• Comment: Living in interesting times

• Solar boom could limit growth of more expensive offshore wind
• ExxonMobil paid £3.6m for two EU ETS errors
• London on track for sustainable Olympic Games
• KPMG: Firms unready for risks
• Trading platform for UK biodiversity offsets
• Ed Davey replaces Chris Huhne at DECC
• Fines for Severn Trent and South West Water
• New record for civil sanction donations
• Dalgety Bay plan ‘lacks detail’

Green Strategy

• O2 sets carbon targets to help its customers reduce their emissions
• Corporate green spending belies economic gloom
• Spending cuts halt growth of NHS emissions
• Ford extends water and waste landfill targets
• New green guidance for event organisers
• UK firms dominate sustainability league

Carbon & Energy

• Green Deal proposals for home upgrades still lack credibility
• Paper industry adds voice to biomass debate
• Methane from coal beds could trump shale
• 75% of RHI applications fall short of criteria
• British Gas launches enhanced smart meter service for businesses
• Big freeze and nuclear power outage raise emissions over 2010
• Directors out of touch on energy efficiency
• Walney offshore wind farm starts operation
• Controversial biomass plant rejected
• Infographic: UK compliance with the EU ETS

Waste & Recycling

• Mixed prospects for mixed plastics as focus broadens beyond bottles
• Further cuts to waste projects ‘nonsensical’
• WEEE targets may be achieved
• Northern Ireland bag tax to start at 5p

Water

• Mining company applies for water licences to reopen tungsten mine
• Nylon beads to cut wash water
• New waterways charity to receive £800m grant
• Fish Legal's fight with water firms to be referred to EU
• River flows improving, says agency update

Pollution & Health

• Obvious errors continue to blight UK pollutant emissions figures
• EU chemical mix opinion ‘misses the point’
• Acid pollutant to soar with HFC substitute
• Health damage from road, rail noise at £1.1bn
• Dip in immunity linked to non-stick chemicals
• Tighter air quality index records first ‘high’
• Scottish air pollution alert programme launches
• Incinerator impact on infant health studied

Products & Supply Chain

• Tesco may ditch Carbon Trust footprint label on its products
• Saving billions with resource efficiency

Land & Ecology

• Natural England changes tack on protection of rare species
• Regional stats under review
• NPPF ‘leaves countryside vulnerable’
• New global guide on quarry restoration
• Cost of burying power lines ‘overestimated’
• Call for smarter farm regulation in Wales
• Industry bodies join forces on soil asbestos

Transport

• Planned road-use charges for HGV drivers do not reflect emissions
• Vans included in plug-in car grant
• Greener bus fleets in London and Aberdeen

• Making Britain the adaptation nation
• The adaptation paper chase
• Can government grant CCS a viable future?
• North American success

National

• Revised statutory guidance on contaminated land welcomed
• Rolling cuts to solar feed-in tariffs due
• Tariff certainty for renewable energy schemes
• Wales pioneers ecosystem plan for environment
• DECC launches new energy efficiency drive
• DCLG overhauls building climate change targets
• DECC simplifies climate change agreements
• Abstraction test sets the bar too high, says RSPB
• Councils may be forced to pay European fines
• DEFRA wants civil sanctions for bin offences
• Agency plans to prune pollution inventory data
• Public health index features green factors
• South-west England gets ‘marine energy park’ status
• EPUK advises on air quality effect of CHP plants

International

• Recast directive sets high targets for dealing with waste electronics
• Case restated for 30% EU carbon target
• 2,300 chemicals to be registered under REACH
• Options set out to cut shipping CO2 emissions
• Plans to tighten EU controls on water pollutants
• ‘No gaps’ in EU oil and shale gas legislation
• No more Euro green laws, says Unwin
• Delayed action on land-use change
• Commission plans to make EU consumption more sustainable

• Tom Burke's political commentary: Nucléaire nouvelle génération? Non merci!
• MPs call for tighter EU ETS cap to prepare for the next phase in 2013
• Housing benefit ban for energy-wasting owners
• MPs in doubt on who will manage flood protection
• Sun sets on the Daylight Saving Bill
• ‘No comment’ from Spelman on Letwin’s guidance plans

• Richard Macrory's case commentary: EU emission allowances held to be property
• Richard Macrory's case commentary: Court quashes plans for early solar FITs cut
• Comment: Could civil sanctions lead to ‘unsavoury outcomes’?
• Water firms’ 2011 pollution fines near £1m
• Courts handle spate of waste prosecutions
• Gamekeeper loses appeal against wildlife conviction
• First drinking water fine for Scottish Water
• Landowner and contractor fined for illegal water works
• Retailer’s waste fines lowered on appeal