The Green Alliance Podcast: Recent Episodes

Green Alliance

The latest ideas, debate and insights on UK environmental policy and politics. Brought to you by Green Alliance - the charity and think tank focused on achieving ambitious leadership for the environment.

Two weeks into Andy Burnham's premiership, what does it mean for UK climate and environmental policy?

Green Alliance's Director of Politics Holly Brazier Tope is joined by Caitlin Prowle (Co-operative Party), Paul McNamee (LCEF) and Sarah Williams (Green Alliance) to unpack the politics of devolution, place-based power and a reshuffled DESNZ and Defra. They explore whether the environmental sector should worry if this government delivers green wins without ever saying "climate" and ask when we can expect the next election.

After more than a decade of campaigning, a natural history GCSE for England is finally on the table. In this special episode, former MP Caroline Lucas and conservationist Mary Colwell sit down to unpack the government’s new consultation: what it gets right, what it’s missing and what bumblebees have to do with it.

In this episode of the Green Alliance Podcast, Ruth is joined by Bethan Sayed from Climate Cymru and Annie Smith from RSPB Cymru to take stock of what Wales's new Plaid Cymru-led government and expanded Senedd means for nature and climate. From the Sustainable Farming Scheme to the long-awaited Office of Environmental Governance Wales, the conversation covers the big policy tests ahead and what it will take to turn commitments into delivery.

Wales has passed landmark legislation to strengthen environmental governance and restore biodiversity. Deputy First Minister Huw Irranca-Davies joins Green Alliance Senior Fellow Ruth Chambers to discuss what the new laws mean and what must happen next to deliver for nature.

What if saving money, creating jobs and tackling climate change all went hand in hand?

In this episode, we leave the policy talk behind and meet the people making the circular economy happen, from repair café volunteers and reuse hubs to engineers refurbishing tools and fashion workers giving textiles a second life.

Their stories reveal five simple reasons people love the circular economy.

This isn’t a distant ambition. It’s already here and people want more of it.

What does effective environmental scrutiny look like in parliament? In this episode, Toby Perkins MP, Chair of the Environmental Audit Committee, joins Ruth Chambers to discuss cross party working, real time influence on legislation and how committees can drive change, even when government resists.

Environmental rights are under growing pressure in the UK. With new limits on peaceful protest and worrying developments from the recent Aarhus Convention, questions are mounting around transparency, accountability and whether the public can meaningfully participate in environmental decision making.

Ruth Chambers speaks with Chris Packham, Carol Day and Katie de Kauwe. They discuss the impact of recent laws on campaigners, what the Aarhus Convention means for access to justice and why protecting these rights is essential for both democracy and the environment.

AI is evolving at unprecedented speed and regulation is struggling to keep up. What does this mean for the future of democracy, UK climate goals and wider environmental ambitions?

In this episode of the Green Alliance Podcast, Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance, speaks with Professor Gina Neff, executive director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy and professor of responsible AI at Queen Mary University of London. They explore the risks of unchecked big tech and the environmental costs of its rapid expansion: from energy-hungry data centres to the urgent need for transparency and accountability.

The UK’s long-awaited Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan has finally landed, but what does it mean for climate action and green investment?

In this episode of the Green Alliance Podcast, Holly Brazier Tope, director of politics at Green Alliance, is joined by Sam Alvis, associate director for energy and environment at IPPR, to share their first reactions to the plan. They explore the political backdrop, unpack the risks and opportunities in the plan, and consider what it means for the UK’s credibility on climate ahead of Keir Starmer’s trip to COP30.

Wales stands at a crossroads in both its politics and its environmental ambitions. With the new environmental governance bill moving through the Senedd and an unpredictable election just half a year away, questions of leadership, independence and political will are taking centre stage. In this episode of the Green Alliance Podcast, senior fellow Ruth Chambers speaks with Joe Wilkins, policy and advocacy manager at The Wildlife Trusts in Wales. Together they share their thoughts on what the bill means for nature recovery, the risks and opportunities of political change and why cross-party cooperation will be vital in the months ahead.

With Parliament back from recess, the Labour government enters its second year facing climate and net zero as both a defining priority and a contested political battleground. Public attention is divided by global insecurity, the cost of living crisis and political polarisation, making the way we talk about climate more important – and more difficult – than ever.

In this episode of the Green Alliance Podcast, deputy director of politics Holly Brazier Tope is joined by Fiona Harvey, environment editor at The Guardian. Drawing on more than two decades of reporting, Fiona reflects on the narratives that resonate with the public, the role of the media in shaping debate, and how government can avoid the pitfalls of weak communication in the months ahead.

In this episode, Liam Hardy and Heather Plumpton, heads of research at Green Alliance, unpack some of the key issues in the debate around carbon capture and storage (CCS), the technology many see as essential for meeting climate targets and others call an expensive lifeline for fossil fuels. From cement plants to gas power stations, they discuss where CCS might genuinely cut emissions, where it risks locking in oil and gas, and why households could end up footing the bill.

With a focus on fairness, strategic investment and making polluters pay, the conversation comes as Green Alliance publishes a new briefing that delves deeper into these themes, putting forward some recommendations for what government can do.

In this episode, Alice Stafford, communications officer at Green Alliance, speaks to Molly Easton and Layla Mapemba from Youngwilders, a youth-led non profit working to make nature recovery more inclusive. From local rewilding initiatives to influencing national policy, they explore how young people are creatively restoring nature in their communities and why rewilding should be accessible to everyone, wherever they live. With a focus on access, equity and meaningful change, they reflect on the potential of youth-led projects to reshape our relationship with the natural world.

The UK government banned disposable vapes in June 2025, a major win for health, environment and campaigners across the country. But has the problem really gone away?

In this episode, Green Alliance's senior fellow and head of resources Libby Peake speaks to the experts and activists behind the campaign to ban these devices. She’s joined by Scott Butler of Material Focus, climate campaigner Laura Young and Dr Michael McKean of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

They discuss the lasting damage disposable vapes still cause, from toxic waste and discarded lithium to misleading new products and weak enforcement. And with new threats like nicotine pouches on the rise, the pressure on regulators is far from over.

It’s been a year since Labour’s landslide victory in the 2024 UK general election and we’re diving into what that’s meant for climate and nature. From bold moves on clean power and nature friendly farming to economic roadblocks and rising political division on net zero, this episode brings together voices from Green Alliance, Friends of the Earth and the National Trust to unpack Labour’s first 12 months.

This episode explores the government’s new IT reuse for good charter and the broader Digital Inclusion Action Plan, which aim to get unused devices into the hands of those who need them most. The discussion highlights the scale of the UK’s e-waste problem, the persistent digital divide and the critical role of device redistribution in addressing both challenges.

Presented by Emily Carr, policy adviser and author of our recent report Making the connection: ending digital exclusion with reused devices, this episode features Stuart Dossett, senior policy advisor and co-author the report; Sam, an asylum seeker whose life was transformed by receiving a donated laptop through Screen Share; Megan Barrett chief executive officer of Power to Connect, a charity working to bridge the digital divide in London through device redistribution and digital skills training; and Natasha Early, business development and partnerships manager at Good Things Foundation, a national digital inclusion charity, responsible for the National Device Bank. Their stories and insights underscore both the life changing impact of digital access and the ongoing barriers like limited device supply, data security concerns and funding constraints that must be overcome to achieve true digital inclusion.

In this episode, Libby Peake, senior fellow and head of resource policy, speaks to Patrick Grant, clothing designer and BBC's Sewing Bee judge, discussing Grant's book "Less." They delve into the shift taken over the last century from quality manufacturing that benefited communities to a fast fashion model that generates enormous waste and minimal value.

In this conversation, Patrick Grant advocates for a "lower consumption, higher value economy," where people buy fewer but better quality items that last longer, create local repair economies and generate more satisfaction. He highlights how many consumers today lack a frame of reference for quality goods, having grown up with synthetic materials, and emphasises the distinction between enduring "clothing" versus disposable "fashion." The episode concludes with both speakers agreeing that while fashion has cultural value, the current system of AI-designed, oil-based disposable fashion is unsustainable and requires policy intervention to incentivise quality and local production.

Five years after Brexit, we take a moment to reflect on its impact on environmental protection. This episode of the Green Alliance podcast explores the fate of environmental laws inherited from the EU and the new systems put in place to watch over them.

Ruth Chambers, Green Alliance senior fellow, is joined by Professor Maria Lee, an expert in environmental law, and Dame Glenys Stacey, Chair of the Office for Environmental Protection, for a discussion on the challenges and progress of the last five years. Together, they reflect on how our new environmental governance systems provide important checks and balances to bolster environmental protections through short term political cycles.

Read our related report here.

In this episode, you'll hear highlights from our recent "in conversation" event with Guy Shrubsole where he and our head of natural environment, Lydia Collas, discussed his latest book “The Lie of the Land: Who Really Cares for the Countryside?”.

The book examines some of the most dramatic failures of land stewardship in Britain’s recent history. But also tells the story of the people trying to pick up the pieces, the small scale farmers, community groups and members of the public who seek to be the custodians of land, whether or not they own it.

Some other topics covered in the discussion include:

Differences between Britain and other countries' land ownership
The role and balance of private and public investment in nature restoration
The power and resources of National Parks
A right to roam/right to responsible access

The discussion concludes with an audience Q&A.

In this week's episode of the Green Alliance podcast, we dive into the UK’s evolving transport policy discussion with Green Alliance's head of climate, Nick Davies. The conversation covers recent developments on the Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate and the launch of the Integrated National Transport Strategy.

Nick chats with experts including Michael Solomon Williams from Campaign for Better Transport, cycling journalist and author Laura Laker, and Green Alliance's Johann Beckford and Rosie Allen. Together, they explore the challenges and opportunities in decarbonising transport, from electric vehicles to active travel and the future of public transport. Tune in for expert insights on the policies shaping a cleaner, more sustainable transport system.

