Share
Eco Chamber
Summer of green discontent? Reform UK councils make net zero moves, Corbyn stakes eco claims
Season 2025, Ep. 150
•
Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories and bring you up to speed on the latest developments in environmental policy.
In the last week, former Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn announced the launch of a new political party with water industry policy front and centre. And earlier this year, Reform UK – running on an anti-net zero mandate – took command of 10 councils in the May local elections.
What approach have these new councils been taking towards net zero policies since Reform took the reins, and what exactly does Corbyn plan to do with the water industry?
This week, Eco Chamber host James Agyepong-Parsons, ENDS Report’s news editor Pippa Neill and WWF UK’s head of public affairs David Walsh explore the state of green policies in government and the threats they face at a time of political polarisation and upheaval.
PLUS : A £1.1bn promise to councils to help improve local recycling schemes, a new plan to tackle pet flea treatments, and the Environment Agency consults on reducing forever chemicals in the town with the UK’s highest known levels of PFAS.
More episodes
View all episodes
176. The Sea Empress disaster revisited as Reform UK eyes up nature policies
24:54||Season 2026, Ep. 176On 15 February 1996, the Sea Empress oil tanker ran aground off the Welsh coastline. It released tens of thousands of tonnes of crude oil into the waterway and left an indelible mark on environmental action. On this week’s ECO Chamber, special guest Jamie Bevan from the Natural Resources Wales watchdog, joins host James Agyepong-Parsons and ENDS Report deputy editor Tess Colley, to discuss what it was like on the ground. The team also discusses the news that Reform UK is eyeing up the prospect of some new nature policies, with Boris Johnson ally and nature campaigner Ben Goldsmith in talks to advise the party. Plus, why campaigners claim the nuclear taskforce’s proposal to scrap the protected landscapes duty was not evidence based, the lawyers saying the government’s new plan to rescue an infamous Yorkshire stream lacks depth, and why native crayfish have been dying for reasons unknown. The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.
175. Watchdog green light as Treasury updates Green Book
20:09||Season 2026, Ep. 175Following the update, the government must for the first time bed in the Environmental Principles Policy Statement when assessing the costs, benefits and risks of its policies and programmes across Whitehall. On this week’s ECO Chamber, special guest Ellie Strike from the Office for Environmental Protection, joins host James Agyepong-Parsons and ENDS Report news editor Pippa Neill, to discuss the impacts of the move. LISTEN NOW > God’s Own Dark Waters: Exposing a chemical scandal - part onePlus, the team discusses why a Welsh council is buying up flood-hit homes, the beavers taking up residence in the south-west of England, Scotland’s Ecocide Bill, and DEFRA’s plea to the OEP to be more innovative… The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.
174. 'Roadmap to nowhere': PFAS action plan slammed for lack of substance
25:02||Season 2025, Ep. 174PFAS are a group of around 10,000 man-made substances, often dubbed ‘forever chemicals’ because of how long they last in the environment, with some linked to certain cancers. On this week’s ECO Chamber, special guest Dr. Shubhi Sharma, scientific researcher at the CHEM Trust joins host James Agyepong-Parsons and ENDS Report news editor Pippa Neill, to discuss why the plan has been called “a roadmap to nowhere”. LISTEN NOW > God’s Own Dark Waters: Exposing a chemical scandal - part onePlus, the team discusses the OEP’s warning that it will need to shed its workload following DEFRA’s funding freeze, the author of a controversial nuclear review is in two minds about rolling out his plans across the Industrial Strategy; and the Scottish government brings in new nature legislation. The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.LISTEN NOW > Access Denied: The environment sector’s problem with race
173. Fingleton Review: NGOs rail against controversial nuclear report 'inaccuracies'
31:26||Season 2025, Ep. 173In November last year, the economist John Fingleton published his recommendations for a “radical reset” for the nuclear sector, which included changes to the Habitats Regulations.In just three months’ time, the government will present its plan for how to implement Fingleton’s controversial recommendations across the whole Industrial Strategy. But some of the report’s evidence base has been called into question by NGOs, including the Wildlife Trust. On this week’s ECO Chamber, special guest Matthew Browne, head of public affairs at the charity joins host James Agyepong-Parsons and ENDS Report news editor Pippa Neill to discuss why he believes errors related to environmental case studies in the report could have serious implications for nature. Plus, we bring you news of the sixth mass extinction event you may already be living through. The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.
