A groundbreaking report has ranked the most damaging fossil fuel production infrastructure on the planet. 

Conducted by SkyTruth, the analysis looks at offshore oil an gas facilities. Using satellite technology, persistent oil slicks, greenhouse gas emissions, and methane flaring have all been taken into account in a map of previously overlooked and undetected environmental destruction.

The assessment – Exposing the Environmental Costs of Offshore Oil: Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Oil Slicks and Flaring – has identified chronic issues linked to oil pollution, with 10 offshore sites alone responsible for discharging 5,100 barrels of oil into the ocean. Geographic hotspots were also identified, with West Africa, and Nigeria in particular, home to five-in-10 of the worst performers. The United Kingdom, Norway, Angola, and the United Arab Emirates also ranked badly, with multiple facilities in each country flagged for poor environmental records. 

Floating production and storage vessels [FxOs] were found to present much higher risks to ecosystems, and four-in-10 of the most polluting assets globally fell into this category. In terms of methane flaring, 23billion cubic metres of the gas was burnt off in 2023, leading to 60million metric tonnes of CO2. Iran, Nigeria and Morocco were responsible for the highest levels. Vessels also added to the overall impact, with traffic to and from offshore sites producing 9million metric tonnes of CO2 in 2023. This is a larger footprint than many small countries. 

Has to be asked, but why? CW

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Do the NO2 levels in a significant proportion of neighbourhoods within the council’s area exceed the safe World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution guidelines? 

Negatively Scored Question – Two-tier

A council will be negatively scored if they have 25% or more LSOAs (Lower-layer Super Output Areas) above the World Health Organisations (WHO) PM 2.5 guidelines.

Negative marks applied for the first tier: -2% of the maximum possible section score.

A council will be further negatively scored if they have 75% or more LSOAs (Lower-layer Super Output Areas) above the World Health Organisations (WHO) PM 2.5 guidelines.

Negative marks applied for the second tier: -4% of the maximum possible section score.

Do the NO2 levels in a significant proportion of neighbourhoods within the council’s area exceed the safe World Health Organisation (WHO) air pollution guidelines?

Negatively Scored Question – Two-tier

A council will be negatively scored if they have 25% or more LSOAs (Lower-layer Super Output Areas) above the World Health Organisations (WHO) NO2 guidelines.

Negative marks applied for the first tier: -2% of the maximum possible section score

A council will be further negatively scored if they have 75% or more LSOAs (Lower-layer Super Output Areas) above the World Health Organisations (WHO) NO2 guidelines.

Negative marks applied for the second tier: -6% of the maximum possible section score.

Link to full details

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The main conclusions from the report are:

To manage escalating costs and align with net-zero goals, the Council should renegotiate the
contract and implement waste reduction, reuse, and pre-sorting measures outlined in this report.
 
Read the full report on UKWIN: https://ukwin.org.uk/library/163-Contract-Five-Year-Review-March-2025.pdf

The Javelin Park incinerator has significantly increased costs for Gloucestershire County Council
compared to landfill. With the UK ETS applying to incineration from 2028, these costs will rise
further.

Instead of delivering £100m in savings, the contract has already cost taxpayers around £40m in its
first five years (excluding the impacts of electricity hedging), with more costs to come.

Transparency and public accountability have been undermined by relevant information not being
released in a timely manner.

The underlying waste treatment cost per tonne of £194 — including gate fees and amortization —
is among the highest in the UK, possibly the highest. It is around 50% higher than landfill costs.

While electricity hedging has provided financial benefit to the County Council, this arose from a
temporary price spike. The benefit did not occur in the first three years, and is expected to fall away
to ‘near neutral’. The net benefit to the Council has been £4.2m, compared to £42m of net
additional cost compared to landfill.

The costs of waste management would have been far lower had the Council instead invested in the
top tiers of the waste management hierarchy, i.e. prevention, reuse, recycling, and composting.

