out
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy8dz8dzegyo
‘Extreme’ London wildfire risk warning issued
‘Spermageddon’: is the world facing a male reproductive crisis?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c0mye0d1297o
Major car firms found not to have installed emissions-cheating devices
Reeves mis-sold Heathrow expansion to the cabinet, Labour MPs and the country
FBU demands Burnham takes ‘fundamental action’ to tackle effects of climate change
London Assembly backs extra protections for bus drivers amid warning over ‘unbearable’ conditions
Study: Government grants for green cooling technologies going largely unclaimed
https://beta.sepa.scot/news/2026/sepa-publish-results-from-expanded-pfas-monitoring-programme
SEPA publish results from expanded PFAS monitoring programme
Cruise ship air pollution could make viral infections worse
Long-term exposure to air pollution linked to increased risk of Parkinson’s disease
Former UN Climate Chief and UK Net Zero Minister call for new global ‘net benefit AI’ commitment
AI Energy and Water Consumption Compounds Climate and Pollution Crises: Can It Also Be Part of The Solution?
https://www.lboro.ac.uk/news-events/news/2026/july/climate-change-conference-citizen-assemblies
People are more likely to trust climate assemblies when those most affected have a bigger say, study finds
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/trump-climate-crisis-un-address-aid-b3010258.html
Revealed: How Trump’s views have forced UN agencies to change how they address the climate crisis
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-analysis-of-the-economic-opportunities-of-climate-adaptation
UK Govt: New analysis of the economic opportunities of climate adaptation
Millions of homes in London, Essex and Kent at risk of sinking as climate crisis worsens
Unite calls for a decisive reduction of ZEV mandate targets to protect automotive jobs
Emergency hospital admissions fell after introduction of London’s T-charge and Ulez, study suggests
‘Fast-track’ regulation could expose Britons to harmful chemicals, say campaigners
UK poised to water down 2030 EV sales targets after industry and union pressure
‘Deregulation dressed up as efficiency’: Government faces legal challenge over chemical rule changes
https://theecologist.org/2026/jun/15/prison-used-more-climate-genocide-activists
Prison ‘used more’ for climate, genocide activists
https://www.greenqueen.com.hk/ai-and-climate-change-un-report-chatgpt-artificial-intelligence
‘Mismeasured’: UN Warns of ‘Critical Gap’ in Estimates of AI’s Climate Change Impact
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/reform-uk-climate-net-zero-flooding-b2988750.html
Is Reform heading for its own climate crisis?
China to expand coal-to-oil, gas, and chemical conversion, raising climate concerns
‘Profound shift’: Ninety per cent of businesses expect to be largely electrified by 2035
Study: Four million construction workers needed to meet Europe’s green transition goals
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4531079/little-spare-uk-act-double-offshore-wind-workforce-2030
‘Little time to spare’: UK must act now to double offshore wind workforce by 2030
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4531103/desnz-pylons-fastest-most-cost-effective-upgrade-uk-grid
DESNZ: Pylons the ‘fastest, most cost effective’ way to upgrade UK grid
£13.3bn tax breaks for oil and gas firms could have funded 7 years of support for North Sea workers – Greenpeace
Are data centres undermining London’s climate goals?
Dutch-style zero emissions zone needed to clamp down on diesel van use in London, Mayor told
Unite: ZEV Mandate reforms huge win for car workers as government acts on Unite lobbying
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c62173jqd4wo
Delhi’s temperature showed 43.5C. Why did it feel hotter?
London Ambulance Service records busiest day in its history as extreme heat pushes 999 demand to record levels
UK minister working up plans for state-owned housing developer
‘Financial pandemic’: £1 in every £11 spent on UK public contractors goes to private equity
Greens examining how party decides policy as membership triples under Zack Polanski
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cp8l7mpmdggo
Three firefighters die battling huge wildfires on Colorado-Utah border
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn4d2vv935lo
Europe’s heatwave linked to 1,300 deaths, WHO says, as Germany hits record 41.7C
New plan unveiled for making London ‘heat ready’
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4531871/fruit-farmers-action-extreme-heat-threatens-production
Fruit farmers call for action as extreme heat threatens production
https://www.theferret.scot/spaceport-shetland-risk-tourism-fishing
A spaceport plans to dump tonnes of rocket junk into the sea north of Shetland, posing a risk to tourism and fishing
Data centre climate risks woefully underestimated
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3wyzzx68d4o
Vape battery caused 450-tonne cardboard fire
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/30/great-britain-electricity-network-90bn-pounds-2030s
Cost to rewire Great Britain’s electricity network could reach £90bn in 2030s
Global energy system reaches renewables ‘tipping point’, study claims
XR activists disrupt Britain’s largest climate science conference over its ties oil and coal projects
Lords see their share holdings in fossil fuel firms grow as energy price cap rises and bills soar
Government urged to cool cities with ‘essential climate infrastructure’ of trees and plants
Campaigners erect wind turbines outside the Department of Energy, rallying for lower bills as prices soar
Ocean surface temperatures hit a record high for June
EU-approved pesticide found to have potential effects on brain development
https://unison.org.uk/news/2026/07/patients-and-staff-risk-another-heatwave-approaches-warns-unison
Unison: Patients and staff at risk as another heatwave approaches, warns UNISON
