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Jaguar Land Rover boss says UK needs batteries made in Britain - or carmakers will leave

The feeling of relief in the British car industry was almost palpable on Friday, when Jaguar Land Rover said it would invest billions in producing new electric vehicles in the UK. After the recent closure of two other UK automotive factories in five months – Honda in Swindon and Ford in Bridgend – JLR boss Ralf Speth was clearly pleased to have good news for the 2,500 workers at the Castle Bromwich plant.

Yet amid the congratulations, Speth also struck a note of warning. Not on Brexit this time, but on the future of the car sector in the absence of a British battery industry. “One thing is clear: if batteries go out of the UK, then also the automotive production will go out of the UK,” he said.

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The scale of the climate emergency requires nothing less than full government engagement

With just 11 years left to prevent irreversible damage caused by the climate emergency, there are still options to wean the world’s economy off its reliance on fossil fuels. However, anything less than putting Britain on a war footing will not be enough.

The government response so far has been timid. Theresa May introduced a net-zero carbon emissions target for 2050, but there are reasons why the Conservatives haven’t gone further: her party is hard-wired to fail. Clinging to a belief in the power of free markets, it neglects the fact that to decarbonise the economy greater investment from the state is required.

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The observatory, which tracked US and Russian craft during the space race, wins Unesco recognition.

Developing countries must prepare now for profound impact, disaster representative says

Climate crisis disasters are happening at the rate of one a week, though most draw little international attention and work is urgently needed to prepare developing countries for the profound impacts, the UN has warned.

Catastrophes such as cyclones Idai and Kenneth in Mozambique and the drought afflicting India make headlines around the world. But large numbers of “lower impact events” that are causing death, displacement and suffering are occurring much faster than predicted, said Mami Mizutori, the UN secretary-general’s special representative on disaster risk reduction. “This is not about the future, this is about today.”

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Finding solutions to prevent harmful plastic waste is far from simple

New kinds of plant-based plastic are beginning to permeate our lives. Supermarkets stock biodegradable bags to carry our groceries home, cafes serve coffee in compostable cups, and this year London Marathon runners could refuel with seaweed-based edible bubbles filled with sports drink. But if we just replace one kind of throwaway packaging with another, are we really solving the bigger problem?

There’s no denying that we have a plastic crisis on our hands. A 2017 study found that, of the 8.3bn tonnes of plastic produced since 1950, 6.3bn tonnes has been thrown away. And whether it ends up in landfill or in the sea, that plastic – thanks to the stability and durability that it is prized for – is not going anywhere fast.

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A storm strikes from space, with little warning, and electrifying impact. Put away your umbrella, it won't help one iota.

The nuclear industry says new plants are essential, but protesters say the environment is under threat.

Nairobi's National Park is vital for the city's fight against climate change - so why is it being built on?

Georges Brossard devoted his life to helping us appreciate "the most misunderstood animals".

University gardeners are ready to remove a glasshouse roof after the plant had a sudden growth spurt.

Union membership is a fraction of what it was but people power is finding a voice through new platforms and movements.

Union membership is a fraction of what it was but people power is finding a voice through new platforms and movements. People power has given us revolutions, political parties and unions. In part four we look at how people power is now helping to put a range of issues on the political agenda through new platforms, movements and voices in Parliament. We also hear how Parliament itself could be changed.

Power has been restored to most homes that lost it in the 7.1-magnitude earthquake.

Supermarket to create olive crostini and bread pudding from baguettes to reduce waste

Britain’s largest supermarket chain is launching a drive to reduce food waste from bread by turning unsold baguettes and batons from its in-store bakeries into new products.

Surplus bread is one of the biggest waste problems for food retailers, according to the government’s food waste adviser Wrap, particularly from freshly baked lines which have a short shelf life.

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The US state, part of which lies inside the Arctic Circle, registers 90F (32C) in Anchorage.

More than 900 badgers have been reported dead by the side of UK roads so far this year.

A daily summary of our news plus bite-sized updates from around the world.

A growing trend of right-wing populist politicians embracing anti-climate change and anti-carbon pricing rhetoric is putting more pressure on governments to develop and communicate 'just transition' plans to help affected communities.

The Ontario Industrial Emissions Performance Standard (EPS) finalised by the province's Progressive Conservative government won’t take effect until the jurisdiction is removed from coverage under the ruling federal Liberals’ output-based pricing system (OBPS), the government announced Friday.

California and Quebec regulators have retired carbon allowances to account for Ontario’s abrupt exit from the WCI cap-and-trade programme last summer, while California also shifted more permits into the state’s Allowance Price Containment Reserve (APCR) and retired units on behalf of a bankrupt power utility during Q2 2019.