The UK ETS will impose further costs from 2028. The Council must act now to reduce fossil CO2
emissions from the incinerator to mitigate ETS costs.

Upcoming Talk – Cloud Café, 11 June
 
For those of you able to attend a virtual seminar, Tom Jarman will be speaking at the Cloud Café on Tuesday 11 June, discussing the report about the hidden costs of the Javelin Park incinerator, what we’ve uncovered, and what happens next. We’d love to see you there, do please sign up on this link here: https://actionnetwork.org/events/the-health-of-our-planet-the-air-we-breathe/

Source Tom Jarman. Community R4C. March 2025

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More Information

Source Punchlines and Tewksbury Green Party

The post Tewkesbury Football Club – Green Councillor Support appeared first on Tewkesbury Green Party.

Tewkesbury Borough Council (TBC) has published full details and plans around potential local government reorganisation, including information on the upcoming English Devolution White Paper and proposed timelines.

TBC Link

Differing Views on England’s Devolution Plans

Government’s Position: Streamlining and Empowering

The UK government, led by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, has launched a “devolution revolution” aimed at transferring powers from Westminster to local leaders. Key proposals include merging district and county councils into unitary authorities of around 500,000 people and expanding the powers of elected regional mayors. Ministers argue this will eliminate duplication, increase efficiency, and save up to £2 billion, which could be redirected to frontline services.

Local Authorities’ Concerns: Loss of Local Representation

Many local councils and organisations have raised concerns. The District Councils Network warns that creating larger “mega councils” could make decision-making more remote, reducing democratic accountability and undermining the purpose of devolution. Councils fear that this shift could strip millions of residents of genuinely local representation.

In Devon, all district councils and Exeter City Council have opposed a proposed unitary authority, stating that it would make governance too distant from local communities.

Financial Concerns: Risk of Higher Council Taxes

Financial implications are also controversial. Councils neighbouring financially troubled authorities—such as Nottingham, Woking, and Thurrock—worry that being merged could force them to absorb high debts. The government has ruled out debt write-offs, raising fears of increased council tax rates and cuts to services in some areas.

Regional Variations: Uneven Buy-in

Support for devolution differs across England. In the Midlands, while some councils are in favour of forming combined authorities, others—like Luton, Bedford, and Milton Keynes—have pulled out of joint plans, opting instead to pursue localised alternatives. This uneven buy-in reflects broader tensions around the uniformity and fairness of the government’s approach.

Expert Views: Call for Clear Constitutional Frameworks

Experts such as Professor Vernon Bogdanor have called for a clear constitutional settlement to define the division of powers between central and local government. Without such a framework, they warn, the reforms could erode national standards in public services and increase regional inequalities.

Conclusion

While the government views the devolution plans as a route to greater efficiency and empowerment, critics argue they risk centralising power within larger councils, raising taxes, and weakening local democracy. The success of these reforms will hinge on genuine consultation, fiscal transparency, and a coherent national strategy that ensures fair and accountable governance across all regions.

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British water pollution and human health

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The post Latest News from GCC and Greener Gloucestershire appeared first on Tewkesbury Green Party.

There is a lot of useful information that readers may find interesting, particularly regarding housing, industrial units, and job creation. The document also includes sections on housing developments already in the pipeline that make use of GC land.

However, it’s disappointing to see no mention of active transport, pollution, or even flooding—issues that are crucial to sustainable development and community wellbeing.

Tewkesbury Garden Communities Progress Update

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“Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) has been named by the government as the responsible body for producing a new and first Local Nature Recovery Strategy (LNRS) for the county. This will largely be done through the Gloucestershire Local Nature Partnership (GLNP) and its members with involvement of a wide range of stakeholders across Gloucestershire.

A draft  version of the LNRS is due to be circulated for consultation in May 2025, lasting for 6 weeks. The pre-publication approval and cabinet adoption process will then start from September 2025 onwards.