Campaigners from Fossil Free London challenge Andy Burnham in a protest outside Parliament on North Sea drilling
Report warns climate crisis could cost London up to £15bn a year by 2050
IRENA: Renewable electricity avoided $480bn in global fossil fuel costs in 2025
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532140/royal-mail-delivers-31-cent-reduction-emissions
Royal Mail delivers 31 per cent reduction in emissions
Breast Cancer UK: Stop cooking with chemicals: New campaign urges the public to switch out their plastic utensils
UNFCCC: Record 37 countries submit first national climate progress transparency plans
Defra found in breach of environmental law over bee-killing pesticide impacts on protected nature areas
Air pollution cuts birth weight and raises preterm risk
Almost half of farm inspections uncover water pollution rule breaches
University of Manchester research supports major WHO update on global air pollution
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4532265/electric-vehicles-hit-cent-market-share-june
Electric vehicles hit 30 per cent market share in June
Event | Join Naomi Klein, Michael E. Mann, and Jim Hoggan to Celebrate DeSmog’s 20th Anniversary
https://www.theguardian.com/money/2026/jul/03/london-car-club-vehicles-zipcar-exit
London has lost ‘catastrophic’ 89% of car club vehicles since Zipcar exit
NCAS air quality modelling informs WHO update on global air pollution exposure
70 years on from the killer smog: what clean air laws teach us about power, pollution and profit
The challenge with climate action is not about the maths – it is about the politics
Making sense of climate solutions to help finance the low-carbon transition
Global Briefing: World Bank retires climate finance targets
Race starts to create blueprint for ultra-low-carbon schools
New water ‘super-regulator’ must retain specialist roles, Unison says
Green aviation: Government clears £219m Low Carbon Fuels Fund for take-off
Study: Electrification ‘critical’ to UK prosperity, jobs, and energy security
Greenpeace: Oil and gas tax breaks could have funded school and hospital solar rollout five times over
UNICEF: Nearly half of the world’s children exposed to at least three overlapping climate threats
https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9969
UK Govt: Climate change adaptation and resilience in the UK
Welsh Water to pay £44.7 million after ‘serious’ sewage failures led to a series of spills, Ofwat says
Southern Water sparks fury with ‘absolutely disgusting’ sewage dumping plans
Study: ‘Scramble’ for critical minerals could stifle climate action
FCA moves to simplify UK climate risk reporting for investment funds
‘We all have a role to play’: Major new study claims an equitable net zero transition is ‘materially possible’
Forever chemicals in Solent exceed safe limits
Study reveals rapid health impact of air pollution
Wildfires are reversing decades of progress on ozone pollution
Ian Lavery MP: Don’t let myths stop a better green future
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/jun/06/uk-weaken-ev-rules-co2-impact-phevs
UK urged not to further weaken EV rules as CO2 impact revealed
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/gmb-leader-attacks-reform-and-greens-conference-speech
GMB leader attacks Reform and Greens in conference speech
Food imports at risk as farmers face El Nino heat stress, experts find
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-01781-5
Electric vehicles cut pollution in China – and prevent 260,000 premature deaths
As climate shifts, malaria gains ground in southern Africa
Bonn climate talks a chance to sustain just transition, forest protection momentum
‘The world has changed’: Financing for low carbon industrial projects doubles
‘Severe’ stress on oceans as rate of sea level rise doubles in 10 years, UN warns
https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/feargal-sharkey-tells-gmb-congress-weve-been-cheated
GMB: Feargal Sharkey tells GMB Congress ‘we’ve been cheated’
UNISON campaigns for recognition and facility time for green reps – Time is of the essence
Super-rich’s assets cause outsized amount of climate harm, study says
‘Electrify daily life’, urges Cop31 host
More than half of clean energy schemes needed for Labour’s 2030 target offered grid connection
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c992vzv0595o
UK’s last outstanding coal mine plan rejected
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cg748xd7vpjo
Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions fall slightly as progress slows
Study: Investment in plastic recycling infrastructure promises to deliver £28bn economic boost
COP31: New global electrification, building energy efficiency, and waste targets proposed for Antalya Summit
‘Climate Chaos’: World’s top 65 banks committed over $900bn to fossil fuel firms in 2025
New campaign urges government to reduce babies’ exposure to harmful plastics
Fossil Fuel Financing Surged to $906 Billion in 2025 as Big Banks Retreat From Climate Promises
Air pollution from airports matters to local communities
World’s richest 0.01% estimated to have nearly US$1 trillion in annual climate debt – Greenpeace report
Rachel Reeves to protect ‘critical’ clean energy projects from legal challenges
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/climateevents/2146237
Climate change film @ Walthamstow Trades Hall, 1 June – free entry
Britain must think like a hot country – otherwise inequalities will only grow
https://www.pcs.org.uk/news-events/news/motion-a25-climate-nature-bill
PCS: Climate and nature bill
Plastic food and drink packaging ‘world’s most common coastal litter’
More than 40 arrests made after UK activists target ‘bee-killing’ pesticides
England must harvest rainfall and take action on water usage, Lords warn
UN backs historic climate crisis ruling, despite US attempts to stop resolution
Toxic chemicals in pet flea treatments harming wildlife, UK study warns
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy529nnw37wo
Terrorism, climate, wildfires and battery blazes – fire commissioner on LFB’s challenges
