20 actions parish and town councils can take on the climate and nature emergency
Mike Childs24 Jun 2021
Parish and town councils may not be as powerful as local authorities but they can be a force for change in addressing the climate and nature emergency.
Are England’s new plans for trees and peat fit for purpose?
Paul de Zylva20 May 2021
Like proverbial double decker buses, two major action plans have arrived at the same time. The government’s Peat and Trees Action Plans were expected, but are they worth the wait? Paul de Zylva picks the high, the lows, and points to what comes next.
Why the government is wrong to ever allow banned neonics on our fields
Sandra Bell25 Mar 2021
Documents revealed by Freedom of Information rules show that when the government gave temporary approval to lift the ban on bee-harming chemicals it went against the recommendation of its own advisors.
An emergency plan on green jobs for young people
01 Mar 20211.36 MB PDF file
There are over 500,000 young people aged 16-24 out of work, and numbers are expected to grow substantially with the end of the furlough scheme. This is a youth unemployment emergency. Friends of the Earth commissioned consultancy Transition Economics to identify how to create green jobs quickly, with a focus on green apprenticeships, and to identify the scale of funding needed. And to put the level of funding into context, we also asked them to estimate the economic scarring impact from periods of unemployment. Read the report.
Faster, deeper and fairer carbon pollution cuts needed
Mike Childs27 Jan 2021
Faster, deeper and fairer cuts to carbon emissions than those recommended by the Climate Change Committee are possible and necessary.
Friends of the Earth's response to changes in the current planning system
Kate Gordon, Senior Planner12 Nov 2020
The government is proposing changes to the current planning system. Our response outlines our concerns that these will make it harder for local authorities to take account of sustainable development and climate change in planning decisions, remove local democratic oversight and reduce fairness and transparency.
Planning for the future - Friends of the Earth response to the White Paper
Naomi Luhde-Thompson, Kate Gordon12 Nov 2020
The government recently consulted on its proposed radical reforms to the planning system. We outlined our concerns that these will diminish local accountability, erode local democracy by curtailing the right of communities to influence planning and development in their area and fail to tackle the urgent climate and ecological emergencies.
Missing in action: natural climate solutions in England's national parks
Danny Gross29 Sep 2020
This report uncovers the untapped potential of natural climate solutions in England’s national parks, and explores how the government and National Park Authorities can better support woodland creation and ecosystem restoration in these treasured landscapes.
England's green space gap
Paul de Zylva, Chris Gordon-Smith, Mike Childs15 Sep 2020
This report exposes how widespread green space deprivation is, how it is an issue of racial injustice as well as concern from a public health perspective, and what needs to be done to fix the problem. It also showcases great examples of community led initiatives.
England's Green Space Gap, full report
Paul de Zylva, Chris Gordon-Smith, Mike Childs13 Sep 20201.85 MB PDF file
The full report of England's Green Space Gap including more detail, more data, and more references.
How can government help English councils act on climate breakdown?
Sandra Bell28 Aug 2020
Local authorities can take some action on climate change but they could do so much more if the government empowered and enabled them.
Nine principles for using our land wisely at a time of climate and nature crises
Sandra Bell01 May 2020
How we use our land sometimes seems like a 1000-piece jigsaw where we need to put the right pieces in the right places - to cut climate emissions and boost nature. It’s particularly tricky because there’s more than one correct way to complete it. In this article I propose 9 principles that fit with Friends of the Earth’s approach to tackling the climate and nature crises here and overseas – a guide to completing the jigsaw.
The impact of coronavirus on the planning system
Kate Gordon24 Apr 2020
COVID-19 is causing widespread disruption to the UK planning system, which is there to ensure that the development and use of land is in the public interest. How can the right of the public to hold local decision-makers to account (and scrutinise plans for development) be protected during these difficult times?
The role of hydrogen in our low-carbon transition
Mike Childs21 Apr 2020
Hydrogen fuel has long been hailed as the silver bullet that will free us from fossil fuels, but it's time for a reality check on its production and use in a low-carbon economy .
Ending plastic pollution – briefing
19 Mar 2020
Friends of the Earth's briefing on how to end plastic pollution.