In this episode, Libby Peake, senior fellow and head of resources policy, sits down with Emily Carr, policy adviser, alongside members of Green Alliance’s Circular Economy Task Force, including our chair, Dr Colin Church, CEO of IOM3, Iain Gulland, CEO of Zero Waste Scotland, Harriet Lamb, CEO of WRAP, and Dr Adam Read, Director of External Affairs at SUEZ, to discuss the circular economy and what the new government needs to do to bring about the policies we need to see to reduce resource use.

In this conversation, our guests discuss where previous administrations have failed and what the new government must do differently to avoid past mistakes. They explore the benefits of embracing circularity, including its potential to boost economic growth. They highlight the urgent need for policy interventions that will best enable businesses to innovate and embrace circularity. A linear system has no future, and transitioning to a circular economy is the clear path forward- our guests dig down into exactly how the government can lead the charge and make this crucial shift happen.

In this episode, Ruth Chambers, senior fellow, sits down with crossbench Peer Lord Krebs and Richard Benwell, chief executive of Wildlife & Countryside Link, to discuss the third anniversary of the Environment Act.

In this conversation, our guests reflect on the colossal team effort required to get the Act onto the statute book, the standout moments from parliamentary debates and the collaboration between parliamentarians and campaigners required to push for high ambition legislation. We also evaluate whether the Environment Act has lived up to our expectations and discuss what more is needed to drive change in the future.

In this episode, Rosie Allen, policy adviser at Green Alliance, sits down with Liam Hardy, our senior policy analyst, and Jenniffer Pedraza, a research associate at Stockholm Environment Institute Research, to discuss the need to raise ambition on methane ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan (COP29).

The conversation offers both domestic and international perspectives on the increased leadership required to tackle methane emissions. From the bold steps needed to develop methane roadmaps in Latin America to the key announcements we hope to see from global leaders in Baku, this episode is a must-listen for anyone engaged in climate policy and discussions surrounding COP29.

The Green Alliance podcast is back with its fortnightly episodes for a six-episode series.

In this episode, Green Alliance's head of politics, Holly Brazier Tope, reflects on the first 100 days of the new Labour government, marking a pivotal shift after over a decade of Conservative leadership.

Holly first sits down with Chris Venables, director of politics at Green Alliance, to discuss how things are going from an external viewpoint, examining key moments and opportunities for the environmental sector in recent months.

You’ll also hear from Labour MPs Clive Lewis and Olivia Blake, who provide insider perspectives on the climate initiatives unfolding in Westminster right now.

Tune in for a comprehensive overview of how this new administration is laying the groundwork for ambitious environmental leadership in the UK.

In this episode, you’ll hear highlights from our recent “in conversation” event with Tom Heap where he and our executive director Shaun Spiers discussed his latest book “Land Smart: how to give people and nature the space to thrive”.

This book examines why we need land and how to give both humanity and nature the space to thrive, and includes conversations with farmers, scientists, conservationists and even warehouse managers who are solving the most pressing challenges facing our countryside and the world.

During the discussion, Tom and Shaun touch on topics like:

Energy, particularly the attraction of solar, including rooftop solar, and the indefensibility of biofuels
Farming.
The importance of not offshoring the UK’s environmental footprint.
Technophilia and openness to genetic engineering is an interesting challenge to some green thinking
Diet change

The discussion then concludes with an audience Q&A.

LINKS

Purchase Tom Heap's Land Smart: How to give people and nature the space to thrive.

Follow us on X and LinkedIn to keep up to date with new outputs from Green Alliance.

Episode produced by Podcast Pioneers

The actions taken over the next five years by the incoming Government will be make or break for the UK’s climate and nature targets – the stakes could not be higher.

This podcast episode features highlights from the final event in our Election countdown series 'Election debrief – what now for the environment?' where we we analysed the results of the election and what they mean for the environmental agenda. Executive director Shaun Spiers hosted the panel, with inputs from Holly Brazier Tope, head of politics, Libby Peake, head of resource policy, Liam Hardy, senior policy analyst, and Lydia Collas, head of natural environment.

Hear from experts across the Green Alliance team who will discuss how the new Government will likely approach environmental policy and politics, what the results mean for future of UK energy, resources and nature policy, and what the key moments will be over the coming months.

LINKS

Visit the Political Leadership page on our website to explore all our work on this topic.

Follow us on X and LinkedIn to keep up to date with new outputs from Green Alliance.

Episode produced by Podcast Pioneers

Nature underpins our economy, but this is not currently reflected in economic decision making.

The Dasgupta Review, commissioned by the UK Treasury and published in 2021, sets out the strong case for changing our economic system to reflect that it does not exist outside of nature, but within it. It shows that, to prevent ongoing environmental destruction in the name of economic progress, we must use a measure of wealth that includes indispensable assets like nature on the balance books.

But how do we get there? What should the government, business and the financial sector do to shift the economic system towards to that ideal?

In this episode, you will hear from distinguished speakers on what’s necessary to implement the findings of The Dasgupta Review, so that we better value nature and can begin to restore our natural assets and wealth, avoiding counterproductive losses.

LINKS

Visit the Implementing Dasgupta page on our website to explore all our work on this topic.

Follow us on X and LinkedIn to keep up to date with new outputs from Green Alliance.

Episode produced by Podcast Pioneers

In this episode, Steve Coulter, Green Alliance’s head of economy, speaks to experts about why the UK is crying out for a green industrial strategy.Industrial strategies are driving change around the world, in the US, EU and China, but the UK has yet to follow suit. Green industrial strategy is more than just switching from carbon to electric power, it must encompass a broader vision integrating economic resilience by meeting environmental objectives across organisational, political and economic frameworks.We hear the case for the UK to join other leading nations by creating a bold vision for a green economic transformation from Matthew Lockwood, senior lecturer in energy and climate policy at Sussex University, who says the UK needs to be less reactive and start planning longer term, and Silvia Weko, postdoctoral researcher in European energy politics and policy with the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in Germany.

The benefits and challenges of participatory policy making are discussed with Stephen Frost, Co-Head of Participative Research and Principal Research Fellow at the Institute for Public Policy Research. Many climate experts have expressed the need to bring people along in the transition to net zero, ensuring it is one of social justice. The use of participatory research methods and policy making processes is one way to do so.Stephen discusses IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission and how the outcomes of its citizen’s juries have shaped IPPR’s policy recommendations.

How can inclusive policy making change policy outcomes? When individuals’ power and privilege often correlate with emission outputs, it is important to consider those involved in environmental policy making. Involving the public in policy making that impacts them often leads to ‘better’ policy and less backlash, yet it isn’t something think tanks consistently do.In this conversation Hirra explores what inclusive policy making means in practice and how Possible’s policies have consequently evolved.

Including those impacted by policy in the policy making process is not always a given. Green Alliance has been exploring how and why policy makers should be inclusive of the public, marginalised communities and communities that typically have not been sought out for engagement and implementation processes of environmental policy. The importance of think tanks and NGOs having inclusive policy making processes is discussed with Emma Vogelmann, Policy, Public Affairs and Research Manager at Transport For All.

Provisional figures from 2022 show a rise in transport emissions compared to the year previous. And while the transport system is already the largest emitting sector across the UK economy, this is a major obstacle for policymakers in their bid to reach net zero by 2050.

In the last year, transport entered the political arena in a way not seen before. There were contradictory announcements on the sales of petrol and diesel cars and vans, conspiracy theories, strikes, budget cuts, headline announcements, world first flights and much more.

In this episode, head of climate policy Helena Bennett sits down with members of the Green Alliance transport team to discuss an up and down year for transport policy.

Inflation hit a 41 year high in 2022. This was largely driven by high gas prices due to the war in Ukraine. Although that gas price spike is dropping out of inflation now, inflation is nowhere near pre-war levels and neither are energy bills.

What is the policy response? Interest rates are currently at a 15 year high, the highest they've been since 2008. The Bank of England is raising interest rates to try and get inflation down closer to their target of two per cent. This is putting pressure on consumer spending and creating particular pain in housing costs through higher mortgage rates. So how do we get out of this high inflation, high interest rate world?

To answer this question, our senior policy analyst Heather Plumpton speaks to our senior policy adviser Stuart Dossett and Eric Lonergan, policy economist and writer, about the role renewable energy can play in bringing down inflation.

The tax system is a major tool in the government’s arsenal when it comes to shaping the world we live in. It can be used to enforce policy aims, stimulate solutions to societal challenges and discourage adverse behaviours. However, the potential of the tax system to drive a green economy has barely been tapped into.

As it stands, the UK tax system is geared towards a high carbon economy. It rewards polluters and lacks the incentives that would encourage green alternatives. At the same time, the government risks losing important sources of revenue (eg fuel duty) as industries decarbonise, with no clear plans on how to fix the looming fiscal black holes.

In short, the tax system is not suitable for a net zero, nature positive future.

So what needs to change?

On Wednesday 21 June 2023, our expert panel discussed how to futureproof the tax system to support the wellbeing of people and the planet. They discussed the action needed from Treasury to secure a tax system that’s fit for net zero; one that holds polluters to account, enables people to make more sustainable choices and maintains a stable income for the public purse.

This was the final event for Green Alliance’s TransformTax project, which has been generously funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust for the past three years.

Watch the full event here.

Panellists

Chair: Peter Foster, public policy editor, Financial Times
Libby Peake, head of resource policy, Green Alliance
Chris Stark, CEO, Climate Change Committee
Jill Rutter, senior fellow, Institute for Government

Reducing raw material consumption in the UK is essential to meeting climate targets. Circular businesses can offer a host of environmental benefits as well as saving money for consumers and bringing in just as much, if not more, profit than linear companies. Our report 'Ready steady grow: how the Treasury can mainstream circular business' looks at case studies from ten circular businesses to show how the economics of circularity stack up and find out what is holding circular businesses back from mainstream adoption.

