Environmental pollution breeds deadly superbugs. Here’s how we defeat them.

Inger Andersen
Wed, 8 February 2023 


Inger Andersen is the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme.

Antimicrobials save countless lives and protect vital economic sectors; they are, in effect, a super weapon. Without them, modern medicine would struggle to treat even mild infections in humans, animals, and plants.

However, a new report from the United Nations Environment Programme shows that pollution of the environment is diluting the effectiveness of antibiotics, antivirals, antifungals and antiparasitics.

The result? A crisis-level increase in antimicrobial-resistant superbugs and other insidious examples of antimicrobial resistance.

To limit the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance, we must cut environmental pollution off at source.

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How big is the problem of antimicrobial resistance?

The World Health Organization lists antimicrobial resistance among the top ten threats to global health, and with good reason.

In 2019, an estimated 1.27 million deaths were directly attributed to drug-resistant infections globally. Almost 4.95 million deaths worldwide were associated with bacterial antimicrobial resistance.

Estimates suggest that, by 2050, up to ten million direct deaths could occur annually, equalling the 2020 rate of global deaths from cancer. In the next decade, the impacts of antimicrobial resistance on healthcare systems, productivity and agricultural production could result in a Gross Domestic Product shortfall of at least USD 3.4 trillion annually and push 24 million more people into extreme poverty.

Antimicrobial resistance is also an issue of equity. It is closely linked to poverty, lack of sanitation and poor hygiene, with the Global South worst hit. Antimicrobials are often used in pesticides: in some countries, 85 per cent of all pesticide applications on commercial farms and plantations are carried out by women – often working while pregnant or breastfeeding.

If we are serious about creating a fairer, safer world, tackling antimicrobial resistance must be near the top of the global agenda.
How do pollution and climate change contribute to antimicrobial resistance?

Three economic sectors profoundly influence antimicrobial resistance’s development and spread: pharmaceuticals and other chemicals manufacturing, agriculture and food, and healthcare. Municipal systems are also implicated. Leakage of antimicrobials into the environment through these pathways, for example through sewage, is allowing bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi to become resistant to antimicrobial treatments to which they were previously susceptible.

The wider triple planetary crisis – of climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste – is also linked to the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Higher temperatures and extreme weather can be associated with increases in antimicrobial- resistant infections. Municipal solid waste landfills are prone to feral animal interaction and can contribute to the spread of antimicrobial resistance.

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How can governments and industry beat antimicrobial resistance?

While the environment’s significance in AMR remains understudied, the new report points to clear further action that governments, industry and other key players can take now to stop leaking antimicrobials into the environment.

The pharmaceutical sector can strengthen inspection systems, change incentives and subsidies for implementing upgrades in the manufacturing process, and ensure adequate waste and wastewater containment and treatment.

The food and agriculture sector can limit the use of antimicrobials and reduce discharges to protect water sources from pollutants, resistant microorganisms and antimicrobial residue contamination. This sector should also avoid antibiotics that correspond to those used as a last resort in human medicine.

The healthcare sector can improve access to high-quality and sustainable water sources and sanitation, install hospital-specific wastewater treatment systems, and ensure the safe and sustainable use and disposal of antimicrobial medicines.

Antibiotics are one of the most powerful tools we have to treat illness. But growing antimicrobial resistance threatens their efficacy. - Canva

As around 56 per cent of wastewater is released into the environment with little or no treatment, and over 600 million people have access to poor or basic facilities, it is also crucial to improve integrated water management and promote water sanitation and hygiene.

These actions, and more outlined in the report, must be backed at the highest level: with national action plans, international standards, realignment of subsidies and investments, research and – above all – collaboration between sectors.

Adopting the ‘One Health’ approach – which recognizes that the health of people, animals, plants and the environment are interdependent – is particularly important to ensure that everybody is pulling in the same direction.

Significant political momentum has developed, including through the Global Leaders Group on Antimicrobial Resistance and the Quadripartite Alliance on One Health.

However, the threat is growing. We now need to see more high-level political engagement, more finance, more technical expertise and above all more action.

Investment in new and affordable antimicrobials and other preventative measures should grow, but reducing pollution will be essential to ensure that this super weapon retains its power.

England’s flood warning systems on autopilot again as staff stage strike

Damien Gayle
Wed, 8 February 2023 

Photograph: Maureen McLean/REX/Shutterstock

England’s flood warning systems have been placed on autopilot for the second time in a month as staff at the Environment Agency stage their latest strike over pay and conditions.

