ACE News

Global Ocean Treaty may block deep sea mining

Philip Pearson Greener Jobs Alliance On 5 March 2023, the UN finally agreed an historic ocean protection treaty. Oceans Campaigner at Greenpeace International, Louisa Casson, says it’s ‘a monumental win for ocean protection, an important sign that multilateralism still works in an increasingly divided world. The agreement of this Global Ocean Treaty sends a powerful …

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100,000 homes at risk from coastal erosion

Melanie Fryer who leads our food group has pointed out that this week’s BBC’s Countryfile discussed a lot of topics that are important to us including food security, flooding, climate change and the new Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs).  The programme features John Craven and Matt Baker on the East Coast of England to investigate …

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Renewable energy permitted development rights could be extended

On 28 February the government launched a review of the existing permitted development rights for solar equipment and a new permitted development right for solar canopies as part of a wider review, https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/permitted-development-rights-supporting-temporary-recreational-campsites-renewable-energy-and-film-making-consultation/permitted-development-rights-supporting-temporary-recreational-campsites-renewable-energy-and-film-making-consultation If approved changes would see solar panels installed on flat roofs where the highest part of the equipment would be no higher …

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Reducing our use of plastics nationally and locally

38 Degrees, an online social movement, estimates that nearly 2 billion pieces of plastic packaging are thrown away by UK households on a weekly basis. Of that nearly 300 million pieces of this waste come from fruit and veg packaging, primarily from supermarkets. Selling some items in plastic packaging not only contributes to our use …

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Hydrogen – a view from Scotland

Alex LeeClimate Campaigner Friends of the Earth Scotland Did you know that almost all the manufactured Hydrogen in the world is produced from fossil fuels? Friends of the Earth Scotland (FoI Scotland) has seen that how oil and gas companies are the biggest lobbyists pushing the Scottish Government to adopt hydrogen as a way to …

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Environmental advice – are ministers talking to the wrong people?

Council for Sustainable Business logo

Barry White An interesting story was recently revealed by openDemocracy, the Online independent international media platform about The Council for Sustainable Business and body which advises the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) on how businesses can help achieve the aims of the government’s 25 Year Environment Plan. According to the Government’s web …

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North Yorkshire CC launches climate consultation

Following our coverage of the announcement that North Yorkshire County  Council was launching a public consultation on their draft Climate Change Strategy on 13 February, see: http://acesettleandarea.org/public-consultation-on-climate-change-strategy-to-be-launched-next-month/ the following announcement appeared on the Council’s web site see: https://www.northyorks.gov.uk/north-yorkshire-council-climate-change-strategy-2023-2030. ACE will be responding to the consultation which closes on 7 April. ‘In July 2022 a Climate …

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Will water firms escape higher fines for pollution?

Chris Smyth, Whitehall Editor and Adam Vaughan, Environment Editor writing in The Times on 13 February, reported that: ‘Water companies are set to avoid big fines for spilling sewage into rivers and seas as ministers fear the multimillion pound penalties could backfire. Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, is understood to believe fines of up to …

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