In this episode, Jasmine Dhaliwal speaks to three of the innovative circular businesses we interviewed in our report. Listen in to hear from The Little Loop's Charlotte Morley, Techbuyer's Rich Kenny and SUEZ's Adam Read as they shed light on how they work, the business case for circularity and what further support is needed from government.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with our work.

One of the biggest challenges for getting the UK to net zero is building enough grid infrastructure. This is also essential to improve energy security and bring down bills for households. Grid is repeatedly cited as one of the biggest blockers to fast decarbonisation. So what are the obstacles?

Regen's new report 'Building a GB electricity network ready for net zero' explores the scale of the challenge, the initiatives underway and key priorities. In this episode, Flossie Boyd speaks with the report's lead author Frank Hodgson, senior energy analyst at Regen. They discuss the report's core findings, the government's recent decision to give Ofgem a net zero remit and why improvements to the grid must happen now.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with our work.

Air pollution is one of the most pressing issues faced by London today. Affecting both public health and the environment, improving air quality is essential to making the city a safer and more sustainable place to live.

So how can this be achieved? Shirley Rodrigues, London's Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, is working to deliver an environmental strategy for the city which will tackle air pollution. This includes policies ranging from implementing the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to rewilding London.

Our policy adviser Sophie O'Connell sat down with the Deputy Mayor to discuss the rationale behind the planned ULEZ expansion and what it means for Londoners and the environment. This episode explores the relationship between health and the environment, clears the air around ULEZ and explains how people can support initiatives to green London.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with our work and read our blog for the latest environmental commentary.

The UK has shown strong climate leadership by setting a 2030 phase out date for ICE vehicles. But how can the automotive manufacturing sector secure a thriving electric vehicle supply chain in the UK?

In this episode, Emma McKelvie speaks with Ian Constance, chief executive of the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC). The APC provides funding and support to organisations across the electric vehicle supply chain, and publishes research and insights into how achieving a net zero transport system.

They explore why domestic battery production is so important, the need for the UK to de-risk investment into battery manufacturing and build a narrative around being a globally competitive place to invest, and upcoming opportunities that the sector can take advantage of.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with our work.

The anticipated UK government's Energy Security Day on 30 March 2023 left much to be desired. While progress was made for heat pumps and the zero emission vehicles mandate, and the government seems to have abided by the High Court’s ruling, the UK's overall ambition to reduce emissions largely remained unchanged.

In this special edition of the Green Alliance podcast, our research director Roz Bulleid sits down with our policy experts to discuss progress, where Energy Security Day fell short and what more this government can do before an election.

Ahead of Energy Security Day, Green Alliance published a net zero policy tracker which revealed that the government is not on track to meet net zero by 2050, with a lack of ambition and policy delivery across all sectors. Look out for our updated analysis coming soon.

Amidst a quickly evolving global political landscape, the scope of the green transition is constantly changing.

Dr Nathalie Tocci is director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali and author of 'A Green and Global Europe', a book which affirms the inevitability of the green transition in Europe but sets out its complex social, economic and geopolitical challenges. Dr Tocci argues that these must be addressed head-on and collaboratively with other nations rather than in isolation.

Our executive director Shaun Spiers spoke to Dr Tocci to discuss the book and its implications for how we approach the green transition. The episode covers the ramifications of the US Inflation Reduction Act, how we can ensure fairness in the move to green energy and why we are dealing with more of a revolution than a transition.

Follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep up with our work.

The new Labour Climate and Environment Forum (LCEF) launched in December 2022 with the aim of strengthening climate and environmental ambition across the labour movement. But how does the organisation plan to achieve its goals?

LCEF’s debut report uses polling to show that Labour MPs are viewed more favourably by voters when talking about their support for environmental issues. With a UK general election expected in 2024, the position of the major political parties on the environment will be electorally crucial.

Our Environment APPG co-ordinator and political adviser Robbie MacPherson sat down with Paul McNamee, director of LCEF, to discuss his long term aspirations for LCEF, the innate importance of climate action to achieving social justice and the Labour Party’s relationship with climate and nature policy.

In 2021, 95 per cent of global trade was moved by sea. If you look around you, it's likely that the nearby furniture, technology, or at least the parts that made them were at some point in a shipping container heading overseas. In comparison to other modes of transport, however, shipping is often overlooked when it comes to decarbonisation.

The shipping sector already has a tool to make the systemic changes necessary to decarbonise: the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The IMO has the power to set international regulatory standards. But how should the UK and the IMO balance the responsibility to steer policy that accelerates the decarbonisation of shipping at the pace required to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees?

In this episode, Rosie Allen speaks to Tristan Smith, associate professor at UCL Energy Institute, to explore the barriers to shipping decarbonisation, the domestic picture and the role of the UK in raising the IMO’s ambition.

What's on parliament's transport agenda this year? As a cross party body, the transport select committee plays an important role in scrutinising the government's transport policy. Following the publication of Chris Skidmore MP's Net zero review, transport decarbonisation will be a key priority for the committee. But how does the committee work to hold the government to account?

In this episode Alice Watson sits down with Iain Stewart MP, newly elected chair of the transport committee, to understand his day to day responsibilities, how issues like transport decarbonisation are picked up and considered by the committee and how the public can get involved with shaping the future of the committee's work.

Rising prices and falling wages are driving the cost of living crisis, making it harder for people to heat their homes and travel to work or appointments. By the end of 2022, more than 6 million UK households were living in fuel poverty while increasing public transport and petrol prices drove many households into transport poverty.

This comes at a time when the UK urgently needs to cut greenhouse gas emissions to reach net zero. Transport is responsible for more of the UK's greenhouse gas emissions than any other sector, with residential properties the third most emitting.

Our report, 'Green uplift', showed how the scale of change to reach net zero in transport and home heating is a major opportunity to remove structural causes of fuel and transport poverty.

In this episode Stuart Dossett speaks to Mari Martiskainen and Neil Simcock, researchers for the Centre for Research into Energy Demand Solutions (CREDS) FAIR project, to delve deeper into the report findings and highlight the experience of those living in fuel and transport poverty.

What is the role of business in halting and reversing the decline of nature? At COP15 and COP27 this year, the interests of the private sector at these summits came under some scrutiny. There are concerns about large corporations having an outsize influence on international environmental agreements. To better understand the intention of businesses at summits like COP15, Jim Elliott speaks to Melissa Miners, global sustainability senior manager at Unilever. Ahead of travelling to Montreal to attend COP15, Melissa talked to us about what Unilever was hoping for out of the summit, the purpose of businesses being there and whether the outcomes of COP15 will lead to material changes in Unilever’s environmental impact.

COP15 is a long awaited global moment for biodiversity. Countries around the world are joining together to agree on a new set of nature targets for the next decade. After two years of delay due to COVID-19, there is hope that COP15 will see meaningful action taken to end biodiversity loss.

In this episode, Lydia Collas speaks to Patrick Greenfield, a reporter for The Guardian, who is in Montreal at COP15. Patrick provides an insight into the atmosphere on the ground and explains why we need a biodiversity COP, what some of the desired outcomes are and how this relates back to the UK context.

The cost of energy has soared over the past year. As well as protecting consumers and industry from the higher energy bills, the UK government must address the root causes of the problem: the global price of gas.

The current electricity market is designed for a commodity based system which reflects the fluctuating price of gas. However, as renewables make up a bigger proportion of our electricity system, a new approach is needed. One solution to bring down energy costs is to reform electricity markets to make the most of low cost renewables. This proposal is known as the green power pool.

In this episode, Verner Viisainen speaks to Marian D’Auria, global head of risk and sustainability at GFG Alliance (Liberty Steel Group), and Paul Drummond, senior research fellow at University College London’s Institute of Sustainable Resources, to explain how energy prices are affecting the steel industry and how a green power pool could help.

Electrical waste (ewaste) is the fastest growing waste stream in the world. The UK is the second highest producer of ewaste globally, throwing away 350,000 tonnes of electricals a year.

From smartphones to single use vapes, disposable culture is contributing to an increasing environmental problem. It is estimated that 1.3 million vapes are thrown away each week in the UK. Aside from these environmental concerns, ewaste is a barrier to digital inclusion. Ten million people in the UK are digitally excluded and yet there are millions of unused and working electrical items hoarded in UK homes that could be redistributed to provide access to technology. Businesses are also starting to take action, but are the right systems in place to help them?

Green Alliance recently hosted an event with Material Focus, the not for profit which works to transform the way we think about electrical waste, to explore the challenges and attitudes around ewaste. In this episode we speak to Scott Butler, executive director of Material Focus, to recap on the debate and delve deeper into this growing problem and what we can do about it.

As part of its Net zero strategy and transport decarbonisation plans, the UK government is seeking to introduce a new zero emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate soon to boost the electric vehicle market.

Ambitious targets are essential to achieve climate goals while also attracting new investment and securing market share to make the most of the UK’s transition to electric vehicles. Leading the world on a ZEV mandate is California which first implemented a ‘ZEV requirement’ over 30 years ago, in 1990, as part of its Low Emission Vehicle Regulation to combat local air pollution.

In this episode Johann Beckford talked to Professor Daniel Sperling of the University of California who, as a member of the California Air Resources Board which administers the ZEV mandate, reveals how the strategy has worked in the state. They discuss what the UK from learn from the US experience.

The urgent need to tackle the climate and nature emergency is changing how we manage land, leading to new farming practices, more tree planting and the restoration of natural habitats. But private investment in these changes can be controversial, with some local communities worried that change is being imposed on them by corporations. In this episode, we discuss two approaches which seek to avoid this by giving local communities a more active role in the decisions made about the land around them.

Our senior policy adviser Jim Elliott talked to Angela Williams, development manager of Tarras Valley Nature Reserve in Langholm, Scotland and Jenny Phelps MBE, the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group’s senior farm conservation adviser.