US officially moves to dismantle drinking water PFAS regulations
Give workers in carbon-intensive industries paid release to retrain, Welsh unions say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9v30r0944go
Nearly 30 illegal waste ‘super sites’ revealed in new government watchlist
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/employers-must-keep-workers-safe-heatwave-tuc-warns
Employers must keep workers safe in heatwave, TUC warns
‘Clean power is the future our public wants’: Brits back clean energy transition, regardless of concerns over visual impacts
Reports: Government to approve ambitious new climate targets
United Nations backs ‘landmark’ ICJ climate ruling
UNEP: Building and construction sector off track to meet net zero goals
Wind and solar generate more electricity than gas globally for first time
Historic UN vote translates climate ruling from world’s highest court into domestic ambition
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-watchlist-published-to-put-a-spotlight-on-waste
EA: New watchlist published to put a spotlight on waste
41 arrested for confronting pesticide giant making bee-killing chemicals
Global Briefing: Industrialised nations exceed $100bn climate finance goal for third year running
Organise now to fight oncoming climate catastrophe
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-026-07440-4
Women’s empowerment and climate resilience: global evidence
Researchers link long-term air pollution exposure to higher dementia risk
Declare climate crisis a global public health emergency, experts tell WHO
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c93x1zq5nqjo
Protesters demand action on sewage pollution
Most Scottish landfills investigated over breaching pollution permits
When climate, ecology and urbanization fuel zoonotic diseases
The Mediterranean sea is capable of generating hurricanes and climate change will make them worse
More than 100 UK datacentres plan to burn gas to generate electricity
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2026/may/17/disposable-vapes-suez-uk
Fire and ‘sheer volume’: how Britain’s 6m-vape problem is putting recycling under strain
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/17/world-cup-climate-change
‘Green card for the planet’? Fifa’s World Cup is on pace to be a climate catastrophe
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-interactive/2026/may/17/america-china-energy-oil-renewables
The American epoch of oil is collapsing. What comes next could be ugly
Ministers to tighten legal checks for waste handlers after cow received licence
Climate Event | Off the Record: How to Talk to Journalists, Lawyers, and Activist Organizations
Air pollution linked to higher risk of two forms of dementia
UK Business Climate Hub relaunches following fresh government funding
https://www.actionforcleanair.org.uk/campaigns/clean-air-day/cad-comms
Clean Air Day – 18 June 2026
Just one hour of exposure to everyday air pollution can affect lung and brain function
Health risks from climate change spur stronger public support for action, research finds
WHO launches the “Climate and Health Co-benefits Challenge” showcasing climate interventions saving lives
Mayor invests £4.6 million to boost London’s green and blue spaces and build a more climate resilient city
High levels of toxic ‘forever chemicals’ found off coast of southern England
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjrp19v9vl2o
Rise in solar panel sales as people ‘want to save money’
https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/predicted-price-cap-rise-shows-folly-of-relying-on-overseas-energy
GMB: Predicted price cap rise shows folly of relying on overseas energy
UK ‘built for climate that no longer exists’ and needs urgent changes to survive global heating, report warns
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cddp3l84q9no
Why batteries in our bins are a burning issue
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2p1j4y0kro
UK should set maximum working temperature rules, advisers say
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2p09yrnq7o
‘Mass negligence’ not to prepare for more deadly heat and flooding
‘We are not powerless’: CCC urges government to ‘step up and protect’ UK way of life from worsening climate impacts
BloombergNEF: Energy security now ‘driving force’ behind accelerating clean energy boom
Study: Moorland burning exposing millions of people to unsafe air pollution
CBI calls for new generation of public-private partnerships to ramp up infrastructure investment
Government urged to ‘set clearer objectives’ for green transport innovation
Study: Mandatory phase out of diesel trucks would cut freight costs and inflation
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-reforms-to-stop-waste-criminals-from-exploiting-loopholes
EA: New reforms to stop waste criminals from exploiting loopholes
The police force protecting our nuclear sites keeps losing classified stuff
Activists blockade pesticide giant making bee-killing chemical used on UK fields
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/media/last-forecast-ahead-july-energy-price-cap-published
FoE: Last forecast ahead of July energy price cap published
Fish can pass Pfas safety limits one chemical at a time, but cocktail effects reveal a bigger unseen risk – new study
https://www.sas.org.uk/updates/thousands-join-paddle-out-protests-2026
Thousands Paddle Out to Demand an End to Sewage Pollution
ASCL comment on risks to schools posed by climate change
Unison: Regulating workplace temperatures and adapting for climate change is long overdue
British farms face ‘unviable’ future as climate extremes intensify
https://www.edie.net/government-failing-to-prepare-uk-for-climate-impacts-ccc-warns
Government failing to prepare UK for climate impacts, CCC warns
‘A stark warning that the UK remains dangerously underprepared’: Reaction to the CCC’s climate adaptation report
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/may/11/uk-firefighters-lithium-ion-battery-fires-ebikes
