Month: September 2026

Plug-in solar panels are coming to UK shops

Solar power could soon become more accessible to households across the UK, with plug-in solar panels now legal to buy and use in Great Britain.

Unlike traditional rooftop solar, these smaller systems are designed to be much easier to install. They can be placed in outdoor spaces, including some balconies, and plugged directly into a standard household socket. The government says compliant systems can generate up to 800W of power, potentially providing up to 20% of an average home’s electricity use.

The new rules came into effect on 27 August 2026, with major retailers including Argos, Amazon, B&Q, Currys, Screwfix and Wickes among those planning to stock plug-in solar products.

The government estimates that a household could save up to £110 a year on its electricity bills. However, savings will depend on factors such as the amount of sunlight available, the size and position of the panels and how much of the electricity generated is used in the home. Plug-in systems also produce less electricity than a typical rooftop solar installation.

For households that cannot install traditional solar panels, plug-in systems could provide another way to generate renewable electricity at home. They could be particularly useful for properties where rooftop solar isn’t practical, including some homes with balconies or other suitable outdoor spaces.

There are also potential benefits beyond individual households. Generating more electricity from renewable sources can help reduce reliance on fossil fuels and support the UK’s wider transition towards cleaner energy.

Although plug-in solar is designed to be easy to install, safety is still important. Only compliant products that meet the UK’s requirements can be legally sold and used. Households should also check whether they need permission from a landlord, freeholder or planning authority before installing a system.

At present, the rules allow one plug-in solar product per household, with a maximum rated output of 800W.

Ancient Skills Are Helping a Rare Bee

Sometimes, looking after nature means looking back to the past.

At Muchelney Abbey in Somerset, traditional scything techniques are being brought back to life as part of a three-year project helping to restore flower-rich meadows for one of Britain’s rarest bumblebees — the Shrill Carder bee.

Using traditional hand scythes instead of modern machinery allows the meadows to be managed in a way that can benefit wildflowers and the insects that depend on them. The work is also giving volunteers the chance to learn and practise a traditional countryside skill that has been used for centuries.

The project aims to create healthier, more diverse meadow habitats where Shrill Carder bees can find the flowers and nesting areas they need to thrive.

It’s a great example of how traditional knowledge and modern conservation can work together — protecting wildlife while keeping valuable rural skills alive for future generations

August Ties for the Hottest Month on Record

August 2026 was the joint hottest August ever recorded, with global temperatures reaching around 1.65°C above pre-industrial levels, according to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service.

The temperature was the same as that recorded in July 2023, which currently shares the record for the hottest month on record.

So, what does 1.65°C actually mean? Temperatures are compared with the 1850–1900 average, a period before fossil fuels were being burned on the scale we see today. The continued rise in global temperatures is contributing to more frequent and intense heatwaves and other extreme weather events.

August brought extreme heat across parts of Europe, contributing to drought conditions in countries including the UK, France, Hungary, Serbia and Romania. Rivers including the Rhine and Danube also experienced exceptionally low water levels.

The UK has also experienced an unusually hot summer. The Met Office has reported that summer 2026 was the hottest summer on record, with average temperatures around 0.4°C higher than the previous record.

In 2015, countries agreed through the Paris Agreement to try to limit global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to keep warming to 1.5°C.

With temperatures continuing to reach record levels, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly visible — from extreme heat and drought to pressure on water supplies, wildlife and ecosystems.

The news comes ahead of COP31, the next major UN climate conference, which will take place in Antalya, Türkiye, in November. The conference will bring countries together to discuss further action on climate change.

The retreat of sea ice is opening up new feeding grounds for giant whales along the coast of East Greenland.

This is the finding of a decades-long study, which has recorded and filmed hundreds of humpback, minke and fin whales feeding in coastal waters during the summer months.

These waters were once largely inaccessible to the whales, with sea ice acting as a natural barrier. As the ocean warms and the ice melts, the whales are now able to reach areas they could not previously access.

Prof Heide-Jørgensen, from the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources, told BBC News that the changes in the region were “probably the most radical we can see anywhere in the subarctic”.

The transformation is linked to both rising sea temperatures and changes in food availability. Fish have been moving into East Greenland’s warmer waters, providing a new source of food for the visiting whales.

Researchers estimate that humpback, minke and fin whales could consume at least 800,000 tonnes of fish and krill over a summer feeding season.

Scientists have described these gatherings as seasonal Arctic “feeding frenzies”—a striking example of how warming temperatures are changing the balance of life in the ocean.

The arrival of these whales offers a fascinating glimpse into how marine animals are responding to a changing climate, while also highlighting the scale of the changes taking place across the Arctic.

A major tree-planting initiative in the North East has secured government funding to continue its work until at least 2030.

The North East Community Forest (NECF) is one of several community forests receiving support through the second phase of the government’s Trees for Climate programme. The initiative works across Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland and urban areas throughout County Durham.

The extended funding will help NECF continue creating new woodlands and expanding green spaces across the region. The organisation says the support provides “the confidence and stability needed to continue creating woodlands”, helping it plan for the future and deliver long-term benefits for local communities and wildlife.

Since its launch in 2021, NECF has planted more than 642,000 trees and created almost 700 hectares of new woodland across the North East.

Forest manager Lloyd Jones said:

“With long-term funding in place, we are well positioned to expand our impact and deliver lasting benefits for communities and the environment across the North East.”

The organisation’s progress has continued through the 2025–26 planting season, when it planted 125,375 trees and created 158 hectares of new woodland, hedgerows and open-space habitats across the region. NECF’s work also includes supporting community-focused projects, such as Ouseburn Farm in Byker, a nature-based play and learning project in Newcastle, and the planting of a Sycamore Gap sapling on the city’s Town Moor.