Angela is working on the Langholm Initiative, a community buy-out which has seen the local population successfully raise money to buy and restore 5,200 acres of land. Jenny has led work on an approach called Integrated Local Delivery(ILD) which brings together interested parties at a local level to collaborate on protecting their local environment.

This podcast is part of a new Green Alliance project, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, seeking to set out effective models for community ownership, benefit and involvement in land use change in different circumstances, to ensure changes are good for people as well as climate and nature.

Since World War Two, farming has been synonymous with growing as much food as possible. In wealthy countries, this has led to overabundance which is driving environmental and human health problems. We now know we need land to provide more than just food. As well as producing healthy and sustainable food, farmers must be empowered to rise to the challenge of offering restored habitats, carbon removal, wood for construction and land that soaks up floodwater and stores it through droughts. This will involve rethinking what farming is about.

Our report Land of opportunity explores how we can go about doing this. It demonstrates how paying for nature restoration on farmland could raise farm incomes, reduce carbon emissions and increase bird populations by half.

In this episode, Green Alliance policy director Dustin Benton spoke to the Soil Association’s chief executive, Helen Browning, about agroecology, organic and regenerative farming, and what these traditions can do to help build a nature positive and carbon negative food system.

People are bracing themselves for extraordinary energy bills this winter, driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Our homes are notoriously bad at keeping in heat and upgrading their insulation is a way to permanently reduce energy use.

Although there will be savings in energy bills over the medium term, the upfront costs of upgrading a home’s energy efficiency can be significant. Support is available for lower income households through targeted government schemes like ECO, but the Climate Change Committee’s recent progress report identified a particular policy gap for owner occupiers who aren’t eligible for support.

In this episode, Green Alliance policy analyst Zoe Avison spoke to Claire Tracey, chief strategy and sustainability officer at Nationwide. Claire spoke about Nationwide’s pledge to lead the greening of UK homes and how it intends to achieve that, as well as the wider policy challenges beyond the building society’s control.

The UK was the first major economy in the world to commit to a legally binding target to bring all greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. However, transport is devolved and the approach to delivering net zero has varied between the countries of the UK.

Road infrastructure investment increases traffic, exacerbating congestion and air pollution, resulting in higher levels of operational and embedded carbon. The UK government has an ambitious policy package to support vehicle electrification but, while it is reviewing the planning policy framework for major road investment, it has not paused its existing road building plans.

Wales, on the other hand, is working to reduce car miles driven and has started to review all its major road building plans to align investment with its stated commitment to net zero.

In this episode, Green Alliance’s policy adviser Johann Becker introduces the expert discussion Green Alliance jointly hosted with Campaign for Better Transport and Transport Action Network, in June 2022. The event featured contributions from Wales’ Deputy Minister for Climate Change Lee Waters, Silviya Barrett from Campaign for Better Transport, David Milner of Create Streets, Oxfordshire Councillor Charlie Hicks and Rebecca Lush from Transport Action Network.

Hear about the action Wales is taking to move away from car reliance to sustainable transport options, the obstacles it has faced and how it is dealing with them. The speakers compare this with experiences in England and consider what the rest of the country could learn from Wales.

Speakers

Chair: Silviya Barrett, director of policy and research, Campaign for Better Transport
Lee Waters, deputy minister for climate change, Welsh Government
David Milner, deputy director, Create Streets
Rebecca Lush, roads and climate campaigner, Transport Action Network
Cllr Charlie Hicks, Oxfordshire County Council, deputy chair of Place Overview and Scrutiny Committee

The government’s net zero carbon goal can’t be achieved by central government alone, local authorities are essential partners in the bringing about the changes needed.

Local leaders around the country, from district councils to metro mayors, are leading the way. The Greater Manchester Combined Authority has set its net zero target 12 years ahead of the national target, aiming for 2038.

In this episode, Green Alliance’s political adviser Robbie MacPherson spoke to Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester. In this insightful discussion, the former cabinet minister talks about the energy crisis, what’s being done to improve public transport in the city region and his view of Labour’s offer on climate and environment.

“We’re not on track to achieve what governments have agreed” warns Nick Eyre, professor of energy and climate policy at Oxford University and one of the authors of the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report. In this episode, Caterina Brandmayr, head of climate policy at Green Alliance, speaks to Nick about the importance of the report’s findings and what it tells us about how to cut emissions and the extent to which the UK has made progress in meeting its own targets on climate and nature. They discuss what needs to change for the government to show the necessary leadership in future.

The IPCC Sixth assessment report: mitigation of climate change is the third and final instalment of the IPCC’s latest assessment. It provides an updated global assessment of climate change mitigation progress and pledges, and examines the sources of global emissions. It explains developments in emission reduction and mitigation efforts, assessing the impact of national climate pledges in relation to long term emissions goals.

Achieving net zero means changing how we travel. That means switching from petrol and diesel vehicles to electric cars, walking and cycling for shorter journeys and flying less.

But how we move cargo in a net zero world is not the same question as how we move people. Innovation in transport need not be limited to speed and efficiency. Understanding more about what motivates us and how we perceive the world around us could enable changes to the transport system that make behaviour change possible.

Pete Dyson is a behavioural scientist working at the Department for Transport. Pete’s the co-author of a new book Transport for Humans, which he wrote in a personal capacity.

Zoe Avison, policy analyst at Green Alliance, sat down with Pete to discuss what behavioural insights are and how it can help us move to a more sustainable transport system.

You can read more about our work on decarbonising transport here.

In 2021, the UK hosted the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow and the government published its net zero strategy, setting out how it will meet its target for net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

But in 2022, with inflation at a 30 year high, gas prices rising and the war in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis is at the top of the political agenda.

Some voices are calling for more North Sea oil and gas production, while others are urging the government to take another look at fracking. There has been a Net Zero Scrutiny Group set up by some of the architects of Brexit.

However, there is also significant push back from backers of action on net zero, including the Conservative Environment Network, which makes up around half of the parliamentary party. The prime minister has also recently restated his commitment to dealing with climate change in response to the energy crisis.

In parliament, there is also a Net Zero Support Group led by our guest on the podcast this week, former energy minister Chris Skidmore MP. In this episode, Joe Tetlow, senior political adviser, spoke to Chris about how we can cut the cost of living with a green economy.

Unlike nuclear fission, which has been part of our energy mix for decades, we’re on the cusp of a nuclear fusion breakthrough. Nuclear fusion is the same energy process that powers the stars, and could lead to boundless energy capacity in the future. In this fascinating chat between Green Alliance senior policy adviser Helena Bennett and Melanie Windridge, we learn about how fusion works and how in the years ahead it could become commercially viable for the first time. Melanie is a specialist in fusion energy and founder of Fusion Energy Insights, as well as the author of Aurora: In search of the Northern Lights and Star Chambers.

Along with flying and agriculture, steelmaking is firmly in the tricky box when it comes to the low carbon transition. Steelmaking was at the heart of Britain's industrial revolution and is still used in everything from bridges to fridges. Most of the UK’s steel production is very carbon intensive, still relying on coal and a chemical reaction with carbon dioxide as an unavoidable by-product. But new technologies are emerging and buyers are starting to demand greener steel. In this wide ranging conversation, Green Alliance's deputy director Roz Bulleid discusses issues around greening the steel industry, from what 'green steel' actually means to how the market for it can be developed, with Sarah Macnaughton, principal analyst at CRU Group and specialist in steel decarbonisation.

Veganuary is an annual challenge that urges people to go vegan for the month of January. Since it started in 2014, the number of people taking on the challenge has skyrocketed. In 2022, over 600,000 signed up.

There are many good reasons to consider eating more plant-based food and cutting back on meat and dairy. Animal agriculture drives deforestation that exacerbates climate change, while the methane produced by cows and other animals is a potent greenhouse gas emission. There are also concerns about animal welfare and many people argue there are health benefits to eating less meat.

The Climate Change Committee, the government’s independent climate advisers, recommend that the UK needs to cut its meat and dairy consumption by 20 per cent between now and 2030. And the National Food Strategy – charged with looking at carbon, nature and healthy diets – recommended a 30 per cent reduction in meat consumption by 2030. The more people that adopt vegan diets, the closer we get to reaching these targets.

For this podcast, James Fotherby, policy adviser and plant-based food enthusiast spoke to Baroness Anne Jenkin of Kennington about the benefits of vegan diets, animal welfare and the environmental impact of eating meat.

For nearly three decades, the United Nations has brought together world leaders, negotiators, government representatives, businesses, and citizens for global climate summits called COPs to track progress in tackling climate change.

Back in 2015, world leaders signed the Paris Agreement, aiming to limit global temperature rises as close as possible to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels and avoid the most severe impacts of the climate crisis.

Last year, it was the UK’s turn to host the summit, together with Italy. Delayed by the pandemic, this COP had a particular sense of urgency. The next decade will be crucial in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and transforming our economies.

Holly Rowden, policy adviser at Green Alliance, spoke to Camilla Born, adviser to the UK COP Presidency, about what it was like to be right at the heart of the action in Glasgow, and what the next year might look like for the UK presidency.

You can find out more about COP26 here.

As the single biggest source of UK carbon emissions, the transport sector is critical to getting the UK on track for net zero by 2050. Getting more people using public transport is a vital part of this transition.

But, a new report by the Centre for Cities, finds that just investing in better public transport isn’t enough. Our urban areas are less dense than comparable cities in Europe, making public transport less accessible and efficient.

Zoe Avison, policy analyst at Green Alliance, spoke to Anthony Breach about the report’s findings and what we need to do for our cities to catch up with the rest of Europe.

You can read the Centre for Cities report here.

If you want to find out more about Green Alliance’s decarbonising transport project, visit our website.

As the UK hosts COP26 in Glasgow, climate and environmental policy in the UK has never been a hotter topic.

The UK government has finally published the long-awaited plan for achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050 while the London media has relocated to Glasgow for the climate conference.

