A freedom of information request reveals only 20 staff work on climate adaptation in Defra, prompting calls from campaigners and NGOs for urgent government action as the UK faces extreme heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts.
A UK watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), found the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) breached environmental law on four occasions when granting emergency authorisations for a banned neonicotinoid pesticide, Cruiser SB, used by farmers on sugar beet crops. The OEP's investigation followed a complaint by ClientEarth.
Thousands of pet monkeys in the UK face being put down due to new stringent licensing laws requiring "zoo-like" conditions. Owners like Lisa-Marie Bearman fear they cannot meet the requirements, potentially leading to a "mass euthanasia" of primates.
