Privatising the planning system - just for the few?
Naomi Luhde-Thompson, Senior Planner14 Jan 2021
Why proposed planning reforms are socially unjust and bad for climate change.
Climate emergency - how do local authorities get people out of their cars?
Mike Childs07 Jan 2021
Why making the right decisions about car use now can help local authorities on the pathway to net zero.
Why council action on climate is vital
Sandra Bell08 Dec 2020
Sandra Bell explains why local council action is vital to achieving a green recovery and net zero, and why the government must give them greater support as recommended by the Climate Change Committee.
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.
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.
Policies for green and fair recovery plans across the UK
14 Jul 2020
Right now, there's an unprecedented breadth of people, organisations, and businesses calling for COVID-19 recovery plans to be green and fair. We spell out the policy changes needed to deliver on this aspiration.
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 EU-UK future trade relationship: our position
23 Apr 2020
Friends of the Earth sets out a broad vision of how the future EU-UK relationship can best serve our environment and society.
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 .
Post Brexit - the UK at the crossroads
Kierra Box, Trade Campaigner06 Mar 2020
The UK has left the European Union. Will the government make the right decisions to protect the environment?
Budget exacerbates climate breakdown
Mike Childs06 Mar 2020
We set ten tests for the Budget - just how well did the new Chancellor do?
Climate emergency – system change v lifestyle change
Clare Oxborrow02 Mar 2020
Based on recent research we argue that changing behaviour has an important role to play in transforming politics to save the planet.
Climate change – can achieving net zero in Global Britain ever be fair to everyone?
Kierra Box, Trade campaigner06 Nov 2019
Kierra Box asks whether a net zero UK can save us from the climate emergency and also be fair to everyone.
Transforming transport funding to meet our climate targets
Lynn Sloman and Lisa Hopkinson, Transport for Quality of Life04 Nov 2019
Money shouldn't be a barrier to providing brilliant public transport and cycling infrastructure. This briefing outlines the many sources of funding used overseas and makes recommendations for the UK.
The Bee Cause: Are Britain’s bees and pollinators back from the brink?
Paul de Zylva, Nature campaigner04 Nov 2019
Paul de Zylva looks back at the Bee Cause campaign and assesses whether Welsh and English action plans to halt the decline of bees are working.