My latest @green-alliance.org.uk blog looks at some of the opportunities and challenges facing new Defra Secretary Emma Reynolds. 📝 There's a lot on her 'to do' list so where should she start? Here are five suggestions. greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/09/18/n...

🌋 ⚖️ 🌳 Who remembers when thousands of environmental laws nearly disappeared over a cliff?* 📑 In our latest briefing, we tell the story of retained EU laws and look to their future. * Luckily this didn’t happen thanks to civil society and parliamentarians. green-alliance.org.uk/briefing/the...

In our latest blog, @ruthchambers.bsky.social highlights the worrying trend of governments curtailing our ability to protest about their policies or inaction. The government must reset its approach, repeal draconian laws and bring us back into compliance with the Aarhus Convention.

My latest @green-alliance.org.uk blog makes the case for the right to protest on the environment to be restored. It’s not too late to reverse this worrying anti-democratic direction of travel but the government must act now. greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/08/14/t...

🌎 Recent rollbacks in Brazil, Ecuador & the US show how fragile environmental governance systems can be. 🍃 In this new @green-alliance.org.uk blog I look at how the UK can strengthen environmental protections to help them withstand changing political winds. greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/08/06/t...

📆 Today marks one year since Defra launched a ‘rapid review’ of the Environmental Improvement Plan. 🪟 The Office for Environmental Protection has warned the window to get on track to meet environmental goals will soon slam shut. 👀 Safe to say there’s a lot riding on the new plan.

🙏 @justinmadders.bsky.social for reaffirming that environmental protections will be maintained when the govt uses its powers under the Retained EU Law Act. 📗 This welcome statement is in the govt's latest report to Parliament. ✉️ Read the minister's letter 👇 green-alliance.org.uk/wp-content/u...

🌟 🌟 Delighted to give evidence alongside these two superstars* this morning in @senedd.wales on a new legal environmental framework for Cymru. *Alex Phillips from WWF Cymru and Annie Smith from ‪@rspbcymru.bsky.social‬ who co-chair the @waleslink.bsky.social biodiversity group.

🧩 The Welsh environmental governance bill will complete the legislative jigsaw we’ve been working on across the UK since Brexit. 🎧 For more details check out this webinar with @futuregencymru.bsky.social where @rspbcymru.bsky.social WWF Cymru & I discuss the bill. www.youtube.com/watch?v=2g78...

A thundery afternoon at #Elmey nature reserve full of bees and butterflies feasting on teasel nectar, corn bunting (which seems to be doing well here), hares and a sprinting stoat. @bumblebeetrust.bsky.social is this a moss carder? 🐝 🔎

⚡ Big news for Northern Ireland’s environment as an expert review signals the need for major change ⚡ We welcome its calls for stronger environmental governance and enforcement, to better protect and restore the environment. www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/defaul...

Wednesday's spending review revealed the government's plans for the trajectory of the economy, and was largely more forgiving for climate and nature than many expected. So, how did it perform against our asks? 🤔🚦 Read our full evaluation in this new briefing: green-alliance.org.uk/briefing/was...

🔍 It pays to read the small print when ministers exchange letters with select committees. ✉️ In his latest letter to @commonseac.parliament.uk, Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed sets out several important commitments. committees.parliament.uk/publications...

🧵 The latest stocktake from our Legislation and Governance Unit takes a snapshot of UK and EU financial sustainability reporting regulations since Brexit. While both have introduced anti-greenwashing measures, companies operating across borders face slow reform and duplication. 1/5

Today is a red letter day for environmental protection in Wales, as long awaited laws to set up a new watchdog and build the environment into policy making are published. While welcome, the bill must be strengthened. 1/3

📢 There's much to say on Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Bill but other parts also spell big changes. 🙏 In this excellent blog, Prof Maria Lee explains why Part 1 deserves careful scrutiny, not least because of its democratic downsides. greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/05/29/r...

"This is where cross government working really does need to bite." @ruthchambers.bsky.social discusses how to tackle competing departmental priorities with @endsreport.com's @jamesxparsons.bsky.social & @pippaneill.bsky.social on the #ECOchamber podcast. Listen: www.endsreport.com/article/1918...

🌋 As I tell @endsreport.com a major reorganisation of environmental regulators would be really disruptive and would not be a sensible measure at this time. www.endsreport.com/article/1919...

The humble sandeel - an important food source for puffins and a test case of how to resolve UK-EU disagreements on post Brexit environmental protections. greenallianceblog.org.uk/2025/05/27/t...

This highlights the potential pitfalls of the govt's approach to reducing UK consumption of 'forest risk' commodities. The Environment Act's focus on illegal deforestation prompted fears local laws would be weakened. How will UK ministers respond? www.theguardian.com/world/2025/m...

A beautiful start to the day 😎🐎🎡

Earlier this month, the UK's proposals to restrict the fishing of sandeels, introduced to protect puffins, was upheld by international arbitration. In this article for @newstatesman.com, @ruthchambers.bsky.social explains why this matters.

💚Welsh Govt Counsel General @juliejamesms.bsky.social committed today to introducing the new environmental governance bill to @senedd.wales before summer recess. 🙏It’s very welcome and long overdue as it will close the governance gap created by Brexit.

🔎 Sitting in on @commonseac.parliament.uk evidence session with Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed. The opening exchange is on the poor progress to date on meeting environmental goals and targets. Chair @tobyperkinsmp.bsky.social argues there should be a statement to Parliament at key moments.