UK firefighters called to one lithium-ion battery fire every five hours
https://www.theferret.scot/landowners-making-millions-wind-farms-scotland
Wealthy landowners are making millions from Scottish wind farms. You’re subsidising them
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/may/11/pfas-seabird-eggs-forever-chemicals
Sharp drop in ‘forever chemicals’ in seabird eggs hailed as win for regulation
https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/british-steel-nationalised-in-decisive-intervention
GMB: British Steel nationalised in ‘decisive’ intervention
https://www.gmb.org.uk/news/doncaster-airport-saved-after-union-campaign
GMB: Doncaster airport saved after union campaign
Seven-day weeks and ‘debt bondage’: China’s first electric car plant in Europe mired in allegations of worker abuse
Three-quarters of UK pension schemes have set a net zero target
Calls for a Clean Air Act as rural pollution rivals that in cities
Scientists warn El Niño could intensify climate extremes in 2026
What your local council can actually do to tackle the climate crisis
Internal displacements caused by violence or conflict at record high in 2025
Labour must fulfil promise to introduce clean air act, charities urge
Unions demand government acts on public interest and rejects Rosebank
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/13/datacentres-electricity-consumption-uk-us-ai
Datacentres using 6% of electricity supply in UK and US, research says
Typical English roast dinner potentially ‘drenched’ in 102 pesticides, says report
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4529679/study-uk-placed-world-leader-climate-adaptation-tech
Study: UK ‘well-placed’ to become a world leader in climate adaptation tech
Study: Offshore wind generation in 2025 able to power 15.5 million homes
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/latest/kings-speech-govt-must-ban-all-types-fracking
King’s Speech: govt must ban all types of fracking
https://www.cambrian-news.co.uk/news/surfers-to-hold-aberystwyth-protest-over-pollution-906794
Surfers to hold Aberystwyth protest over pollution
https://www.railfreight.com/railfreight/2026/05/14/uk-freight-climate-tool-targets-safety-risks
UK freight climate tool targets safety risks
Why do we keep building on land at risk of flooding?
UN members prepare for pivotal vote on landmark ICJ climate justice ruling
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/plaid-cymru-urged-act-2040-net-zero-commitment
Plaid Cymru urged to act on 2040 net zero commitment
Surfers to ‘paddle out’ across Britain in protest over failing water sector
Wood burning is reintroducing lead pollution into the air, US scientists find
‘Just the beginning’: Number of wind turbines installed rose 23 per cent in 2025
Watchdog calls for ‘significant improvement’ in waste site inspections
Floods and finance: why climate change will become a more pressing economic problem for UK households
Analysis: UK no longer top UN Green Climate Fund donor after latest aid cut
https://www.edie.net/uk-halves-green-climate-fund-pledge-as-aid-cuts-deepen
UK halves Green Climate Fund pledge as aid cuts deepen
ECOSOCIALISM CONFERENCE 2026 – KILL CAPITALISM BEFORE IT KILLS US 🌱‼️
📅 30 May 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
📍 London South Bank University (in person) + Online (Zoom)
TIMETABLE https://www.ecosocialism-conference.org/ecosocialism-conference-2026-timetable/
PDF here: https://climate.copernicus.eu/…/ESOTC-2025-report.pdf
The European State of the Climate report is out (link above). It should shock everyone – Europe the continent heating the fastest, the ice melt and sea warming threatening future water security and the “Gulf Stream” (AMOC).
Use of toxic Pfas in consumer goods must be urgently restricted, MPs say
https://www.theguardian.com/the-grid/2026/mar/23/the-benefits-of-net-zero-beyond-climate-change
The net benefits of net zero: why there’s more to renewables than tackling the climate crisis
https://www.theguardian.com/the-grid/2026/mar/30/how-a-greener-electricity-grid-works
The grid unlocked: how does a greener power network actually work?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/23/republicans-big-oil-climate-lawsuits
Republican lawmakers attempt to shield big oil from climate lawsuits in ‘alarming’ bills
BP board suffers triple climate rebellion from shareholders
‘Urgent action’ on North Sea decommissioning could create up to 25,000 jobs and a £15 billion economic boost, think tank says
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4528695/solar-record-pushes-gas-generation-low
Latest solar record pushes gas generation to all-time low
https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4528691/study-tons-plastic-particles-transfer-packaging-food
Study: 1,000 tons of plastic particles transfer from packaging into food every year
EAC: Phase out ‘forever chemicals’ in cookware and school uniforms, MPs urge in warning on PFAS pollution
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/24/toxic-chemicals-eu-delays-pollution-report
Largest-ever ban on toxic chemicals in EU hit by ‘extremely frustrating’ delays
Criminalisation of climate protesters in UK is counterproductive, research finds
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/apr/26/toxic-exposure-climate-crisis-study
Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds
Government underestimated climate impact of data centres by a hundredfold, research reveals
Energy firms posted over £23.1 billion in profit so far this year
Renewable energy will boost national security and protect UK from sabotage, minister says
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cqxl5rjw58po
UK’s biggest ever environmental pollution claim reaches High Court
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cly7yvr8g97o
Series of wildfires across Scotland during ‘extreme’ alert
‘Hitting records left, right and centre’: Gas generation hits record low 1.2 per cent share of the grid
Europe’s bold chemical safety drive is on ice – study
Does this week’s historic climate summit signal the end of Cop?