Since 2021, the Trees for Climate programme has helped new trees take root across the NECF region, stretching from North Shields to Newton Aycliffe.

Youth volunteers help rebuild flood-hit village

A group of young volunteers from Birmingham has travelled thousands of miles to one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions, helping communities in northern Pakistan prepare for future climate-related disasters.

The volunteers, aged between 18 and 25, raised almost £50,000 through community fundraising before travelling to the remote district of Ghizer in Gilgit-Baltistan with Birmingham-based charities Bahu Trust and Islamic Help.

For several days, they lived alongside families in the mountain village of Tali Das, sharing meals and listening to residents describe how climate change has affected their lives. The village was rebuilt after a glacial lake outburst flood forced residents to leave their original homes. During their visit, the young volunteers helped establish a climate disaster rescue centre, designed to provide local people with emergency equipment and training.

The centre will help residents respond quickly to floods, landslides and other climate-related emergencies while waiting for emergency services to reach the remote area. The group also supported the community by planting trees and helping to renovate a school.

Northern Pakistan is home to more than 7,000 glaciers, making it the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions. As temperatures rise, many glaciers are retreating, increasing the risk of unstable glacial lakes and potentially devastating floods.

For the Birmingham volunteers, seeing the impacts of climate change first-hand made an issue often discussed in classrooms and online feel much more personal.

Major Landscape Restoration Project Begins in Northumberland

An ambitious new landscape restoration project is underway in Northumberland, following the purchase of the 3,035-hectare Emblehope Estate by environmental organisation RESTORE.

The project aims to restore nature and improve climate resilience across the landscape over the next 30 years. Plans include rewetting around 800 hectares of peatland, restoring native plants and habitats, and introducing low-intensity grazing to support biodiversity. 🌱

The restored peatland could also help reduce flooding by storing an estimated 100,000 cubic metres of additional water, acting like a giant natural sponge and slowing water flowing downstream.

The project is a major example of how restoring natural ecosystems can benefit wildlife, communities and the climate — showing the positive impact that large-scale nature recovery can have.

Find out more here

Renewable Energy Reaches a Turning Point

The global energy system could be reaching a “tipping point”, with renewable energy continuing to grow at an impressive rate.

According to a new review by the Energy Institute, global electricity use increased by 3% in 2025, with renewables providing enough additional electricity to meet the entire increase. Solar power grew by an incredible 30%, while global battery capacity increased by 66%.

China continued to lead the growth in renewable energy, installing more wind and solar power than the rest of the world combined. India also saw renewable generation increase by almost 24%, alongside a fall in electricity generated from coal, oil and gas.

However, global emissions are still rising. The review highlights the need for faster action to improve energy efficiency, switch to cleaner technologies and reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.

The rapid growth of renewable energy is encouraging, but the message is clear: we need to keep accelerating the transition to a cleaner, more sustainable energy system.

Helping New Woodlands Store More Carbon

New research from Imperial College London has found that adding crushed basalt to newly planted forests could increase the amount of carbon they store by up to 27% over four years.

Scientists also found that adding microorganisms from established forests to woodland soils helped young trees grow, increasing aboveground plant growth by 13% over the same period.

The study tested these approaches across 72 new woodland plots in Wales, exploring how simple, nature-based interventions could help young forests establish more successfully.

Healthy new woodlands are important for biodiversity, climate action and resilient landscapes. While more research and long-term monitoring is needed, these findings could help improve future woodland creation projects and support young forests as they grow.

Europe Experiencing Record-Breaking Heatwave

Large parts of Europe are experiencing an exceptionally severe heatwave, with temperatures breaking records across several countries.

A new analysis by World Weather Attribution has found that a heatwave of this severity would have been “virtually impossible” 50 years ago. Scientists say human-caused climate change has made extreme heat events significantly more likely.

Researchers compared the current heatwave with major European heatwaves in 1976 and 2003. They found that an event like this would have been extremely unlikely in the cooler climate of 1976, while compared with 2003, heatwaves of this severity are now tens to hundreds of times more likely.

The findings provide another clear example of how a warming climate is changing the weather we experience, with extreme heat becoming more frequent and intense.

As temperatures continue to rise, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and taking action to tackle climate change is more important than ever.

Mangrove Forests Are Making a Comeback

There is some positive news for our planet’s coastal ecosystems. Scientists have found that mangrove forests are now growing globally after decades of decline.

Mangroves are incredibly important. They protect coastal communities from storms and flooding while also absorbing and storing large amounts of carbon dioxide.

For many years, mangrove forests were being destroyed to make way for fish farms, housing and other developments. However, since 2010, the world has gained more mangrove forest than it has lost. Stronger legal protection and greater awareness of their importance have helped drive this change.

One of the most encouraging findings is that mangroves have an amazing ability to regenerate naturally when people stop cutting them down.

Fine out more here

New Hope for Climate-Resilient Coral Reefs

Scientists have discovered that climate-resilient coral reefs may be far more widespread than previously thought, offering hope for the future of our oceans.

Researchers analysed more than 45,000 coral surveys alongside decades of climate and ocean data. They identified almost 166,000 square kilometres of coral reefs across 71 countries and 100 territories that may have the ability to survive and recover from the impacts of climate change.

This is particularly important as coral reefs are facing increasing threats from rising ocean temperatures and mass coral bleaching. Between 2023 and 2025, extreme heat affected almost 84% of the world’s coral reef area.

The discovery of these resilient reefs highlights the importance of protecting and conserving areas that could act as refuges for coral and marine life as our climate continues to change.

While coral reefs remain under serious threat, identifying places with greater natural resilience gives scientists and conservationists valuable opportunities to focus protection and restoration efforts where they could have the greatest impact.