This archive gathers solutions-journalism stories and milestones from the United Kingdom — covering health, climate, policy, and social progress. Each entry highlights real, reported advances from across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
More than one million people in the U.K. have given up smoking since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new study by the nonprofit Action on Smoking and Health. Almost half (41%) said it was a direct response to heightened health concerns due to COVID-19.
Use of plastic carrier bags in England has continued to fall – by 59% in the last year alone – since the introduction of the 5p charge. Sales of single-use plastic bags have dropped by 95% in England’s supermarkets since the charge was introduced in October 2015.
A new blood test for prostate cancer is producing a 99% accuracy rating—precision that has never before been achieved for a blood test of this particular kind of cancer. The test can also determine the exact stage and progression of the cancer, reducing the need for invasive biopsies and scans.
The U.K.’s biggest pension fund, the government-backed National Employment Savings Trust (Nest) scheme with nine million members, is to begin divesting from fossil fuels in what climate campaigners have hailed as a landmark move for the industry.
Eligible individuals from Hong Kong currently can come to the U.K. for six months without a visa. With the rule change, they will have the right to live and work in the country for five years. After that, they will be allowed to apply for settled status and then again for citizenship.
“We believe that transparency about carbon footprint will be an accelerator in the global race to zero emissions, and it is our ambition to communicate the carbon footprint of every product we sell.”
The world’s largest liquid air battery is rising on a former industrial site near Manchester, with enough storage to power 200,000 homes for five hours. Developed by Highview Power, the £85m facility will compress surplus renewable electricity into liquid air, then release it weeks later to spin a turbine when demand peaks. About 200 workers are building it, many transitioning from oil and gas careers into clean energy. Unlike pumped hydro, which needs mountains and reservoirs, liquid air storage can be built almost anywhere — making this Manchester project a potential template for grids worldwide that are racing to keep renewable power flowing even when the wind drops and the sun sets.
London’s “Ultra Low Emissions Zone,” which was established on April 8, 2019, has led to major shifts in transportation patterns. Most of those now use public transportation or walk.
Tens of thousands of protesters have marched in the US for six consecutive nights over the death of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer. Demonstrators now have gathered in London, Berlin and Auckland, among other cities, in solidarity with the US crowds.
The government will bring forward a “national cycling plan” to try and double cycling (and increase walking) by 2025. It will trial the use of e-scooters and publish statutory advice for councils to accommodate cyclists and walkers.