https://theecologist.org/2026/apr/27/ofcom-investing-climate-denial
Ofcom ‘investing climate denial’
Caroline Lucas: No10 ignored MI5 and MI6 warnings on climate change
https://www.etuc.org/en/pressrelease/unions-call-eu-heat-law-workers-memorial-day
Unions call for EU heat law on workers’ memorial day
PCS – Environmental pressures in Eastern England: sewage, erosion, and a region under strain
Unite: Stormont Executive must put protections for workers during extreme weather events in law
Asbestos in Scottish wind turbines
Clean energy switch must not be excuse to plunder Indigenous lands, say leaders
Industrial chicken producer hits out over Wye and Usk river pollution claim
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/28/trump-clean-energy-progress
Trump’s attempt to crush clean energy progress not going to plan, experts say
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/bp-posts-ps24bn-profit-human-misery-three-months
BP posts £2.4bn profit from ‘human misery’ in three months
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/plaid-and-reform-battle-over-net-zero-wales
Plaid and Reform battle over Net Zero for Wales
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwy24q09180o
Southern Water illegally dumped sewage after £90m fine
Monbiot: Guardian 29.4.26: The AMOC, colloquially known as the Gulf Stream, could shut down by the middle of this century according to new research. “The net impact in northern Europe would be periods of extreme cold – including events in which temperatures in London fall to -19C, in Edinburgh to -30C and in Oslo to -48C. Sea ice in February would extend as far as Lincolnshire. Our climate would change drastically, with the likelihood of far greater extremes, such as massive winter storms. Rain-fed arable agriculture would become impossible almost everywhere in the UK.”
Burning wood for power worse for climate than gas equivalent, report finds
Woman who won legal case over greenhouse emissions awarded top environmental prize
Environmental activists hold demonstration at one of Trump’s golf courses in Scotland
Spain: USO 28 april resources show climate change is a workplace risk
Report: Electricity has ‘firmly entered the era of clean growth’
IEA: Global emissions almost flat as clean tech boom eats into fossil fuel demand
Gas generation falls as wind farms set new quarterly generation record
https://www.theferret.scot/claim-scotland-is-ahead-of-uk-in-emissions-reductions-is-true/
Claim Scotland is ahead of UK in emissions reductions is True
Greenpeace build wind farm on Trump’s Golf Course
Long-term exposure to air pollution (PM2.5) raises risk of developing cancer by 11 % and of dying from cancer by 12 %
MPs urge UK and Welsh Governments to act on industrial pollution legacy
https://wmo.int/media/update/global-seasonal-climate-update-may-june-july-2026
WMO: Global Seasonal Climate Update for May-June-July 2026
Young Africans will inherit a climate crisis: how kids in Sierra Leone are getting ready
Not all icebergs are equal – and that matters for the climate, new study finds
Unite demands action to back green bus manufacturing at Alexander Dennis
Directionless governments costing hundreds of green jobs, says STUC
STUC backs continued oil and gas extraction and public ownership of energy
‘This must be a wake-up call’: Brussels pushes for faster clean power drive
‘National crisis’: More than 13 billion pieces of fruit and veg packaging thrown away or burned annually
Study: Hybrid working can slash work-related CO2 by up to 90 per cent
UK ranked worst in Europe for propping up secretive ‘corporate court’ system, new research reveals
Britain’s Solar Revolution Is Here and We Should Be Shouting It From the Rooftops
https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/government-accelerate-clean-energy-drive
FoE: Government to accelerate clean energy drive
Four people arrested over suspected £44m UK home insulation scam
Global push for reuse stalls as fragmented policies holds back progress of tackling plastic pollution, new reports finds
Frome councillor jailed for climate protest shares experience
Campaigners hit back at Blair think tank that says Labour should back Jackdaw gas and Rosebank oil field
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/apr/11/homes-great-britain-green-energy-fuel-prices
Record number of homes in Great Britain turn to green energy as fuel prices soar
Rolls Royce signs small nuclear plants contract
Top Reform UK boss defends £48k-a-year climate resilience officer role
NUJ alarmed at sinister comments by media minister on coverage of oil protests
Nearly 100 criminal investigations launched into water firms last year
MPs and campaigners condemn government plans to ban repeat protests
Hungary election promises renewable energy investment and foreign factory crackdowns
Surrounded by windfarms but out of work: the reality of the green jobs boom on England’s east coast
UK households to be urged to use more power this summer as renewables soar
Households could get free electricity for doing washing on sunny weekends
Unison: The climate emergency is a health emergency
Ammonia pollution hotspots found in areas of UK with most pig and poultry factory farms
Drax claimed record £999m in subsidies for burning trees in 2025, thinktank says
NUJ joins anti-SLAPP day of action
Defra to push ahead with reforms to environmental permitting rules
Study: North Sea extraction would cost up to £80bn more than net zero pathway
BSI and ISO unveil updated ‘world leading standard’ for environmental management
Just in case you don’t get this, I’m/we’re very against the private sector (ISO, BSI etc) setting standards as that is the job of government and their agencies with the involvement of unions and the public. ISO, BSI do not involve unions (and campaigners) in any meaningful way when coming to the standards they set, which are often no-where near what we would want and we have no influence over in the planning or application. The published standards are incredibly expensive and cost more than any safety rep can afford. However, the report is newsworthy so…….. (and no, the author of the piece is definitely not me).