The prime minister’s slogan of “coal, car, cash and trees” has resulted in a focus on electric vehicles, climate finance and clean power generation at COP26. But precious little attention has been paid to the materials and resources used to build the cars, batteries and wind turbines that we so need.

In this episode, we'll be talking to Dr Colin Church, CEO of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, and chair of Green Alliance's Circular Economy Task Force about how material and resource use fits into climate policy and COP26, and why resources, including critical raw materials, are so important to the net zero transition.

At the Labour Party conference in September 2021, Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves declared she wanted to be Britain's first 'green chancellor'. However, the current chancellor has the reins of the economy and could quickly put himself in pole position in the race to be green chancellor.

In this episode, Sam Alvis, Green Alliance’s head of green renewal, speaks to leading economist Dr Matthew Agarwala, of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, about what it will take to be a green chancellor. He also tells us how private investment in the net zero economy can be unlocked and why the 2021 comprehensive spending review is such a crucial moment for the UK economy.

If you’re interested to know more about Matthew Agarwala’s work at the Bennett Institute, see the Wealth Economy Foundation Workshop.

Green Alliance’s senior political adviser, Joe Tetlow, speaks to Conservative backbench MP Bim Afolami.

With the chancellor’s spending review due in late October 2021 and the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021, the government is under pressure to set out how it will get the country to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.

They discuss what needs to happen to achieve 100 per cent clean power by 2035 and whether there’s too much focus on red wall seats in the Midlands and the North.

Shaun Spiers speaks to Hilary Benn MP about the IPPR Environmental Justice Commission’s recent findings. The discussion covers green jobs, how the UK can meet its climate targets and create a fairer economy, and Labour’s role in the net zero debate.

Hilary Benn co-chairs IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission, established in May 2019, which has focused on addressing the climate crisis and restoring nature, as well as creating jobs and a fairer society.

After two years of work and four citizens’ juries, the commission’s final report was published in the summer of 2021, setting out its vision for a more equal, socially just and green economy.

For further reading:

The final report by IPPR Environmental Justice Commission

Read Joshua Emden’s Inside Track blog on the findings of the commission’s report

Our head of resources Libby Peake spends a lot of time thinking about plastic. But she also knows that – we need to be thinking about more than just plastic.

Everyone knows that the world has a problem with plastic pollution. People are right to be concerned and demand that we protect ecosystems and human and animal health from what has been described as a “global scourge”.

But in searching for solutions we surely don’t want to store up future problems.

There is a cautionary tale from the invention of plastic itself. Plastic was invented to avert an environmental catastrophe – the extinction of the elephants.

Despite this, we haven’t learned the lessons. That we shouldn’t be trying to find a simple substitute for a material that is being used at unsustainable levels.

To consider this and more, Libby spoke with Paula Chin, sustainable materials specialist at WWF and chair of the Wildlife and Countryside Link resources and waste group, about the impact of packaging and how to move towards the sustainable use of materials.

As the UK prepares to host the COP26 conference in Glasgow later this year, UK politics on net zero is looking increasingly difficult and divided.

The consensus that net zero should be a political and spending priority of the government is beginning to fray at the seams, from the backbenches to the very top.

How we heat our homes in a net zero economy is seen as one of the most politically difficult challenges ahead.

Along with a bunch of other government strategies, the Heat and Buildings Strategy is set to be published this autumn.

It has already been mired by leaks and hostile briefings, particularly around the phaseout of gas boilers and changes to how we heat our homes.

Heat pumps have been thego-to example people use when talking about the cost of net zero, a lightning rod for attacks, with prices being quoted in the media at anywhere between 8 and 20 thousand pounds.

Although old gas boilers are unlikely to be mandated to be replaced for at least 15 years, this has become an urgent problem for the government to deal with today.

Having promised to set out how it intends to reach net zero as part of the wide ranging ‘Net Zero Strategy’ ahead of COP26, the world is watching and looking to the UK for ambitious leadership.

The question is, do we have the political or technological answers to do this?

Joining our senior political adviser, Joe Tetlow today is Clem Cowton, director of external affairs for Octopus Energy.

Octopus are a tech unicorn who entered the UK energy market in 2016 to disrupt the status quo, now have over 2 million customers and are self-professed greenies, supplying 100% green electricity to their customers. They also invest in green energy and manufacture heat pumps.

The government commissioned Henry Dimbleby, founder the Leon restaurant chain, to conduct a review of our food system. Part one of this National Food Strategy review was published last May with a focus on food inequality.

Part two was published this summer and contained recommendations such as guaranteeing funding for farmers, and the development of a rural land use framework to advise on the best use of different areas of land.

Our strategy director Belinda Gordon spoke to Henry to find out more about the recommendations in the report on everything from meat consumption to trade deals.

You can also watch the event on YouTube or listen to the podcast from our previous event on racism in the environment sector here.

If you want to learn more about Green Alliance’s work on green jobs, read our report on how the government can unlock thousands of green jobs across many regions of the UK. You can also explore Public First research, commissioned by Green Alliance, into what people think about green jobs.

The event was chaired by Ruth Chambers, senior parliamentary affairs associate at Greener UK. Joining future generational commissioner for Wales Sophie Howe, in discussion were Caroline Lucas MP and climate justice activist Daze Aghaji.

Libby Peake is head of resource policy at Green Alliance. She is lead author of our report Targeting success, which highlights the need for clear and ambitious goals to reduce resource use. Read the report.

Kate Raworth is an economist and author of Doughnut economics, which proposes a ground-breaking new approach to the economy. She also co-founded the Doughnut Economics Action Lab and teaches at Oxford University.

Caterina Brandmayr is head of climate policy at Green Alliance.

Cait Hewitt is the deputy director at the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), a not-for-profit campaigning organisation that focuses on the environmental impact of aviation.

Sam Alvis is head of green renewal at Green Alliance and a former senior adviser at the Tony Blair Institute.

Anthony Browne is the MP for South Cambridgeshire and the chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on the Environment. He is also a former journalist and director of the think tank Policy Exchange.

On they day they spoke, Green Alliance launched the latest update of the Net zero policy tracker, which is monitoring the government’s progress on cutting carbon emissions.

Ruth Chambers joined the Greener UK unit as senior parliamentary affairs associate leading the coalition's work on the Environment Bill.

Dame Glenys Stacey is the chair of the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) in the UK.

Philippa Borrowman is a policy adviser at Green Alliance working in our Low Carbon Future theme.

Andrea Lee is the campaigns and policy manager at ClientEarth and coordinates the national Healthy Air Campaign.

Sam Alvis is the head of the green renewal project at Green Alliance and former senior adviser at the Tony Blair Institute.

Dimitri Zenghelis is a special adviser at the Bennett Institute, University of Cambridge, and co-founder of the Wealth Economy project. He is also a senior fellow at the Grantham Institute on Climate Change at the London School of Economics. Dimitri was head of the Stern Review team and head of economic forecasting at the Treasury.

In this episode, Jim Elliot speaks to Karen Ellis, director of sustainable economy at WWF-UK, about the landmark Dasgupta Review on the economics of biodiversity.

They discuss the significant conclusions of the review, what should be done to reverse nature’s decline and why GDP may no longer be an adequate indicator of economic development.

Read our short summary for policymakers and commission's final report

Follow Mya-Rose on her website www.birdgirluk.com, on Twitter @BirdgirlUK, or on Instagram @birdgirluk. You can also follow Black2Nature on Twitter @officialb2n and Instagram @offcialb2n.

In episode four of our second series of ‘Insights’ podcasts, Shaun Spiers, executive director at Green Alliance is joined by Sir Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats.

They discuss Ed's time as secretary of state for energy and climate change during the coalition years, his hopes for COP26 and Lib Dem ambitions for the environment.

For this podcast, we brought together a panel of experts to discuss the consequences of lab grown meat and dairy. Proponents emphasise the environmental and animal welfare potential of these technologies, but there are concerns about ownership and distribution of economic benefits, as well as the serious potential impact on the farming community.

The panel includes Dr Alexandra Sexton, Leverhulme research fellow at University of Sheffield, Jamie Arbib, co-founder of RethinkX and Alice Ritchie, climate change lead, Country Land and Business Association (CLA) and was chaired by Anna Turns, environmental journalist.

What does the term green finance mean? How can investments support a green recovery? And what more can government do to encourage investment in the low carbon economy? Caterina and Ben discuss the ins and outs of green finance.

This conversation took place at our Making it count event on Friday 27 November, in which Ed joined us to discuss the importance of getting COP26 right.

As a "veteran of Copenhagen", the former Labour leader has some fascinating insights into what we have learned from the past decade of climate negotiations.

Discover more about what happened at our Making it count event on our YouTube channel.

The UK government’s commitment to phase out petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030 was called for by Green Alliance and Greenpeace in a joint briefing in September 2020.

In this episode, Gwen and Rebecca discuss the significance of this policy and others to ask - is the PM's green plan going to put the environment at the heart of the economic recovery?

In this US election podcast, Jess Shankleman, reporter for Bloomberg News chairs a fascinating discussion between Claire Healy, director of climate diplomacy at E3G , Brendan Guy, senior adviser to the NRDC Action Fund and Katie Eder, executive director of Future Coalition on what the election result could mean for climate and nature.

Recorded two days after the US election, this episode focuses on what a Joe Biden administration will do in office in this critical moment for the environment. You can watch the recording of the original event here.

While electronics play an increasingly important role in our lives, short lived products have led to a mounting e-waste problem in the UK. Green Alliance's head of resource policy, Libby Peake interviews the co-founders of the Restart Project, Janet Gunter and Ugo Vallauri to discuss how we can fix our relationship with stuff.

The Restart Project helps people learn how to repair their electronics and to rethink how they consume them in the first place. Both Green Alliance and the Restart Project are members of Right to Repair Europe.

