FTSE 100 firm beats two US-owned companies as government pushes nuclear power with Sizewell C investment
Sizewell C to be built as part of UK’s £14bn nuclear investment
Rolls-Royce has won a competition to be the first company to try to build small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) in the UK, as part of a government effort to push Britain to the frontier of nuclear energy technology.
Great British Energy – Nuclear said on Tuesday that Rolls-Royce SMR was the preferred bidder for the programme, after a drawn-out competition that pitted the FTSE 100 manufacturer against two US-owned companies.
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Breaking Waves: Ocean News
06/10/2025 - 02:00
As the Earth heats up, the amount of algae in our waterways is rapidly increasing, transforming the colour of lakes and killing entire ecosystems
Before the elephants collapsed, they walked in aimless circles. Some fell head first, dying where they stood moments earlier; their carcasses scattered near watering holes across the Okavango delta. The unexplained deaths in May 2020 alarmed conservationists. By July, at least 350 elephants had died and nobody knew why.
“The animals all had their tusks, so poaching was unlikely. A lot of them had obviously died relatively suddenly: they had dropped on to their sternums, which was indicating a sudden loss of muscle function or neural capacity,” says Niall McCann, director of the conservation group National Park Rescue.
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06/09/2025 - 23:01
Move to narrow classification of Pfas and weaken regulation is ‘politically and/or economically motivated’
A group of 20 internationally renowned scientists have issued a strong warning against attempts to narrow the definition of “forever chemicals” in what they describe as a politically or economically motivated effort to weaken regulation of the potentially harmful chemicals.
Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (Pfas) are a large group of synthetic chemicals used for their oil-, water- and stain-resistant properties in a range of consumer and industrial products from waterproof clothing and non-stick cookware to firefighting foams and electronics.
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06/09/2025 - 21:11
Exclusive: In the first legal challenge to the plan, top climate lawyers claim the government relies too heavily on forestry and failed to consult the public
Hundreds of top environment lawyers are suing the New Zealand government over what they say is its “dangerously inadequate” plan to reduce emissions to net zero by 2050.
It is the first time the country’s emissions reduction plan has faced litigation, and the lawyers believe it is the first case globally that challenges the use of forestry to offset emissions.
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06/09/2025 - 20:33
Less than 1% of our country’s seas are highly protected and the damaging practice of bottom-trawling must be restricted
It’s a remarkable feat that a small, isolated island nation of just five million people has managed to stake a claim to one of the largest ocean territories in the world.
New Zealand’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) spans more than 4m square kilometres – an area 15 times the size of our landmass.
Rt Hon Helen Clark is a former prime minister of New Zealand, and former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Dr Kayla Kingdon-Bebb is chief executive of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) New Zealand.
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06/09/2025 - 18:34
Findings highlight how misinformation about battery safety prevents drivers from investing in low-emission cars
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More than a third of Australians believe misinformation about electric vehicles, while almost half accept the myth that battery-powered cars are more likely to catch fire, a study shows.
Interventions using fact sheets and artificial intelligence chatbots may help lower false beliefs, researchers say, but those with a strong “conspiracy mentality” are harder to convince.
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06/09/2025 - 18:01
Ed Miliband promises to ‘get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster’ with new plant expected to create 10,000 jobs
The biggest nuclear programme in a generation will “get Britain off the fossil fuel rollercoaster”, the energy secretary, Ed Miliband, has said, announcing £14.2bn to build a new nuclear power station and a drive to build small modular reactors.
The multibillion-pound investment at Sizewell C on the Suffolk coast, which has been long expected, will create 10,000 jobs and power the equivalent of 6m homes.
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06/09/2025 - 18:01
Only 7% of Britain’s woodlands in good condition, while number of birds fell by 15% over last five years
The variety of wildlife in the UK’s woodlands continues to decline as the habitats deteriorate, according to a new report.
The Woodland Trust found that the progressively worsening ecological condition of woodlands is making them a less effective habitat for the wildlife living in them.
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06/09/2025 - 13:47
Chair of troubled firm admits 21 senior managers were paid 50% of base salary on 30 April
The environment secretary has been asked if he will claw back controversial bonus payments to Thames Water senior executives after it emerged some bonuses had already been paid out.
Last month, Steve Reed vowed to block bonuses that Thames Water proposed to pay to managers at the beleaguered company. The firm’s chair has been forced to admit that bonuses have already been paid to executives out of a £3bn emergency loan paid by creditors for the purpose of rescuing Thames from financial collapse.
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06/09/2025 - 13:00
Over the last decade, Colombia’s ‘city of eternal spring’ has embarked on an ambitious effort to restore greenery to public parks, transit corridors and even high-rises
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