• Comment: Change is in the air

• UN negotiators prepare for uphill battle at Rio+20 conference
• Government makes little progress on green policy commitments
• 'Optimistic' red tape savings under scrutiny
• DECC is accepting applications to opt out of trading scheme
• Drought ends in south-west, Midlands and Yorkshire
• O2 reveals mobile phone call carbon emissions

Green Strategy

• UK firms make strong showing in global sustainability rankings
• Unilever expects to achieve palm oil target early
• Apple switches to solar power at US data centre site
• Coca-Cola progresses on carbon reduction

Carbon & Energy

• Policy delay could undermine Britain’s smart grid network lead
• CCS technology may be heading to steelworks
• Engaging public key to success of Green Deal
• RHI capacity shoots up seventy-fold
• UN highlights UK emission monitoring flaws
• EUA price hits record low
• Drax upgrades turbines
• Trading scheme has not driven patenting
• Yorkshire Water to build sludge AD plant
• Mixed fortunes for wind building plans
• Infographic: Electricity reform pushes ahead, but is it quick enough?

Waste & Recycling

• HMRC extends landfill tax
• Waste projects get £80m boost
• Rare fine for AD firm after permit breach

Water

• Improving river water quality is a ‘moral imperative’, says Benyon
• Newton-on-Trent reservoir to go ahead

Pollution & Health

• Buffer zone needed to protect aquifers from shale gas fracking
• Council grants for improving air quality
• EFSA launches 'full re-evaluation' of BPA

Products & Supply Chain

• Low-carbon products and services get billion pound spending boost
• M&S aims to tackle clothing consumerism
• New method to speed up carbon footprinting
• REACH ‘prices small firms out of the market’
• Boom in green mobile phone sales forecast

Land & Ecology

• Planning for ecological impact of developments ‘lacks evidence’
• Natural England ditches strategy on uplands
• MoD to investigate Dalgety remediation
• Agency chooses top remediation companies

Transport

• Transport department launches £9.5m low-carbon truck trial
• Ten airlines miss EU ETS deadline

• What’s in store this year for green-collar roles?
• Profile of an environmental professional
• Economic backdrop

National

• Agency aims to simplify planning applications for developers
• Tussle over plans to merge Welsh regulator
• Wales examines public duty on sustainability
• Scotland plans regulation overhaul
• Renewable energy trading back on agenda
• DECC seeks views on gas promotion
• More regulatory discretion in EU ETS plans
• Lack of council action threatens carbon budgets
• DECC bioenergy strategy raises 2020 ambitions
• Regulator tells water firms to innovate more
• Energy Bill raises more questions on market reform than it answers
• DECC acts to lower new nuclear costs
• FITS regime to benefit solar
• SEPA charges frozen again
• Green Deal commercial building launch delay
• N Ireland issues draft plastic bag tax rules
• DEFRA reviews metals processes guidance
• BIS seeks companies' views on COMAH rules

International

• European states agree 2020 air pollution goals
• Commission to publish EU ETS review by July
• Council puts rubber stamp on EU biocide deal
• Eight new SVHC proposals planned for the summer
• Big combustion plans subject to new rules

• Comment: Why a stealth strategy won’t work for low carbon
• Cameron qualifies government support for renewable energy
• Strategy to deal with failing food system needed
• Peers say water costs must be allowed to rise
• Call for EU ETS set aside to be permanent

• Comment: When confidentiality is trumped by green laws
• Yorkshire tyre dumper jailed for twelve months following tip-off
• South West Water gets two fines in two days
• Waste criminal ordered to repay record £917k
• Agency accepts five new enforcement undertakings
• United Utilities fined for caustic soda leak