Tuesday, July 22, 2025
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£15m woodland creation grant opens for applications

The Forestry Commission has opened a new tree planting grant scheme, the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO), for applications. With £15.9 million available in its first year, the scheme is set to provide greater financial incentives for landowners and farmers to plant and manage trees. Forestry Commission Chair, Sir William Worsley, commented: "This exciting new grant offer is flexible to allow...

Halogen bulb ban announced

The government has announced plans to end the sale of halogen light bulbs from this September. Legislation being brought forward this month will also include the removal of fluorescent lights from shelves from September 2023. Energy Minister, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, commented on the announcement: "We’re phasing out old inefficient halogen bulbs for good, so we can move more quickly to longer lasting...

New independent group to help tackle ‘greenwashing’

A new expert group whose work is set to support investors, consumers and businesses to make green financial decisions has been announced. The Green Technical Advisory Group (GTAG) will oversee the Government’s delivery of a “Green Taxonomy” – a common framework setting the bar for investments that can be defined as environmentally sustainable. Chaired by the Green Finance Institute, GTAG will...

‘Retrofit revolution’ declared for London

The Mayor of London has declared a ‘retrofit revolution’ in the capital, announcing a new package of measures that seek to make buildings more energy efficient and tackle the climate emergency. London’s homes and workplaces are reported to be responsible for 78 per cent of the capital’s carbon emissions and virtually all will need some level of retrofitting over this...

Scotland announces peatland restoration funding

Projects to restore Scotland’s peatlands will get a share of £22 million this year to significantly reduce carbon emissions and support biodiversity as part of the government’s climate change plan. Degraded peatlands emit more carbon than they remove, becoming a net source of greenhouse gases. Restoring peatlands will help remove and store carbon from the atmosphere, support habitats and species, improve...

New measures require businesses to commit to net zero by 2050 to win major government contracts

By September, prospective suppliers bidding for government contracts above £5m a year must have committed to the 2050 net zero target and published a carbon reduction plan, while firms that fail to do so will be excluded from bidding. Announced on World Environment Day, the new measures make the UK government the first in the world to put this requirement...

People and businesses urged to have their say on Decarbonisation Strategy for North of England

A Decarbonisation Strategy for the North of England, which sets out a near-zero carbon emissions target from surface transport by 2045, has been launched for consultation. Developed by Transport for the North (TfN), the Draft Decarbonisation Strategy is reported to be the first regional strategy of this type to have been produced. It highlights the ambitions of the North of England...

Northern Ireland consults on carrier bag levy

Northern Ireland has launched a consultation on their Carrier Bag Levy, which applies to all bags. The current legislation was introduced in 2013 and is reported to have been effective in reducing the use of carrier bags across Northern Ireland by 73.2%, when compared to the baseline figure of 300 million bags in 2012. According to the Department of Agriculture, Environment...

New campaign encourages small businesses to pledge to reach net zero by 2050 or sooner

Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng have called on every small business in the UK to take small, practical steps to cut their emissions as part of the UK’s journey to net zero by 2050, in the run up to UN Climate Summit COP26 in Glasgow this November. The Together for our Planet ‘Business Climate...

New ‘Let’s do Net Zero’-campaign launched in Scotland ahead of COP26

A major TV, radio and digital campaign highlighting the benefits a net zero society has been launched in Scotland ahead of COP26. The Let’s do Net Zero-campaign aims to raise greater awareness of the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss, and the transformation that is required across all corners of economy and society to end Scotland’s contribution to...