Regularly visit this page to find out about the Labour Government’s most recent environmental policies.
w/c 2nd March 2026
- Iran, the Middle East and UK energy: factsheet. The Government has developed a factsheet to answer questions that people may have about the impact of the recent Middle East conflict on UK energy.
- Ofwat proposes £22m fine for South East Water. South East Water faces a £22m fine following an investigation into multiple supply disruptions between 2020 and 2023, which affected more than 286,000 people.
w/c 23rd February 2026
- UK–China memorandum of understanding 2025 published. Today, ESNZ published the clean energy deal Ed Miliband struck with China last year.
- Consultation launched on regulation of sludge on agricultural land. A consultation launched this week proposes tighter controls on spreading sewage sludge on farmland, including options to bring it under the Environmental Permitting Regulations, to better protect human health and the environment from harmful contaminants. 41% of England’s rivers, lakes and streams are currently affected by agricultural pollution, and they will get stronger protection under new proposals to increase oversight on sewage sludge spreading.
- Grant to cover almost half the cost of installing EV chargers for households and businesses extended. Renters, landlords and businesses will be able to claim up to half the cost of installing an electric charger – saving them up to £500 as grants extended for a further final year. Increased charging grants mean installation costs for many drivers will be slashed, unlocking home charging for as little as 2p per mile.
- Yorkshire Water fined £733k. Yorkshire Water was fined £733k this week, plus costs and victim surcharges for polluting a Chesterfield country park stream three times in less than a year.
w/c 16th February 2026
- UK–California climate and energy agreement. The UK Government signed an MOU with the State of California this week. It set out mutual goals and activities to strengthen cooperation on climate resilience, carbon management, clean energy technology, systems and financing, transport decarbonisation, and environmental protection.
- Deer impacts policy statement for England. Government has introduced a new 10-year government plan to coordinate measures to reduce the damaging impacts of deer on woodlands. One-third of England’s woodlands are estimated to be damaged by deer, with urgent action needed to protect trees and wildlife.
w/c 9th February 2026
- Local Power Plan. This week the Government launched the Local Power Plan, a new programme to help communities across the UK own and benefit from clean energy projects. Backed by up to £1 billion in investment and delivered through Great British Energy, the plan will support local ownership of clean power like solar and wind, helping to cut bills, create jobs and keep the financial benefits of the clean energy transition in local communities.
- New bathing spots. Water Minister Emma Hardy announced plans to create 13 new bathing sites, as part of the Government’s initiative to increase the number of free options for family days out and give local people greater confidence to enjoy waterways safely and access the benefits of nature. New sites will see the nation’s total bathing spots increase to 464.
w/c 2nd February 2026
- Ed Miliband signs historic pact with Europe to drive clean energy. On Monday, the UK signed an historic clean energy security pact – the Hamburg Declaration – with European leaders at the North Sea Summit in Hamburg to deliver major offshore wind projects in shared waters. The new pact secures 100 GW of joint offshore wind projects to power homes and businesses across the continent and built jointly by UK and EU companies.
- Clean energy upgrades for hospitals and military sites. DESNZ unveiled £74 million investment this week to equip public buildings with green tech like solar panels and batteries. Eighty-two NHS trusts will get a share of the cash, along with eight military sites and a prison.
- Campaign launch on switching to electric vehicles (EVs). Government has launched a new campaign to promote the switch to EVs. It outlines the benefits of EVs that include saving up to £1,400 a year on fuel and maintenance and up to £3,750 off the cost of a new electric vehicle (EV) thanks to the Electric Car Grant.
w/c 30 January 2026
- Warm Home Discount to remain for five more years. Around six million low-income households will continue to receive £150 off their winter energy bills after the Government confirmed that its Warm Home Discount will remain for five more years. With eligibility widened last year to include a further 2.7 million families, the Government has now enabled 345,000 Scottish low-income households to automatically receive the rebate next winter, bringing Scotland’s policy in line with England and Wales.
- More railway services return to public ownership this weekend. From 1 February 2026, passengers travelling with London Northwestern Railway and West Midlands Railway will benefit from reliable and better-connected services as they return to public ownership. The Government said the full public ownership program is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
w/c 23rd January 2026
- Warms Homes Plan. The Warm Homes Plan was published this week, setting out how the Government will make homes warmer, reduce energy bills, secure British energy independence, tackle the climate crisis and deliver 180,000 skilled jobs. The Plan will see £15bn invested to upgrade up to 5 million homes and lift up to 1 million families out of fuel poverty by 2030. But it is also seeks to help homeowners with grants and loans to make it easier to install heat pumps, solar panels and batteries, while there will be direct support for home upgrades for those on low incomes and in fuel poverty. There are also new rules to ensure landlords invest in upgrades to cut bills for renters and social tenants.
- A new vision for water: white paper. The Government published its plans to reform the water sector this week, which include:
- long term targets linked to the Environment Improvement Plan,
- the creation of 1 regulator with teeth and a new water ombudsman,
- a reset of water regulation through a Water Bill,
- a transition plan in 2026 to provide certainty about the changes,
- new performance improvement regime for poorly performing water companies and special administration regime plans,
- exploration with investors and regulators to see if green bonds could be a way to support greater investment into the water sector,
- an end to operator self monitoring and creation of an open monitoring approach, and
- work to gather asset health picture and develop forward-looking asset health metrics and statutory resilience standards
- Nature security assessment on global biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and national security. The Government’s nature security assessment was released on Tuesday, a strategic assessment that explores how global biodiversity loss and the collapse of critical ecosystems could affect the UK’s resilience, security and prosperity. Prepared by the Joint Intelligence Committee, the report warns of multiplying risks from the degradation of some of the planet’s most important ecosystems, including conflict, migration and increased competition for resources. It highlights the UK’s reliance on ecosystems that are “on a pathway to collapse”, such as the Amazon and the Congo basin rainforests, Russian and Canadian boreal forests, South East Asian coral reefs and mangroves, and the Himalayas. It also warns of rising food prices and says that UK food security could be at risk. In response, the Government said that nature underpinned the UK’s security and prosperity and that the report would help it prepare for the future.
w/c 16th January 2026
- Record amount of offshore wind being secured. This week the Government published the results for offshore wind Contracts for Difference Allocation Round 7 (AR7), with a record amount of offshore wind being secured to boost Britain’s energy security, lower bills and create jobs. Six fixed and two floating offshore wind projects have been awarded contracts, totalling 8.4GW. These projects are located right across the UK and are critical given many of the UK’s gas and nuclear plants are set to retire in the 2030s.