As the coronavirus pandemic and climate crisis grab the headlines, the alarming rate of nature loss in the UK and the impact it is having is slipping under the radar. There are few people in the UK who have done more to put this right than Charlie Burrell.

The former chair of the charity Rewilding Britain and owner of Knepp estate, Charlie tells Belinda Gordon how removing fencing, introducing deer, Longhorn cattle, Exmoor ponies and Tamworth pigs has allowed nature to take over this once intensively farmed land with incredible results. They discuss how this example can offer inspiration and lessons for new ways of managing land across the country, to reverse nature loss in a way that’s also better for people.

On the 3rd of September, Green Alliance hosted a webinar about how, as a sector and a wider movement, we can address racism in our work to tackle the climate and nature crisis.

During the event, we heard reflections from Mya-Rose Craig (Birdgirl), founder and president, Black2Nature, Charise Johnson, policy advisor (public), The British Academy and Sufina Ahmad, director, The John Ellerman Foundation.

All three speakers are leading the way in creating a more diverse and inclusive sector, their challenges, concerns, and a few hard truths, as well as their advice on the right way forward.

Can you spare a few moments to fill out a quick 2 minute survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

In this episode, you'll hear the highlights from one of our most recent events where we were joined by Professor Partha Dasgupta and Sir Roger Gifford, chair of the Green Finance Institute.

They provided an eye-opening discussion on the economics of biodiversity and outlined the ways in which we can rebuild a more resilient economy for the future, in ways that address the ecological crisis.

This event was included a live Q+A session and was chaired by Dame Fiona Reynolds, master of Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge.

"Every country faces a choice as they map out their recovery - store up problems by sticking with the status quo, or get back on our feet by building back better and greener"

In this podcast, you can listen to Rt Hon George Eustice MP's fist major speech as environment secretary where he set out his vision for a green recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

This episode also includes highlights from the panel discussion that followed, including reflections from Beccy Speight, chief executive of RSPB, and Tanya Steele, chief executive of WWF UK, and a question and answer session, chaired by Green Alliance’s executive director, Shaun Spiers.

Can you spare two minutes to fill out a quick survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

This year, with sales of nature books booming during lockdown, the Wainwright Prize for nature writing has never felt more timely. For this episode, we had the privilege of interviewing two of the longlisted authors for this year’s prize, to be announced on 9 September.

Jini Reddy, award-winning author and journalist, shares her experience of writing Wanderland, an account of her journey to connect with the magic of the landscape, and Dara McAnulty, a young star of the conservation movement, talks about his book Diary of a young naturalist.

Tune in to hear this fascinating discussion on the joy of connecting with nature and writing about it, and its importance in engaging more diverse audiences with the natural world.

Can you spare two minutes to fill out a quick survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

"We will only have a healthy economy if we have a healthy environment"

In this episode, Emma Howard Boyd, chair of the Environment Agency and a member of the government's Council for Sustainable Business, is interviewed by Green Alliance's executive director Shaun Spiers.

This interview was recorded ahead of the summit of business leaders and government, being held on Monday 29th June. The summit will see major FTSE100 businesses come together to make clear commitments to tackle the climate and nature emergencies, and deliver a green recovery post-coronavirus.

Emma discusses the vital part that business will play in delivering the UK’s ambitions on climate and nature and shares her experience of both government and the public sector, and the business and finance world.

On 4 June 2020, we hosted an online event with Mary Robinson, chair of The Elders, and Lord Stern, chair of the Grantham Research Institute at the London School of Economics.

This episode features the highlights of the discussion around what is needed to ensure a socially just, inclusive and low carbon recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

The discussion was chaired by Green Alliance’s executive director, Shaun Spiers.

Can you spare a few moments to fill out a quick 2 minute survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

On 3 June 2020, we hosted an event online reflecting on the current state of EU negotiations and discussing what needs be done before the end of the transition period to ensure the UK’s environment remains protected and whether the UK has the right institutions in place to uphold environmental protections.

This episode features the highlights of the discussion. Our expert panel were Jill Rutter, senior research fellow, UK in a Changing Europe; David Baldock, senior fellow, Institute for European Environmental Policy; and Maria Lee, professor of law, University College London. The discussion was chaired by Green Alliance’s executive director and chair of Greener UK, Shaun Spiers.

We were joined by Environment Minister Rebecca Pow for this special podcast episode for World Environment Day. Currently serving as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at Defra, she has long been a champion of environmental issues.

She discusses her farming roots, studies and career, and her passion for nature.

Hear Rebecca Pow’s insights into actions the government is taking on the environment, including on air quality, waste and agriculture. She describes the changes she hopes to see as a result of the UK’s forthcoming environmental legislation, like the Environment Bill, and the environmental ‘super year’ ahead.

Can you spare a few minutes to fill out a quick survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

How do we get on a sustainable economic pathway?

Dieter Helm is professor of energy policy and official fellow in economics of Oxford University. His book Green and prosperous land' argues that the UK has so far overlooked the climate impact caused by the products we consume.

In the last in the current series of our ‘Insights’ podcasts, Caterina Brandmayr and Dieter Helm discuss the importance of the UK tackling all the emissions it’s responsible for, a green recovery and the role of carbon taxes.

Can you spare two minutes to fill out a quick survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

This episode features the highlights from our online event, 'Will Covid-19 shift the UK to sustainable transport long term?'.

During lockdown there was a huge drop in transport across the UK and the air we breathe has been noticeably cleaner as a result.

But will decisions made as the lockdown is eased make transport systems compatible with the government’s net zero target and improve air quality across the country long term, or will they lock in more carbon intensive infrastructure and behaviour for years to come?

These questions were discussed by an expert panel, offering perspectives from major UK cities.

Chris Boardman, commissioner for walking and cycling, Greater Manchester
Shirley Rodrigues, deputy mayor for environment and energy, Greater London Authority
Jillian Anable, professor of transport and energy, Institute for Transport Studies, University of Leeds

This was the latest in a series of online events Green Alliance is hosting to discuss the impact of the current health crisis on the environment. We hope you enjoy the episode.

Brexit means that the UK can design its own approach to international trade for the first time in over 40 years, but what could this mean for the environment?

In this episode, Sarah Williams, head of the Greener UK unit, is joined by Tom West, UK environment lead at ClientEarth, and an expert on the trade talks.

With the UK in the midst of trade negotiations with a number of different countries, and the Trade Bill being discussed in parliament, how we can make sure these agreements are positive and not damaging to the environment?

In this episode, we interview professor in practice at Lancaster University and expert lead for the Climate Assembly UK, Dr Rebecca Willis.

She gives her insights into the assembly’s process and what the results could mean for future UK climate action.

She discusses her new book Too hot to handle? The democratic challenge of climate change which reports on her revealing interviews with leading politicians across the parties and their attitudes to climate action.

Can you spare two minutes to fill out a quick survey about the Green Alliance podcast? We'd love to hear your feedback.

Human disruption of natural support systems is not only damaging wildlife and ecosystems, it is also putting the human population at considerable risk, as the emergence of Covid-19 has demonstrated.

In this fascinating discussion between Libby Peake and disease ecologist Dr Thomas Gillespie of Emory University we learn about the risk factors involved in the 'spillover' of new pathogens caused by human induced environmental change, and the urgent need to change the 'artificial divide' between health and the environment.

"A hopeful future and a better normal"

On 5 May 2020, Green Alliance hosted an online event to discuss the implications of the coronavirus crisis for nature and the conservation sector and the very important role it can play in the nation's recovery.

Speakers were Hilary McGrady, director-general of the National Trust, Beccy Speight, chief executive of the RSPB, and Tony Juniper, chair of Natural England.

This episode features the highlights of the discussion.

This event was the second in a series of Green Alliance online events exploring the impact of the current health crisis on the environment.

Will the post-pandemic settlement be the beginning of a new normal or a return to old ways?

In this episode, Shaun Spiers, Green Alliance’s executive director, interviews Margaret Heffernan, former CEO of five businesses and inspirational speaker and writer on the nature of leadership.

She reminds us that, at times of great uncertainty, we must have confidence in our capacity to adapt, improvise and create a future we want and can believe in.

Their discussion reflects on past pandemics and crises, what we have learned from them and how these lessons can bring us hope in dealing with Covid-19 and climate change.

This podcast episode is an insight into the carbon reduction plans of one of the UK’s largest National Park Authorities (NPA).

The Yorkshire Dales National Park’s ambitious plans aim to transform the region’s buildings, transport and land management, almost eliminating all CO2 emissions by 2030.

Ruth Chambers interviews David Butterworth, chief executive of the national park about the plan, why it will be important to transfer more power and resources from central government to local regions and how national parks can be part of the post Covid-19 solution for a better society.

This podcast features the highlights from an hourlong expert discussion on what the coronavirus crisis means for climate action, including the postponement of COP26 and the economic consequences.

Panellists:

Chris Stark, chief executive, the Committee on Climate Change (CCC)
Camilla Born, deputy strategy director, COP26 unit, Cabinet Office
Dr Thomas Hale, associate professor of global public policy, University of Oxford

This was the first in a series of online events we will be hosting on the impact of the current health crisis on the environmental agenda.

James Elliott interviews Tim Lang, professor of food policy and founder of the food policy centre at City, University of London. They discuss his new book Feeding Britain and the implications of coronavirus for the UK's food system.

This episode also covers food inequality, whether we need rationing, why food and health issues are inextricably linked with the economy, defence, risk, nature and biodiversity, and the urgent need for a food resilience plan.

As he takes up his new role at a historic moment for the UK, Craig Bennett, the incoming chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, reflects on his 18 years at Friends of the Earth and shares his vision for the sector.

With Green Alliance’s Shaun Spiers, he discusses immediate priorities for the sector in dealing with Covid-19 and how charitable organisations can emerge strong from the pandemic, and why we can’t hit pause on the important conservation services being carried out by environmental charities.