M
‘The Paris Agreement is working’: Host Türkiye calls for ‘concrete results’ from COP31 Climate Summit
‘Green cliffs of Dover’: Port of Dover becomes first UK port to reach net zero emissions
Sepa gave 400 Scottish lochs ‘good’ environmental status but only checked 54 of them
Russian attacks raise nuclear risks from Chornobyl plant, Greenpeace report warns
FoE: Local environmental threats revealed ahead of council elections
New map exposes ammonia pollution hotspots from factory farms
Poll: Almost half of UK firms view climate scepticism as a financial and economic threat
A key solution to climate change isn’t happening – and that’s good
One of humanity’s greatest climate achievements is at risk
Air pollution making people in UK get long-term illnesses earlier, study finds
Colombia convenes climate ‘coalition of the willing’ to break global fossil fuel deadlock
‘Another barrier to EV adoption just fell’: New data shows average EV now cheaper than petrol models
IEA: Electricity use from AI data centres surged 50 per cent in 2025
Why cheap power could matter more than clean power in the push for net zero
Why air pollution could speed up the onset of dementia and Parkinson’s
New inquiry: MPs explore Treasury’s role in environment and climate policy
UK looks to relax planning rules for factory farms after industry lobbying
Wind and solar power delivered record share of UK electricity in 2025
Study: Plummeting clean tech costs mean ‘the old trade-off between climate and development is over’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy91xqxn2jdo
Fewer heat-related deaths in 2025 despite warmest summer
As Iran war exposes global dependence on fossil fuels, the biggest emitters are reaping the rewards
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/mexico-us-toxic-waste-un-special-rapporteur
US is ‘using Mexico as a garbage sink’ leading to ‘toxic crisis’, UN expert says
Scientists urge world to breathe new life into air pollution flight
Reducing vulnerability is key to reducing air pollution deaths
https://www.politico.eu/article/energy-giant-drax-pulls-out-of-uk-climate-plan/
Energy giant Drax pulls out of UK climate plan
How women leaders are challenging conventional approaches to corporate climate action
UK opening new oil and gas fields would imperil global climate goals, experts say
World held hostage by reliance on fossil fuels, Christiana Figueres warns – and climate health impacts are ‘mother of all injustices’
‘Non-survivable’: heatwaves are already breaching human limits, with worse to come, study finds
New oil and gas drilling could send global ‘shock wave,’ experts warn
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd0r4mxevdvo
Government approves UK’s largest solar farm
Campaigners demand action to break UK’s ‘addiction’ to herbicides
£85m funding boost announced for green energy firm
Agratas gigafactory project secures £380m in UK government funding
‘Basking in a solar surge’: UK smashes solar generation record two days in a row
Faster approvals for clean energy projects (incl nuclear) to protect families from rising bills
International conference on ‘Resisting Big Tech’ to take place in London this April
FoE: Communities still face fracking threat – despite govt pledge to ban it for good
Ministers urged to end fracking ‘loophole’ ahead of Yorkshire planning decision
High prenatal PFAS exposure linked to increased childhood asthma risk
Air pollution from data centres poses growing public health threat
Air pollution may be spreading antibiotic resistance
https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/26006466.brighton-screening-climate-film-sells-quickly/
Brighton screening of climate film sells out quickly
https://www.newsandstar.co.uk/news/26003194.ten-millionth-tree-nationwide-scheme-planted-carlisle/
Ten millionth tree in nationwide scheme planted in Carlisle
https://www.businessgreen.com/opinion/4528078/2025-climate-retreat-tells-different-story
Was 2025 really the year of climate retreat? The data tells a different story
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stop the far right climate deniers – Saturday 26 October
Tell the government we can’t build a green economy on fossil gas
climate scientists are calling on Labour to pause £1bn plans for carbon capture.
Recommendations for the government’s Warm Homes retrofit strategy
California sues ExxonMobil over alleged role in plastic pollution crisis
FoE – Labour Conference: Ed Miliband and Steve Reed speeches
Earth may have breached seven of nine planetary boundaries, health check shows
Hundreds of watchdog job cuts ‘put nature at risk’
Labour appoints Rachel Kyte to climate envoy role axed by Sunak
Corporations and lobbyists at Labour conference shred its already floundering climate credentials
Europe’s deadly floods are glimpse of future climate
Plans to recycle old tyres spark pollution worries
Oil pollution in UK waters far worse than reported, says conservation group
Over 100 artists and art historians call on judge not to jail Van Gogh activists
Theresa May denounces Trump, Farage and Le Pen over climate change ‘hoax’ claims
Extinction Rebellion activists on trial after targeting pipeline engineer’s offices
Climate scientists call on Labour to pause £1bn plans for carbon capture
Qatar 2022: ‘How the Greenest World Cup Ever was the Dirtiest in History’
FoE: Celebrating the end of coal-fired power stations
Labour’s new “Climate Envoy” Rachel Kate linked with £4m mega-donor
Big Oil’s Lobbying Footprint on EU Policy
Climate Change Challenges hinder achievement of goals, says COP29 President
EU raises the alarm over growing humanitarian needs due to conflict and climate emergencies
A pivotal moment for the world, and the TUC
Why Just Stop Oil’s long jail sentences could embolden some activists
‘Don’t invoke Miners’ Strike to defend fossil fuels’—former miners tell union leaders
The richest 10 percent of the world’s population consume as much energy as the poorest 80 percent
TUC narrowly vote in favour of controversial oil and gas motion
TUC Congress opposes government ban on North Sea drilling licences
Inside the Anti-Climate Culture War Led by Jordan Peterson and Project 2025
Rich countries silencing climate protest while preaching about rights elsewhere, says study
