environment

• West Midlands to invest £43m in ‘congestion busting projects’

  Local leaders in the West Midlands will this Friday consider plans to invest £43m in projects designed to tackle the region’s congestion problems.

  

• Whitehall launches ‘fracking’ consultation

  The Government has launched a consultation on community involvement in shale gas proposals in an effort to ‘open a meaningful dialogue’.

  

• How local authorities can ditch plastic

  Mike Winter outlines the lessons learned from London's refill revolution.

  

• Whitehall’s response to air pollution ‘lacks ambition’

  Health bodies have criticised the Government’s approach to pollution and called for legally enforced air standards to ensure cleaner air across the UK.

  

• Saving Britain’s bees

  Sophie Hamnett urges local authorities to adopt pollinator action plans, which could help save them money as well as protecting the country’s bees.

  

• Councils must ‘act now’ to tackle carbon emissions

  Councils must ensure all plans have carbon-reduction targets, charity says after report warns global warming will lead to ‘unprecedented changes' in society.

  

• Heathrow legal challenges to go to full hearing

  Courts of Justice today ruled that all six legal challenges brought against the decision in June to back a third runway at Heathrow can go to a full hearing.

  

• Gove announces £15m pilot scheme to reduce food waste

  The Government will set up a £15m pilot scheme to reduce food waste, the environment secretary has announced.

  

• Welsh council moves to monthly refuse collection service

  Welsh council has announced it will only collect refuse destined for landfill or incineration once a month in an effort to save money and encourage recycling.

  

• City leaders call on PM to take action on air pollution

  Leaders of the UK’s major cities have joined forces to urge Theresa May to take ‘tough and urgent’ action to deal with air pollution.