Other issues discussed include:
- The spectrum of environmental organisations and radicalism
- What’s wrong with ‘nature conservation’?
- The need for more diversity in the sector
- How optimistic are environmentalists really?

Waste and recycling operatives are designated as key workers by the government. Adam Read, external affairs director of waste management company SUEZ, and Libby Peake, head of resource policy at Green Alliance discuss the implications for the industry and what’s needed to make sure essential recycling and waste services continue to function safely and efficiently during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Will panic buying lead to an avalanche of food waste?

How do priority waste and recycling services keep operating with 40 per cent of the workforce unable to work?

Is there a risk that the crisis will encourage throwaway living?

In this episode, Ruth Chambers, parliamentary adviser at Green Alliance interviews Sir David Natzler, former Clerk and principal constitutional adviser to the House of Commons.

Together, they discuss what coronavirus means for public engagement with parliament and how it is affecting the passage of important environmental legislation.

This episode Transport and Environment's Greg Archer discusses issues around the rise of electric vehicles with Chaitanya Kumar, including the UK's ban on diesel and petrol vehicles and the effectiveness of the measures introduced in the 2020 budget.

Plus, is the quietness of electric vehicles really a safety issue? Hear Greg Archer debunk some common myths about electric vehicles.

Ali Plummer of the RSPB and Ruth Chambers of Greener UK have both worked at the heart of bringing the Environment Bill to parliament and they have strong views about what needs to happen to make sure it is the landmark legislation that has been promised.

They discuss why the bill matters, whether it will stand the test of time and whether it will be strong enough to set the right path for future governments to be able to reverse nature’s decline in the UK.

What are the building blocks needed for a green economy?
How can the government make sure UK infrastructure is planned and managed to promote innovative low carbon solutions? And what role do businesses and the public play in making this a reality?

Our new podcast brings you the highlights from the expert panel discussion that took place during the Green Innovation Policy Commission launch event in November 2019.

This podcast begins with an introduction to green innovation through infrastructure delivery, provided by senior policy analyst Caterina Brandmayr.

You'll then hear the highlights from the event's discussion and the insightful contributions made by expert panellists John Cridland, Angela Francis, Laura Sandys and Jenifer Baxter as they gathered to discuss how infrastructure can enable the transition to a low carbon economy in the UK.

Topics discussed include: low carbon infrastructure, a just transition, green economy, business, technological solutions, the power sector, holistic policy making, local and national leadership.

We welcomed a fantastic range of panellists to discuss this new legislation and to share ideas on how we can make the most of this 'climate moment'.

We were joined by Rt Hon Ed Miliband, MP for Doncaster North and chair of the IPPR’s Environmental Justice Commission, Isabella Gornall, managing director of Seahorse Environmental Communications, Scarlett Westbrook, a Birmingham School Striker for Climate, and Leah Davis, senior adviser to the deputy mayor of London.

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In response to Extinction Rebellion’s recent climate protests in the UK, some suggested that China would be a more legitimate target for protest. But what is China doing to address its domestic environmental crisis and transform the world's second largest economy away from highly polluting industry towards clean energy, services and innovation?

Listen to the highlights from our discussion with Barbara Finamore, whose book 'Will China save the planet?' explores China’s global role on climate change.

Barbara was in conversation with Tom Hale, associate professor of global public policy and director of China engagement at the Blavatnik School of Government, Oxford University. The event was chaired by Shaun Spiers, executive director, Green Alliance.

Topics discussed include: environmentalism, air pollution, renewable energy, electric vehicles, energy demand, resource and energy efficiency and the belt and road initiative.

The latest insights into environmental policy and politics, both in the UK and abroad.

Things get heated in this episode as we cover wildfires in the Arctic, a heatwave in the UK and a bonfire of environmental protections in Brazil. Plus, as Amy and Matt prepare for a summer break, listen to their predictions about what we can expect from environmental politics and policy on their return.

But first, does the new PM have any space on his desk for the environment and climate crisis?

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Did you know? Waste and resources policy is a devolved matter in the UK and if it was a race to design a world leading recycling system, Scotland would be winning.

While England is just considering how a deposit return scheme for drinks containers will work, Scotland announced in January 2019 that it would definitely be having one and set out its overarching design in May, with a deadline of bringing the system in by 2020.

Join experts in resources and waste to discuss what needs to be done to ensure the system is effective, and how Scotland can build on these upcoming changes to bring innovation to the way we handle resources.

With Iain Gulland, chief executive of Zero Waste Scotland; Jenni Hume, campaign manager for Scotland's 'Have You Got the Bottle?'; Marcel Arsand, sustainability manager at Ball Beverage Packaging Europe; Libby Peake, senior policy adviser at Green Alliance; and Lesley Riddoch, Scottish journalist and broadcaster.

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As media focuses on leaked documents from the UK ambassador to the US, you might have missed President Trump’s speech on the environment. We take a look at the US media reaction and pick some of the best questions from journalists. We consider the environmental commitments of the contenders for the Conservative and Lib Dem leadership. Plus, scientists have concluded that trillions of trees might be one of the best ways to reduce emissions - but it’s a report that’s not without controversy.

First and foremost, however, we explore the Committee on Climate Change's latest report assessing the UK's progress against its climate targets. If it was a school report, how has the government scored?

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The latest insights into environmental policy and politics in the UK and abroad.

An episode of superlatives: Amy and Matt discuss the biggest ever parliamentary mass lobby on the environment; the UK becoming the first G7 economy with net zero emissions; and the third runway at Heathrow, an airport which is already the biggest single source of emissions in the UK. Three years after the EU referendum, Amy and Matt ask whether the UK is environmentally ready to leave the EU.

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In this episode: Amy and Matt investigate the green surge in the European parliamentary elections and look ahead to another really significant election - but one with a much smaller electorate: the race to become the next Conservative Party leader and Prime Minister, following Theresa May’s resignation. Plus, can we achieve #coalfreeforever? Amy and Matt celebrate the UK's longest period without burning coal for electricity since the Industrial Revolution.

Plus reasons to be cheerful: we celebrate the Welsh government's decision to protect the Gwent levels and not build the M4 Relief Road and Michael Gove's ban on plastic straws, stirrers and cotton buds.

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The UK is in the midst of a tumultuous redefinition of its place in the world. Its success to date has been built on high environmental standards, reinforced by its position in the EU. Depending on our future relationship with the EU, what is the likely future for our domestic and international environmental ambitions as a result of new trade deals, both with the EU and other major trading blocs?

For this event, we were delighted to have Pascal Lamy, president emeritus of the Jacques Delors Institute and director-general of the World Trade Organization from 2005 to 2013, as our keynote speaker.

The keynote address was followed by a panel discussion addressing the importance of trade deals to clean growth and environmental protections, where trade negotiations could pose environmental risks and what the outline of a UK clean trade strategy might look like.

Expert panelists:

Dr Emily Lydgate, Senior lecturer in law, University of Sussex

Shaun Spiers, Executive director, Green Alliance

Maddy Thimont Jack, Senior researcher, Institute for Government

The event was chaired by Randeep Ramesh, Chief leader writer, The Guardian.

This event also launched a new report by Dr Markus Gehring, director of studies at Hughes Hall, University of Cambridge and lead counsel at the Centre for International Sustainable Development Law, that looks at the legal framework to ensure high climate ambition within the UK and the EU agreement and other future trade deals.

See here for photos of the event and an event summary: https://wke.lt/w/s/t4XYvx

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In this episode: what do we know and how should we act? We look at two major reports that have landed with an almighty thump: the Committee on Climate Change (CCC) report on net zero and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) report on species loss. Plus, we join climate twitter in the campaign for two football finals to come home to the UK.

Interested in what you're hearing? Here are some links to read on:

CCC

CCC, Twitter, https://twitter.com/theCCCuk/status/1123838886831120385

Roger Harrabin, BBC News, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48233548

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, The Telegraph https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2019/05/02/three-cheers-climate-committee-no-cost-zero-emissions/

Jonathan Ford, The Financial Times, https://www.ft.com/content/70d36c14-6db0-11e9-a9a5-351eeaef6d84

IPBES

Ruth Chambers, Inside Track, "Nature is in crisis: now the UK government must respond", https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2019/05/09/nature-is-in-crisis-now-the-uk-government-must-respond/

The New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/11/opinion/sunday/extinction-endangered-species-biodiversity.html

BBC News, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-48104037

Europa and Champions league finals

The Guardian, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/may/11/anger-carbon-bootprint-english-football-finals-champions-league-europa-league

Dara O'Briain tweet: https://twitter.com/daraobriain/status/1126609021719470081

The Telegraph: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2018/11/21/environmental-campaigners-back-telegraphs-call-premier-league/

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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In this episode: extinction rebellion, MPs' responses to the draft Environment Bill and natural climate solutions. Plus we discuss climate change in pop culture: RSPB's dawn song competing with Taylor Swift and Lil' Dicky's 'Earth' feat 30 celebrities, including Leonardo DiCaprio.

Interested in what you're hearing? Here are some links to read on:

Extinction Rebellion:

Rebecca Willis: https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2019/04/23/after-extinction-rebellion-where-next-for-climate-politics/

James Murray: https://www.businessgreen.com/bg/blog-post/3074582/rebel-alliance

Environment Bill:

Ruth Chambers: https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2019/04/25/mps-demand-more-from-the-environment-bill/

Environment Audit Committee, "Scrutiny of the Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill" https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/news-parliament-2017/draft-environment-bill-report-publication-17-19/

Amy Mount, "Some thoughts on the relationship between environmental progress and the #RuleOfLaw", https://twitter.com/ASmallAMount/status/1121413512855728129

Natural Climate Solutions:

Green Alliance, "Cutting the climate impact of land use", http://bit.ly/2DwAsFv

George Monbiot et al. https://www.naturalclimate.solutions/

And listen to the songs:

RSPB, "Let nature sing",https://www.rspb.org.uk/get-involved/campaigning/let-nature-sing?utm_source=letnaturesing_shorturl&utm_medium=print&utm_campaign=letnaturesing

Lil' Dicky: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvuN_WvF1to

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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Changes to the way we manage and use land will play a vital role in achieving the UK’s climate change objectives in the coming decades. Currently, farmers and land managers can sell carbon credits for woodland and peatland projects to businesses wanting to reduce their environmental impact. However, the voluntary carbon market is small. This podcast discusses how we can boost the amount of funding available for UK carbon markets which could help to decarbonise agriculture and re carbonise soil.

