Last month, the UK government brought an early festive gift by laying the regulations for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in England and Northern Ireland, which is now well on course to go live in October 2027.

Many of the sectors, industries, and jobs that will support the Net Zero transition do not yet exist. When we are so unsure of what our future skills needs will be, how can we prepare a skilled workforce ready to create the infrastructure of tomorrow? PoliticsHome sat down with experts from UKCRIC to learn more about the Net Zero skills challenge

UK climate action is broadening from net-zero to wider strategies. Andrew Wood, Senior Engagement and Impact Officer, and Kate Lock, Policy and Communications Manager, at the Yorkshire & Humber Climate Commission suggests that combining emissions reduction with adaptation, restoring nature, and a focus on fairness could safeguard communities and drive the needed change

As climate change impacts communities across the UK, the newly elected chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins MP, shares his commitment to driving bold environmental action, holding the government ac-countable, and restoring the UK’s leadership on the global stage

Labour’s green mission signals a bold shift toward decarbonising the UK by 2030. But without detailed plans for key areas, the policy risks falling short. To succeed, Earl Russell claims that the government must secure broad public support for a just and resilient transition

As the UK pushes toward a 2050 net-zero target, electric vehicles are key to cutting emissions. Matt Western MP, chair of the Electric Vehicle APPG, explains how challenges in infrastructure, consumer incentives and shifting government policies threaten that progress

With the clock ticking on climate change, Kerry McCarthy MP, Minister for Climate, sets out how the government is intensifying efforts to cut emissions, expand clean energy and lead a global drive for a sustainable future

In light of the government’s ambition to make Britain a clean energy superpower, Chi Onwurah MP, chair of the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee, reiterates the need for the UK to remain at the forefront of innovation policy

The recent floods in Spain are a stark reminder that climate change demands urgent, practical action. Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb states that the government should focus on investing in mass insulation, public transport and renewable energy to lead to genuine progress

With 1.5 million new houses set to be built over this Parliament across the UK, the Horticultural Trades Association calls on the government to maximise flora and gardens in new housing and urban developments

Britain’s clean energy transition has the potential to drive economic growth, lower bills and strengthen efforts to combat climate change. Bill Esterson MP, recently elected chair of the Energy Security and Net Zero Committee, calls for the government to lead a bold and consistent approach to clean energy policy

With strong support for net-zero among MPs and the public, the UK is poised to lead on climate action, says Alasdair Johnstone, a former senior strategy advisor for the Cabinet Office’s COP26 Unit. As the government returns from COP29, Britain’s long-standing climate policies and growing green economy reflect our global climate influence

Aiming for 1.5 million new homes, the government plans to create affordable, eco-friendly housing that drives growth, lowers energy bills, and protects green spaces. Lords Minister for Housing and Local Government, Baroness Taylor of Stevenage, showcases the government’s plan for building a sustainable, net-zero future for all

When Amazon announced a £380m investment in X-energy’s advanced Small Modular Reactor last month, it became clear big tech companies now view nuclear power as a leading solution for their growing energy needs. The UK must take note, writes Tom Greatrex, CEO of the Nuclear Industry Association.

On March 2 2022, delegates to the UN environment assembly adopted an ambitious resolution to develop the text of a new treaty by the end of 2024 to end plastic pollution. With 24 days of formal negotiation between almost 200 countries completed, spread over meetings in Peru, France, Kenya and Canada, the fifth and final negotiation meeting is about to take place in Busan, South Korea. This is crunch time. Agreement must be found or the opportunity to take global action to tackle plastic pollution might be lost.

The signing of the Paris Agreement in 2016 represented a key moment in the global commitment to address climate change. This pledge − to keep the rise in global temperature well below 2C, ideally limiting it to 1.5C − continues to be a critical benchmark worldwide. With COP29 having just concluded in Baku, the international community is once again focused on how to collectively address this issue.

The Government is holding firm on changes to agricultural relief despite backlash from farmers facing inheritance tax for the first time.

As we face the intertwined challenges of tackling climate change and securing our future energy supply, the urgent need for a sustainable, resilient energy transition has never been clearer.

The Green Party has urged the government to take “another look” at its plans to introduce inheritance tax on farm land, as farmers prepare protests in the capital this week against the changes.

For 14 years, rural communities were failed by the Conservatives. As the MP for England’s largest rural constituency of Hexham, I have spoken to countless constituents about their frustrations about business, farming, the economy, jobs, housing and, particularly, on health.

Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, Toby Perkins, has said that money will be the biggest challenge for governments in the COP29 climate summit, at a time when there are “huge alternative uses for public money”.

The Scottish Parliament’s Gardening and Horticulture Cross-Party Group, which brings together industry professionals and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs), hosted Rural Affairs Minister Jim Fairlie MSP on Wednesday evening for an engaging discussion on the sector's opportunities and challenges.

Following the success of last year’s Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) drop-in showcase in Parliament, the HTA has once again presented ‘Plants in Parliament’. Around 60 MPs, Peers, and staff had the chance to engage with the HTA and industry representatives and hear directly about the impact of key policies, from border operations to tax changes, and how these are hitting hard-working, hard-pressed horticultural businesses, in a challenging year. The timing was particularly pertinent just a few days following the Budget and a day ahead of further Parliamentary debates on peat-free horticulture.

Fran Barnes, Chief Executive of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), responds to the outcome of Sarah Dyke MP's Ten-Minute Rule Motion on the prohibition of the sale of peat.