Despite ongoing concerns about the UK’s capacity to pay for its zero carbon ambitions, a new analysis lays bare the damage of failing to change our built environment. New research by Mitsubishi Electric, which includes responses from 500 retail facilities managers across the UK, shows 8-in-10 believe becoming more sustainable will improve profits, but a … Read more
The British retailer has published a list of signs which suggest the seasons are already in transition. According to Waitrose supplier Leckford Farm, the annual arable harvest has taken place two weeks earlier than usual. In total, the producer has counted in 1,600 tonnes of produce from the latest yield, including wheat, oilseed rape, oats … Read more
Keir Starmer’s leadership says Britain has to build and existing regulations make that difficult. So do mounting concerns about the climate crisis, impact on local communities and the agency of citizens. Victoria Yeandle asks if it’s possible to reconcile all these pressure points. The focus on growth was clear as soon as Labour came … Read more
Party leader Kemi Badenoch pledges to remove all emissions reductions requirements for the sector and extract ‘all our oil and gas’ to make energy more affordable. Should the Conservatives win the next general election, the focus would be on accessing the remaining fossil fuel resources from the North Sea bed, emphasising previous statements which branded … Read more
20 years ago 3% of cars in English cities were sports utility vehicles. Today, that figure has leapt to 30%. According to new research published by Clean Cities, ‘carspreading’ has increased 10 fold in major urban areas. There are now enough SUVs on England’s roads to cover the City of Manchester, or the London Borough … Read more
2025 was the hottest British summer on record, and organisations must do more to protect staff as extreme systems become the norm. Rebecca Stewart outlines how to build more protection into our offices. Europe has entered a new climate reality. Now the fastest-heating continent, this summer’s heatwaves – 46°C in Spain, 43°C in France, and … Read more
Almost half of departments across multiple sectors allocate just 10% or less of their overall budget to sustainability. SFG20’s State of FM Report 2025 includes the opinions of more than 190 professionals working in a number of different built environment roles. According to this, there are large variations between the net zero target dates of … Read more
Of more than 45,000 potentially hazardous sites across Wales, one-third of local authorities are failing to make the locations public. Fewer than one-in-three councils make their legally required register of contaminated land sites available to the public, according to Friends of the Earth Cymru. The organisation has identified a potential 45,157 hazardous locations in Wales … Read more
A new assessment advocates a global network of air monitoring stations to improve understandings of atmospheric particle distribution. First published in the journal Current Pollution Reports, the study has identified huge knowledge gaps linked to airborne plastic pollution. Inconsistent measurement techniques, limited data, basic simulations, and poor understanding of atmospheric cycling mechanisms have all contributed … Read more
225m tonnes of materials have been manufactured this year, exceeding capacity to recycle and reuse. Friday 5th September marks Plastic Overshoot Day, at which point humans have made more of the long-lasting resource than can pro cess. In total, the world has produced the equivalent to the weight of 50million adult elephants. Each person will … Read more