Environment & Energy
Browse the latest environment & energy news, comment and stories in Oxford and across Oxfordshire.
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Nearly 40 Oxfordshire flood reduction schemes receive grants
Oxfordshire County Council is awarding over £500k in grants to fund 39 schemes aimed at reducing flooding across the county. Chosen from more than 80 applications, the projects include drainage improvements, natural flood management, ditch works, flood sensors, and public awareness measures.
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Solar panel and battery scheme by Oxfordshire County Council reaches milestone
A solar panel and battery storage trial led by Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with SMS and Metis, has reached its 100th household installation. Funded by the government’s Net Zero Innovation Portfolio, the scheme allows residents to pay just £40 per month, avoiding large upfront costs.
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Darcica Logistics adds electric truck for zero-emission deliveries in Oxfordshire
Darcica Logistics, based in Bicester and part of Palletways UK, has added a DAF XB 18-tonne electric truck to support its mission of zero-emission pallet deliveries in Oxfordshire. The truck, with a 16-pallet capacity and 300km range, aligns with Oxford’s Zero Emission Zone goals.
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Climate Emergency UK ranks Oxfordshire best-performing council for second year
Oxfordshire County Council has been named the UK’s top-performing council for climate action by Climate Emergency UK’s 2025 scorecard. This marks the second consecutive year Oxfordshire has achieved this distinction. The score reflects strong efforts across waste, transport, built environment, and nature recovery.
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Oxford secures £21m government boost for city-wide low-carbon heat network
Oxford is set to launch a city-wide low-carbon heat network with £21m in government funding and an initial £100m from developer 1Energy. The Oxford Energy Network could grow to £500m, cutting carbon emissions by 15,000 tonnes annually and reducing fossil gas demand by 10%.
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Wildlife protections barely affect UK planning decisions according to The Wildlife Trusts
The Wildlife Trusts has published new research claiming that protected species are a factor in just 3% of planning appeal decisions, contradicting the UK Government’s claims that environmental regulations obstruct development.
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Oxfordshire launches annual programme to clean and empty all highway drainage gullies
Oxfordshire County Council has launched a £2.6m programme to clean and empty every highway drainage gully across the county by March 2026, and annually thereafter, to improve drainage, reduce potholes, and enhance road safety.
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Labour’s Planning Bill slammed as a catastrophic licence to trash nature
Forty leading economists, conservationists, and former government advisors have warned MPs that Labour’s flagship Planning and Infrastructure Bill could devastate England’s natural environment and harm economic growth.
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Iffley Meadows sees fivefold increase in Snake’s-Head fritillary count
An annual count at Iffley Meadows in Oxfordshire recorded nearly 30,000 snake’s-head fritillaries, a dramatic recovery from a 30-year low of just over 6,000 in 2024. The rare wildflower, Oxfordshire’s county flower, blooms in one of the UK’s few remaining floodplain meadows.
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BBOWT and RHS launch campaign to protect hoverflies across the UK
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust and the Royal Horticultural Society are urging gardeners to help save hoverflies as these vital, yet overlooked, pollinators face steep population declines.
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New planters bring flowery facelift to Cornerstone Arts Centre in Didcot
Cornerstone in Didcot has received a vibrant makeover with the installation of colourful planters, thanks to South Oxfordshire District Council and funding from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. Volunteers from Didcot Train helped set up the planters, which included seating to encourage social interaction.
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Wildlife Trust urges public action against Planning and Infrastructure Bill
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) warns that the Government’s proposed Planning and Infrastructure Bill poses a major threat to UK nature. The bill allows developers to bypass essential environmental protections by paying into a centralized Nature Restoration Fund.
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Airport expansions threaten nature and climate, say Wildlife Trusts
The Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) and other Wildlife Trusts oppose airport expansions at Heathrow, Gatwick, and Luton, citing climate, biodiversity, and community concerns.
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Stable brown hairstreak butterfly populations defy climate and habitat threats
A recent egg count by the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) found stable numbers of brown hairstreak butterfly eggs at its Oxfordshire site, despite threats from climate change and habitat loss.
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Oxford Bus Company’s transition to Green electric buses improves air quality
The new fleet of 104 electric buses, introduced over the first half of 2024, prevented burning approximately 1,255,000 litres of diesel fuel and saved more than 3,175 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
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Hundreds of Oxfordshire homes to get solar panels in energy-saving trial
Homeowners who participate in the scheme will have their solar panels fitted for free and would pay a small monthly fee for maintaining them, instead of paying thousands of pounds upfront.