Almost 200 people killed last year trying to defend the environment, report finds
At least 2,106 land and environmental defenders killed worldwide since 2012, says new report
G20 countries turning backs on fossil fuel pledge, say campaigners
Rise in corporate climate targets continues, but credibility concerns persist
UK farming’s ‘net zero’ climate target in doubt
UNISON joins campaign to move away from fossil fuels
TUC passes motion calling for ‘heat strike’ above 36 degrees
‘Chronic threat’ of PFAS firefighting foams raised in 2003 secret UK report
Labour’s net zero quest will cost jobs, unions fear
Consumerism and the climate crisis threaten equitable future for humanity, report says
Beware the great green deception: ‘perceptionware’ is being used to hoodwink us
Climate experts lament Harris’s vow to keep fracking in debate with ‘walking oil spill’ Trump
Low-carbon homes can save £1,341 in bills and should be compulsory, study shows
Port Talbot mass sackings are ‘failure of environmental policy’, GMB leader tells TUC Congress
Watch Toxic Influence, the film exposing the dark side of Dove
International trade “too important to ignore”, campaigners say following UN critical minerals report
Workers’ Union annual conference to aim the spotlight on climate action
Vienna binds its 2040 climate neutrality goal to a law
The final COP28 Agreement goes nowhere
Major UN report on climate change and migratory species published
Cop28 is a farce rigged to fail, but there are other ways we can try to save the planet
Climate activists outnumbered by fossil fuel execs at Cop28 as space for protest shrinks
Failure to agree fossil fuel phase-out at Cop28 ‘will push world into climate breakdown’
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-66105901
Memo reveals pressure on climate finance pledge
https://www.independent.co.uk/climate-change/news/rishi-sunak-climate-finance-pledge-b2369536.html
UK government denies Sunak is set to break flagship £11.6bn climate pledge
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/friends-earth-cymru-demand-mining-stop
Friends of the Earth Cymru demand stop to unlawful mining
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66106162
Fukushima: Anxiety and anger over Japan’s nuclear waste water plan
Oil lobbyists spend millions to stall California’s game-changing climate bill
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jul/05/double-agent-fossil-fuel-lobbyists
‘Double agents’: how US cities, tech firms and universities use fossil fuel lobbyists
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66110337
Conservative warns of climate change ‘vacuum and silence’
https://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/article/b/xr-pink-boat-sails-wales-bring-mining-operation-halt
XR pink boat sails to Wales to bring mining operation to a halt
Spycops infiltration of Scots anti-nuclear groups unjustified, says inquiry
https://sheffnews.com/news/public-health-leads-warn-no-air-pollution-limit-is-a-safe-limit
Public Health leads warn no air pollution limit is a safe limit
Time to worry about car tyre pollution, Chris Whitty tells MPs
EU sets out first-ever soil law to protect food security and slow global heating
World’s 722 biggest companies ‘making $1tn in windfall profits’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jul/05/china-mineral-mining-green-energy
China accused of scores of abuses linked to ‘green mineral’ mining
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66108553
Oil giant Shell warns cutting production ‘dangerous’
Alarm at Shetland spaceport climate pollution
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/survey-suggests-almost-a-fifth-of-all-waste-is-illegally-managed
EA: Survey suggests almost a fifth of all waste is illegally managed
Boycott the COP28. THURSDAY 25th MAY, 7pm.
Based on Naomi Klein’s proposal to Boycott COP28 – Let’s try Something New builds an alternative to the domination of the fossil-fuel lobby. Followed by conversations, aiming to find some participation towards creating our own local people’s summit. Read Klein on EcoFascism and the Green New Deal here.
More than 500 people marched through Plymouth on 12th November as part of hundreds of protests across the world demanding climate justice from the COP27 talks in Egypt. The march was followed by Plymouth People’s Climate Assembly where more than 70 people discussed and planned the actions needed to force Governments and Corporations to stop global heating emissions and protect people and the ecology. (Thanks to Greenbeanz Photography – our chosen archivers)
Check our constantly updated climate news: https://www.campaigncc.org/headlines_from_a_warming_world
More than 1,000 people marched through Plymouth City Centre on Saturday 6th November 2021 as part of an international day of protest to the COP26 United Nations Climate Talks in Glasgow. Delegations from Plymouth’s Climate Movement marched in Glasgow at the same time.
In Plymouth, the march was still turning the corner at Frankfurt Gate as people were assembling outside the Drake’s Circus Shopping Mall at the very top of Cornwall Street (3/4 of a mile long). The biggest, loudest and most vibrant environmental protest that the City has ever seen.
Street Theatre from Extinction Rebellion and the Red & Green Spirits accompanied the march, which had banners from Surfers Against Sewage, Transition Plymouth, Rebel Botanists, Plymouth Climate Action, Campaign against Climate Change, Plymouth Climate Council, Extinction Rebellion, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Tavistock Peace Group, Plymouth Stop the War Coalition, Totnes XR, Campaign for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill, (CEE) and many others.
Trade unions including Public & Commercial Services Union (PCS – Civil Service), University & College Union (UCU – College staffs), Rail & Maritime Trades Union (Rail, Bus and Water transport workers), UNISON (Health, Social Care and Local Government workers), National Education Union (teachers and allied staff), Unite (manufacturing and general workers) and the Plymouth Trades Union Council (TUC), and political parties including The Green Party, Socialist Workers Party, Counterfire, Liberal Party, the Socialist Party and Plymouth Socialist Alliance.