172. Super Regulator: water white paper sets sights on watchdogs
18:33||Season 2026, Ep. 172The government wants to create a new super regulator, which it says will be more “integrated and empowered” and “guided by clear objectives and flexible mechanisms with appropriate safeguards”. But what do we know of this new super power to be? And why are some environmentalists already worried about its ability to hold water companies to account? On this week’s ECO Chamber, host James Agyepong-Parsons and ENDS Report senior reporter Shosha Adie discuss the implications of the new plan and what it means for England and Wales. The duo also assesses the latest developments of SSE Renewables’ Berwick Bank wind farm. Will it really be “the world’s deadliest” for seabirds as some fear?The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.
171. ‘Nature law breaker?’: Green watchdog issues warning on key wildlife target
25:43||Season 2026, Ep. 171As legally-binding nature targets loom in the years ahead, some campaigners say the government is at risk of being the first to ‘break nature law’. And that’s because according to the OEP this week, the chance to make a change on these targets before 2030 has ‘largely passed’. On this week’s ECO Chamber, host James Agyepong-Parsons and ENDS Report senior reporter Shosha Adie speak with the OEP’s chief scientist, Professor Robbie McDonald, about the government’s poor progress on nature restoration targets, and what it would take to turn the tide. Are ministers at risk of breaking the law? The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.
170. AI and the environment: Is the genie out of the bottle?
24:17||Season 2026, Ep. 170The global market in artificial intelligence is projected to hit $4.8 trillion by 2033, according to the UN’s latest analysis, and it seems all that anyone can talk about. But with its drain on water resources, and high energy demands, the technology could pose serious environmental risks. As AI’s deployment in the environmental space gathers pace, how are the UK’s green professionals squaring this circle? On this week’s ECO Chamber, host James Agyepong-Parsons speaks with ENDS Report editor Jamie Carpenter about how the sector is changing, and what’s at stake. The ECO Chamber is brought to you by journalists at ENDS Report.
169. Silent night: net gain ‘wounded’ in winter overhaul
39:39||Season 2025, Ep. 169The government has announced that the flagship nature policy, biodiversity net gain, is set to see substantial revisions in 2026 with development sites up to 0.2 hectares in size to be exempt from the requirement. Labour has also revised England’s national planning policy blueprint – the National Planning Policy Framework. On this week’s ECO Chamber, host James Agyepong-Parsons speaks with lawyer Alexa Culver from RSK Wilding to unpick these updates, and hears why she says Labour’s net gain changes are a ‘wound’ to nature markets ‘but not a fatal one’.For this year’s final episode, ENDS Report deputy editor Tess Colley also looks back at the biggest UK environmental moments in Labour’s second year of government. PLUS: South East Water blames its own water sources following a two-week window where customers had to boil their water, the House of Lords has slammed the government’s response to its waste crime inquiry, and PFAS monitoring methods underestimate the true scale of forever chemical pollution, a cross-party group of MPs have been told.
2025. Access Denied: Does the environment sector have a problem with class?
40:37||Season 2025, Ep. 2025In this episode, we investigate the representation of working class voices in the UK’s environment sector, reveal exclusive ENDS analysis on the industry’s make-up and hear from those trying to break glass ceilings.New ENDS analysis shows that of more than 260 environmental professionals surveyed, more than two-thirds of respondents felt that working class individuals are either significantly or slightly under-represented in their organisations.Only a fifth felt this group was fairly represented. But the picture is arguably more nuanced that the data shows.To help wrestle with the numbers, in this podcast we speak to:Nadia Shaikh - a campaigner on land access and chair of the RAVEN networkDr Ciara Dwyer - a research fellow for DEFRA and co-chair of the Socioeconomic Equality and Diversity (SEED) networkSarah Mukherjee - chief executive officer at the Institute of Sustainability and Environmental ProfessionalsEmma River-Roberts - founder of the non-profit Working Class Climate Alliance