Architecture and natural cooling
Kew Gardens in West London recorded a temperature of 34.8 degrees during the late May heatwave, and given the current trends reported by climate scientists, it’s only going to get worse in years to come given that we’re not doing enough to stop the warming. I expect air conditioner sales are running at an all-time […]
The Uttlesford Big Green Festival – Event Calendar
The Uttlesford Big Green Festival (6th to 14th June) is getting closer and the exciting calendar of district-wide events is over 25 in number and still growing, covering community climate action, nature recovery and biodiversity, sustainable living and circular economy, and active travel and clean energy. From workshops and talks to green fairs, exhibitions, repair […]
National Emergency Briefing
The new film from the National Emergency Briefing – a public information initiative to ensure the UK is fully briefed on the climate and nature crisis – has now been released. Along with our screening of it as part of the Uttlesford Big Green Festival on the 11th June at the town hall, there is […]
Cost of Net Zero by 2050 less than a single fossil fuel price shock – CCC
The Climate Change Committee (CCC) has released a new report to complement its 2025 advice on the UK’s Seventh Carbon Budget. The independent, statutory body tested its cost and energy security conclusions against different scenarios. It found that the total additional cost of a single fossil fuel price spike of 2022 magnitude is likely to be as large as the total net additional cost of meeting the pathway to Net Zero across every year to 2050. In all scenarios, achieving […]
The new Uttlesford Local Plan due for adoption in Spring 2026,
The new Uttlesford Local Plan 2021–2041, due for adoption in Spring 2026, is a ‘climate-led’ plan, requiring low-carbon, climate-resilient development that reduces emissions at source and improving residents’ well-being and quality of life. New development will be ultra-low-energy with fossil-fuel-free buildings powered by renewable energy, and walkable, well-connected communities reducing car dependency, and strengthening green […]
Big News for Community Energy
In case you haven’t heard it on the news this morning, GB Energy has launched it’s Local Power Plan which is great news for our growing community energy groups here in Essex. This represents the biggest public investment in community energy the UK has ever made, backed by up to £1 billion through GB Energy […]
EU Bans Destruction of Unsold Clothes and Shoes
The European Union has banned the destruction of unsold clothes, a move aimed at tackling overproduction and making the fashion industry more sustainable. They also introduce a standardized format for businesses to disclose the volumes of unsold consumer goods they discard. On Monday, the European Commission introduced new rules prohibiting companies from destroying unsold textiles […]
The Big Plastic Count
For one week in March (9th to 15th), thousands of people from households, schools and communities will be counting every piece of plastic packaging they throw away. Together, we’ll uncover the true scale of the UK’s big plastic problem and call on the government to do more about it. Once the week’s up, it’s time […]
An expedition to investigate the possible collapse of the ocean current that keeps UK warm in winter.
The AMOC (Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation) is a current in the Atlantic that transports heat from the tropics up to the UK and Western Europe. The amount of heat energy being moved is frankly unimaginable – in a Channel 4 article on this topic they equated it to more then a million power stations worth […]
Funding for a nationwide, nature-rich river corridor network
As a result of our contribution to the petition on “Provide funding for a nationwide, nature-rich river corridor network.” we’ve had a response from the government. Some of the highlights of their response are: We are protecting or restoring 20,000 kilometres of watercourses and investing in flood protection. As a result of the June 2025 […]