Thanks to Miranda & Jerry Crowley; Greenbeanz Photography; Jackie Hilton, Tony Staunton for photos.
At the end of the march, we held a 2-hour Rally and People’s Assembly where more than 160 people stayed to discuss “The Future” in smaller groups, feeding back democratic plans for systemic change to end carbon emissions in transport, housing, food & agriculture, manufacturing consumption, and for a Just Transition away from the fossil economy at home and across the globe.
The outcomes, proposals and plans from the People’s Assembly will be used to plan and organise future events by the Plymouth Hub4Climate. Please Join Us for grassroots democracy in action, building power for climate justice from the bottom-up!
- What do we want? Climate Justice!
When do We Want It? Now!!!
- No More Coal, No More Oil! Keep the Carbon in the Soil!!!
- COP26 – Whaddya Say?
- How Much Hot Air have you Blown Today?
- World Leaders? Come Off it!
- All They Care About is Profit!
- Blah Blah Blah – Can’t You See
- There really is No Planet B!
- Ten Million Climate Jobs We Need
- To Save the World from Lies and Greed!
- We, The People, Are Unstoppable
- With Us Another World is Possible!
- Deadly Heat Waves, Rising Seas, Lead to Climate Refugees
- Corporations hear us Say, Cut Emissions right away!
- SHOW SOME URGENCY!
- IT’S A CLIMATE EMERGENCY!!!
- World Leaders Hear Us Say
- Save the Planet or
- GET OUT OF THE WAY!!!
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- All Creatures Great and Small
- Unfortunately Capital
- Is Going to Kill Us All.
- World Leaders – Get on your Bike
- This is what Democracy Looks Like!
Letter to the Plymouth Herald, published Monday 8th November 2021
It is no good pretending. The international climate conference in Glasgow, shorthanded to COP26, is not going to do what’s needed.Despite the politicians from poorer countries imploring the rich and powerful West to help them, despite Sir David Attenborough and the Princes Charles and William taking a stand, and despite the Big Celebrities of Hollywood and Bollywood sharing their statements, for the Capitalist Class it’s “Business as Usual. And still, when 99% of scientists say we are experiencing (not predicted but happening) climate catastrophe on land and in the oceans, press and politicians join forces to fuel the sceptics and poo poo the science.
Many polls show that the majority of people are very worried about Climate Change. The “Greenwash” of lies, misinformation and false-assurances is designed to placate us, but, however powerful they think they are, we’re not fooled. The day-to-day experience of Climate Change for the working classes of the so-called wealthy West are set for endless crisis. The empty supermarket shelves, transport disruption and fuel-price hikes of the last couple of months are nothing compared with the damage set to be experienced because of global heating.
The impact of global heating is going to raise sea levels, disrupt the seasons and therefore all food production, and induce extreme weather events from flash floods to wrecking winds and high tides. Transport disruption will force sudden lay-offs, without pay, of millions of workers at a time as the last-minute production and storage strategies of our industries collapse. Energy outages – meaning power cuts – are predicted by the power companies for the very near future. The addition of fuel poverty will make winter heating too expensive for 10-15 million of us within the next 5-years, increasing the already outrageous numbers dying of hypothermia each winter in our country. The floods to our houses, where one-in-five of us live on flood plains, will cause continuous suffering and financial ruin. The rest of us live in some of the worst housing in Europe, with poor insulation and unhealthy damp requiring costly repair and renovation.
But don’t worry, the insurance companies, mortgage companies and financial institutions have already protected themselves against all liabilities – just look at the cladding scandal after the horror of the Grenfell Tower fire. The Great and the Good implore us to make the changes needed, but what power have we? The scientists focus upon emissions reductions – 8% each year globally from now on if we are to avoid climate collapse. However much recycling an individual can achieve has little or no impact given the amount of global heating emissions spewing from factories and offices. The oil and gas companies aren’t going to vote themselves out-of-business.
Just 100 Corporations are responsible for over 80% of all emissions. Many of those are military – arms manufacturing being the most climate damaging single industry of them all. Whatever we do in our personal and family lives, it is Big Business that has to be changed if we are to slow down and stop the catastrophe. We need a national as well as international governmental body to lay down laws upon the Big Polluters. We need to regulate the emissions towards Zero, not the Greenwashed “Net-Zero”, by 2035 not 2050/60/70/sometime never.
And for there to be any chance of any of that happening, we have to seize back control. Workers must demand an equal voice over what is produced, why, and how its produced to protect and rebuild the environment and climate. Communities have to take back control from the petit-corruption of ego-centric politicians. The People (we’re overwhelmingly wage-slaves) have to claim back democracy, real democracy, from the Political Class and their fat cat financiers.
The starting point for all this is Protest. 1,000 of us marched through Plymouth City Centre on Saturday and met together at a People’s Assembly to take charge of the Future.We have to join together and protest. We have call-out and call upon the business and political leaders to make the changes needed for us all to survive, or get out of our way! We may all have our preferred solution but together we know, we have to protest to survive.
For me, its System Change not Climate Change. For that we’ll need a revolution!
Tony Staunton
Secretary, Plymouth Climate Council
Plymouth Climate Hub 