You can find out more about how you can have your say on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and the ideas so far here. 

Around 50 areas in England will be producing a LNRS to help nature recover from the current ecological emergency. Nature is and will be affected by climate change but it can also provide solutions to help us adapt to a changing climate. Gloucestershire is fortunate in already having a strong evidence base to guide decisions on what should be prioritised in the LNRS. 

Gloucestershire County Council has already been working hard with others, including the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust and the Environment Agency, to compile county-wide mapping of our natural assets (natural capital) and an emerging Nature Recovery Network. This information helps highlight potential locations for creating new areas of habitat as well as where to better manage the existing areas we already have for wildlife. Action for nature recovery will need to happen at a landscape scale and this also means taking action that traverses administrative boundaries. In addition to the LNRS, detailed nature recovery plans have been prepared for specific landscape areas that cross Gloucestershire.”

For more information, Nature recovery strategy for Gloucestershire

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The report highlights that road safety is a key issue, with inadequate infrastructure, speeding, and aggressive driving discouraging active travel. Studies show that people from minoritised ethnic backgrounds in deprived areas are over three times more likely to be killed or seriously injured while walking, while the physical risks of cycling in a busy urban environment a major deterrent, particularly for women, children, and older individuals, who would prefer segregated cycling infrastructure.

Disabled cyclists are further hindered by the lack of appropriate  infrastructure such as dropped kerbs.

The cost of cycling is a barrier in itself but beyond that, storage of cycles is particularly problematic for low-income families. Compounding this is the fact that the Cycle to Work scheme is not available for low-income earners.

The cost issue is an even greater problem for disabled people because of the extra cost involved in acquiring appropriate cycles.

The third barrier identified is a cultural one, best summed up with 93% of women cyclists said that drivers had deliberately used vehicles to intimidate them and 77% said this happened at least once a month.

The report recommends the following five actions:

1. Reduce financial barriers to cycling
2. Tackle pavement parking
3. Data collection to enable sound monitoring and evaluation
4. Ensure UK-wide access to free cycle training, and widen its reach
5. Make Inclusive Mobility a minimum standard for designing infrastructure

Fabian Hamilton MP, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Party Group for Cycling and Walking (APPGCW) said: ‘Walking, wheeling, and cycling should be available to everyone, but right now, too many people are excluded. If we are serious about increasing active travel, we must address the systemic barriers that prevent millions from participating. This report provides clear, actionable solutions to make active travel truly inclusive. We will be working hard in Parliament to push for change.’

Caroline Julian, Brand and Engagement Director at British Cycling, commented: ‘Cycling has the power to transform lives, but too often, the people who stand to benefit the most are unable to take part. The barriers outlined in this report are therefore a matter of social justice that need to be addressed now.

‘We must ensure that cost, infrastructure, and safety concerns make walking, wheeling, and cycling truly accessible to all. Together with our partner, Leigh Day, we wholeheartedly support these recommendations and urge national and local governments to adopt them with urgency.’

Naseem Akhtar, CEO at Saheli Hub, said: ‘Community organisations like Saheli Hub play a vital role in empowering women, particularly those from marginalised backgrounds, to access walking, wheeling, and cycling. However, the biggest barrier we face is the lack of long-term funding. Short-term grants force us into a cycle of uncertainty, limiting our ability to build sustainable, impactful programmes.
‘Community-led initiatives are often best placed to reach underrepresented groups, but we cannot continue this important work without financial stability.’

Rory McCarron, Senior Associate Solicitor and member of Leigh Day’s cycling team said: ‘The APPGCW continues to do really important work, and I wholeheartedly welcome the recommendations made within this report to remove barriers for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

‘As we continue to champion active travel, it is vital that we ensure the infrastructure is in place for our communities – so that everyone feels safe and confident for this to be a realistic option and for all to enjoy the many benefits of active travel which the report endorses.’

Source https://airqualitynews.com

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