🥅 🥅 🥅 Another day, another moving goalpost... 🏊 The law* requires all bathing waters in England and Wales to be classified as “sufficient” by 2015. This deadline has of course been missed in many cases. ❓ So what do you think Defra and the Welsh Government are proposing to do? *Regulation 5(1)(a)

⚡ It's been another mega week - with good news for rivers and beavers! 🟢 The government finally gave the green light to beavers returning to the wild. www.gov.uk/government/n...

🔥 Hot off the press! The government has updated its guide on law making to include environmental principles. 🖋️🌳 This matters as new laws must support not ignore environmental goals. 🙏 @lucympowell.bsky.social for her work on this. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/67af11...

In today's #GreenAlliancePodcast, @ruthchambers.bsky.social, senior fellow, is joined by Professor Maria Lee and Dame Glenys Stacey, chair of the OEP, to reflect on the state of our post-Brexit environmental systems five years on. ⚖️🌏 🎧 Full ep: green-alliance.org.uk/podcast/five...

🎧 New podcast 🎧 Five years on: why our post-Brexit environmental systems matter. 🙏 Thanks to Professor Maria Lee and Dame Glenys Stacey for joining me to reflect on the state of play on environmental governance. 📻 Please do listen and join the conversation. green-alliance.org.uk/podcast/five...

🌷 🌳 🔍 This weekend I went looking for signs of Spring and wasn't disappointed. 🐈 The hazel catkins are out! These are the male flowers and, if you look closely, you can see a tiny female purple flower peeking out too. The word "catkin" comes from the Dutch word katteken, which means "little cat".

📢 Just out – a statement from government on the rapid review of its environmental improvement plan. 👀 The new plan will be ready later in 2025. It will be a litmus test of how much the whole of government is willing to push forward environmental ambition. www.gov.uk/government/p...

🔥 Hot off the press is our @green-alliance.org.uk assessment of how well the UK’s post-Brexit environmental governance is working. ⚖️ The verdict? A mixed picture. Headlines below. green-alliance.org.uk/publication/...

The aftermath of the Retained EU Law Act is still being felt, eating up vital civil service time. Here's a 75 page piece of legislation to change how former EU laws are referenced (they're now called assimilated law). Must have taken ages to produce this... www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2025/82...

🐝🐝🐝 Good news! The government has refused emergency authorisation for a bee-killing pesticide, recognising there is “clear and abundant evidence” it is toxic to bees. Well done Defra and Minister @emmahardymp.bsky.social www.gov.uk/government/n...

📗 The Office for Environmental Protection has published its latest assessment of government progress on its environmental targets and commitments. 🧵 A thread on some of the key points from this morning's launch... www.theoep.org.uk/report/gover...

Today, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has released its 2024 progress report on England’s natural environment. 🏞️ The verdict? Government is still “largely off track” on meeting environmental targets. Some key takeaways 👇🧵 www.theoep.org.uk/report/gover...

🔍The Office for Environmental Protection has assessed government progress on the environment in 2023-24. 📉 The verdict? It's largely off track. 🚀 This government can catch up if it acts now. www.theoep.org.uk/report/gover...

As 2024 draws to a close, here’s a round up of ‘unfinished business’ on environmental legislation. 5️⃣ There are five priorities we hope the government will tackle at pace in 2025. green-alliance.org.uk/wp-content/u...

📜 Welcome clarification by @lucympowell.bsky.social that environmental principles will "shortly" feature in the government guide on how to write new laws. 🙏 @elliechowns.bsky.social for raising this important issue. ⏰ We hope "shortly" = January. questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-ques...

📉 Today the government published revised indicators of how well biodiversity is doing in England. The answer? Not very. 🔴 Overall, more indicators are deteriorating or showing no change than improving, over both the long and short term. This is worrying. www.gov.uk/government/s...

📢 It was dispiriting to hear the prime minister’s speech repeat the rhetoric of his predecessors on the planning system yesterday. www.gov.uk/government/s...

📢Good news! Defra has confirmed that it will kickstart a review of the Environment Act 2021 by its 5th anniversary (9 Nov 2026). This will be a chance to review successes, gaps and glitches, areas to improve and parts yet to be used. committees.parliament.uk/publications...

💡 Sometimes the words used to describe our natural wonders are almost as mesmerising as the plant or animal they are naming! 🔍 Here are four wonderful things I saw on the south west coast of Scotland this weekend, along with a little of their etymology and mythology.

🔍 The UN Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders has recently focused his attention on the UK – why and how has the government responded? 🕊️ Reminder: he is concerned about the treatment of peaceful environmental protestors in the UK. unece.org/sites/defaul...

🌍 The marshes of Rainham offer a haven for #nature on London's doorstep. ⚒️ It's also got a fascinating history. The area has been occupied by man since the Palaeolithic era, with evidence of Bronze and Iron Age habitation and Roman occupation nearby.

⚡ Today was a huge reality check of why we need strong environmental laws. 📑 I attended the launch of a stark new report from PBI UK which reveals deeply concerning links between UK companies, environmental devastation and attacks on rights activists. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Today senior policy adviser @sophieoconnell.bsky.social provided evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee for its 1st session of the new parliament. She emphasised the need to consider transport connectivity & nature in upcoming changes to planning reforms. Watch here:

⚖️ This is a first for @green-alliance.org.uk - we are intervening in a legal case on environmental principles. green-alliance.org.uk/press-releas...

⚡ THIS IS BIG! AT the end of last week, the Chancellor wrote to the Bank of England about the climate and nature crisis. ✅ It’s big because she recognises that this is the greatest long term global challenge that we face. assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/673714...

🎬 Hot off the press - the Office for Environmental Protection is looking into whether government guidance on tackling water pollution from agriculture is lawful. 🚀 Given the ongoing dire state of our rivers, this investigation must be conducted at pace. www.theoep.org.uk/investigatio...