This event launched our new report with The National Trust: New routes to decarbonise land use with Natural Infrastructure Schemes which investigates how a Natural Infrastructure Scheme (NIS) could be used to achieve land based carbon reductions. Find out more here: https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/new_routes_to_decarbonise_land_use.php

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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In this episode: are we going back to the 20th century? We look at plans for a new coal mine in Cumbria which has just been approved by the local council, CPRE's new report on how new homes should be built on recycled land, and we discuss the devastating impacts of Cyclone Idai on the global South.

Disasters Emergency Committee is still raising money for relief efforts - please consider donating: https://donation.dec.org.uk/cyclone#/

Interested in what you're hearing? Here are some links to read on:

Cyclone Idai

Government response to Cyclone Idai, https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-statement/Commons/2019-03-26/HCWS1450
Matt McGrath,BBC News, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47638588
Joe Sandler Clark, Unearthed, https://unearthed.greenpeace.org/2018/10/16/uk-international-development-brexit-penny-mordaunt-climate-change/

Cumbria's coal mine

UK Government, Powering Past Coal Alliance declaration, https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/powering-past-coal-alliance-declaration
Rebecca Willis, https://theconversation.com/britain-has-its-first-new-deep-coal-mine-in-decades-a-result-of-pretending-climate-change-isnt-political-114028?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Twitter#Echobox=1553240103
Libby Peake, "UK steel must go green to survive", https://greenallianceblog.org.uk/2018/07/18/uk-steel-must-go-green-to-survive/
Green Alliance,Completing the circle: creating effective UK markets for recovered resources, https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/completing_the_circle.php

Building on brownfield sites:

CPRE, "State of Brownfield 2019", https://www.cpre.org.uk/resources/housing-and-planning/planning/item/5086-state-of-brownfield-2019
Mark Wilding and James Agyepong-Parsons, ENDS report, https://www.endsreport.com/article/1579916/green-light-600-lodge-leisure-resort-despite-significant-adverse-impact-biodiversity
Sarah George, edie.net, https://www.edie.net/news/11/Spring-Statement--Chancellor-unveils-new-sustainability-measures/

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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From rooftop and community solar to electric vehicles and heat pumps, the UK’s low carbon transition is driving change. One study estimates that 11 million households in the country could be producing or storing energy by 2030, compared to under a million today.

The UK government is consulting on the design of the future energy system, to determine new rules and regulations around how we buy, sell and manage our energy. What do these changes mean for the development and direction of community energy over the next ten years? How can we ensure the future energy system is fair?

This event launched our new report Community Energy 2.0, alongside a Community Energy Manifesto signed by over twenty community energy and affiliated groups. Find out more here: https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/community_energy_2.0.php

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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The UK government is in the middle of four substantial consultations aiming to reboot a recycling system in the UK currently stalling at best, and failing at worst.

Our panel examines the government's proposals to bring in a deposit return scheme for beverage containers and to reform packaging regulations so that producers bear the full cost of dealing with material they put on the market. These major overhauls promise to change how producers, retailers, householders, local authority and waste managers deal with waste materials. However, it is important that these designs ensure the best environmental outcomes and avoid perverse or unintended consequences.

This event launched our new report, Closing the loop, which outlines the steps to almost 100 per cent aluminium packaging recycling. The report is a reminder that plastic isn't the only material and demonstrates what can be achieved through ambitious policy making. Find out more here: https://www.green-alliance.org.uk/resources/Closing_the_loop.pdf

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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Our fortnightly round up of the top environmental topics in the news, hosted by Amy Mount and Matt Williams.

In this episode: how Brexit might affect the imported food we eat, politicians’ responses to the climate strikes, microplastics everywhere from Antarctica to a river in Manchester, and the Chancellor’s announcements of money for nature and the climate.

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Our fortnightly round up of the top environmental topics in the news, hosted by Amy Mount and Matt Williams.

This episode spans school strikes, hot weather, domestic heating, waste, Brexit and giant insects.

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In this episode: will our insects still be here in 100 years? We'll be discussing the threat of global insect collapse, the launch of the Green New Deal and the environmental implications of Brexit.

Interested in what you're hearing? Here are some links to read on:

Brexit

Greener UK, https://greeneruk.org/
Fiona Harvey, "Brexit could be good for UK environment, says top government adviser", https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/07/brexit-good-news-uk-environment-common-agricultural-policy
Gareth Simkins, "Theresa May backs vote on adopting EU green standards", https://www.endsreport.com/article/62123/theresa-may-backs-vote-on-adopting-eu-green-standards

Insect Armageddon

Roger Harrabin, "Environment in multiple crises - report", https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-47203344
Tom Clarke, "Insect mass extinction shock headlines do not tell whole story and risk undermining threat of declining numbers", https://www.itv.com/news/2019-02-11/insect-mass-extinction-headlines-do-not-tell-whole-story-and-risk-undermining-threat-of-declining-numbers/
Damian Carrington, "Plummeting insect numbers 'threaten collapse of nature'", https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/feb/10/plummeting-insect-numbers-threaten-collapse-of-nature

Green New Deal

Green New Deal , https://apps.npr.org/documents/document.html?id=5729033-Green-New-Deal-FINAL
Robinson Meyer, "The Green New Deal Hits Its First Major Snag", https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/01/first-fight-about-democrats-climate-green-new-deal/580543/
Josh Seigel, "Republican lawmakers face pressure to propose 'Green New Deal' alternative", https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/energy/republican-lawmakers-face-pressure-to-propose-green-new-deal-alternative
Twitter thread against scientists attacked GND: https://twitter.com/DoctorVive/status/1088096999147220993

Questions or comments? Tweet us @GreenAllianceUK!

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The highlights from our recent event marking one year on from the Chinese ban on 'foreign garbage'. Hear voices from across the recycling and waste sector, including Defra, Suez and Friends of the Earth, as we seek to move the debate on plastics forward. Which countries has the ban most effected, what is the UK doing to tackle the problem and why is it so important to take our waste seriously?

Panellists:

Dawn Woodward, Defra’s Deputy Head Resources and Waste (Strategy and Regulation), who delivered a keynote address outlining how the new strategy will address the challenges.
Emma Priestland, plastics campaigner, Friends of the Earth;
Adam Read, external affairs director, SUEZ Recycling & Recovery UK;
Libby Peake, senior policy adviser on resources, Green Alliance;
Caroline Laurie, head of sustainability, Kingfisher plc

Chaired by our resources expert, Libby Peake.

See photos from the event.

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This event launched our new report, By popular demand: what people want from a resource efficient economy, in conjunction with CIEMAP.

Joined by a panel of experts from industry, academia and the NGO community, we explored which resource efficiency policies people currently like and which they don’t – and why – and what this means for the government, policy makers and businesses.

See photos from the event.

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This event discussed how the UK could continue to act collaboratively with the EU to raise ambition and achievement in international climate diplomacy, after Brexit.

We explored how Norway and Switzerland work alongside the EU to raise global climate action and what a future UK-EU climate partnership, formal or otherwise, could mean for collaborative climate and energy policy across Europe.

See photos from the event here and an event summary

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CAP reform, the 25 year environment plan and Brexit will all combine to reshape future UK farming and land use, but the necessary contribution of land use to meeting more stringent carbon targets, and possibly even reaching a net zero emissions economy, has not yet been acknowledged by politicians.

This debate discusses the tensions between meeting these challenges and the different visions for the future of rural communities and landscapes.

Panellists:

Liz Bowles, head of farming, Soil Association
Tara Garnett, coordinator and lead researcher, Food Climate Research
Christopher Price, director of policy and advice, CLA
Ruth Davis, deputy director of Global Programmes at the RSPB

Chaired by Roger Harrabin, BBC environment and energy analyst.

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The best bits from the second of three live debates exploring the controversial questions about the future of land, the environment and food.

In this episode: What are the implications of giving up control of food standards to trading partners like the US? Will sourcing more food from abroad make our food system more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change? Should the government be trying to link up policy on environmental health and nutrition?

Chaired by Charlotte Smith, presenter of Farming Today on BBC Radio 4.

Panel:

Sir Peter Kendall, chair, AHDB
Anna Taylor OBE, executive director, The Food Foundation
Vicki Hird, campaign coordinator for food and farming policy, Sustain
Andrew Opie, director of food policy, British Retail Consortium

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Newsnight's Evan Davis chairs the Green Alliance 2018 annual debate, with a keynote speech by Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation. Laurence played a central role in reaching the 2015 Paris climate agreement as France’s climate change ambassador.

Speakers

Chair: Evan Davis, presenter, Newsnight
Laurence Tubiana, CEO of the European Climate Foundation
Sir Ian Cheshire, chairman, Barclays UK
Alice Bell, director of communications, 10:10
Chris Stark, chief executive, Committee on Climate Change

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The best bits from the first of three live debates exploring the controversial questions about the future of land, the environment and food.

In this episode: Is technology a force for good in environmentally sustainable food production? Or could it do more harm than good? And what are the wider social and ethical implications?

Panel:

Simon Blackmore, head of robotics, Harper Adams University
Helen Browning, chief executive, Soil Association
Robin Grove-White, professor emeritus of environment and society, Lancaster University
Alastair Cooper, organic farmer and senior investment director at ADM Capital

Chaired by Christine Tacon, the UK's groceries code adjudicator and former managing director of Co-operative Farms.

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