Brenda Hale sworn in as first female president of U.K.’s supreme court
The first woman appointed to be a law lord, in 2004, Hale had to wait until this week for a second woman to join her on the U.K.’s highest court.
United Kingdom
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.
Solar panels surpass coal-fired electricity for six months in the U.K.
Research by the Carbon Brief website found that solar generated nearly 7,000 gigawatt hours of electricity between April and September, about 10 per cent more than the 6,300GwH produced by coal during the same period.
Renewable energy sets new record by producing nearly a third of U.K. electricity
Nearly a third of all U.K. electricity came from renewable sources in the second three months of this year, setting a new record for clean energy generation, the Government has revealed.
Jaguar Land Rover will only make electric or hybrid vehicles starting in 2020
British luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover is the latest company pledging to stop production of internal combustion cars.
U.K. pledges £100m to global efforts to eradicate polio
Money will fund vaccination of 45 million children annually until 2020, when the world could finally be declared polio-free
U.K. to ban new diesel and petrol vehicles from 2040
The government is set to announce the ban of new diesel and petrol cars and vans from 2040 onwards as part of the Clean Air Strategy.
U.K. launches first research programme on greenhouse gas removal
The U.K. has launched a £8.6 million national research programme to investigate how to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, the first of its kind.
U.K. achieves first coal-free day since Industrial Revolution
According to the National Grid, the U.K. did not use coal to generate electricity for a full day on Friday 21 April, the first time since the Industrial Revolution.
London’s black cabs go electric
Any motorized vehicle will have to meet strict exhaust emissions standards or pay a heavy surcharge to commute around the city center. Electric vehicles (EVs) are one way for drivers to stay compliant and move about freely on the city’s streets.
U.K. emissions fall to lowest level since 19th century
According to the Carbon Brief, CO2 emissions fell by 5.8 per cent in 2016, after coal use fell a record 52 per cent.