Thousands of workers at the government agency, who have key roles in controlling pollution and protecting communities from weather disasters, began striking at 7am on Wednesday.

In their absence flood warning systems, which are usually monitored by experienced staff, will be set to trigger automatically if they reach certain thresholds. The government said automatic flood warnings did not compromise safety, and pointed out that the risk of floods was currently low.


Wednesday’s strike is the second time in a month that Environment Agency workers have stopped work over pay. Last November, the government granted staff a 2% pay rise, but their trade union, Unison, says since 2010 its members’ salaries have fallen by more than 20% in real terms.

Related: Lack of investment could leave 600,000 English properties at risk of flooding

Unison said a recent survey found more than a quarter of Environment Agency staff were considering leaving in the coming year. Of these, more than half (54%) said their main reason for wanting to quit was inadequate pay.

Agency workers have said staff shortages were increasing pressure on those still working at the agency, while low pay had forced some to resort to food banks. Tom, an Environment Agency worker in the south-east, described the November pay award as insulting and said staff felt undervalued and disrespected.

“Because of the low pay there are real problems recruiting staff,” he said. “That means we’re expected to cover vacant posts and do more for less money. The cost of my mortgage has gone up by hundreds of pounds a month, on top of skyrocketing fuel bills and food costs. I’m struggling to make ends meet.”

Workers have been staging work-to-rule actions since December and had their first full strike day in January. The latest strike comes after a 12-hour period of action short of strike, in which staff withdrew from emergency incident rotas. It will be followed by a further 12-hour period of the same.

Discussions over pay have taken place, but Environment Agency workers are considered to be civil servants and so are affected by a wider 2% pay rise cut across the civil service.

Unison said Thérèse Coffey, the environment secretary, had still not sat down with workers’ representatives. “Ministers are simply ignoring this invisible workforce,” said Christina McAnea, the general secretary of Unison.

“The public might not see what they do, but day in day out, they work tirelessly behind the scenes keeping communities safe from the ravages of the weather, rogue companies polluting rivers and criminals blighting the landscape with illegal fly-tipping.

“Despite homes and communities being regularly battered by the weather at this time of year, and with pollution spills on the rise, the government hasn’t grasped what’s at stake. Decent pay is a key factor in protecting the environment and keeping everyone safe. But those services can’t be provided if there’s no one to run them.

“Ministers can end this disruption right away, begin to rebuild services and give communities the peace of mind they crave. All the government needs to do is get talks in motion and increase pay.”

The Environment Agency said: “As a public sector organisation the Environment Agency remains bound by the pay policy of the government of the day. We have plans in place to minimise disruption to our essential work to protect the environment and respond to critical incidents.”

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said: “The Environment Agency are meeting regularly with unions to have open and honest conversations about pay, conditions and reform. Defra representatives are involved in these meetings and ministers are being updated.”

Turkey-Syria earthquake: the challenge of delivering aid in a disaster zone

Jeff Evans, Senior Lecturer, Disaster Healthcare, University of South Wales

The Conversation
Thu, 9 February 2023

It’s the middle of the night and you are fast asleep. Suddenly you have ceiling plaster smashing down on you, pictures are falling off the walls and your bedroom is swaying. You wake your partner, grab the kids and make your way down a stairwell in the darkness as you are hurled from side to side.

You find yourself standing in the street in your pyjamas in the freezing cold. It is pitch black with only a few car headlights and mobile phone torches lighting up the dust and debris.

This is a snapshot of the kind of experiences that families and individuals caught up in the devastating earthquakes that shook Turkey and Syria in the early hours of February 6 will have endured. For those outside the event, the experiences of people inside the disaster are difficult to comprehend. Yet, despite the confusion and mayhem, and having been part of several humanitarian disaster responses around the globe, I know there are three priorities for aid.

One is rescuing those who are trapped. The window of opportunity for getting people out of the rubble is small. As every hour and day passes, more lives will be lost as people buried in collapsed buildings succumb to their injuries, the cold or dehydration.

Another priority is treating the injured. Collapsing buildings can leave survivors with broken bones, spinal, chest and head injuries and even burns and open wounds.

At the same time, the hospitals and clinics people would usually use for treatment may be swamped with injured people. Or the buildings themselves may be damaged and unable to function as normal. Plus the medical staff required to treat and care for patients may also be either dead or injured.

Finally, there is a need to help those left homeless. The earthquakes and aftershocks in Turkey and Syria have affected thousands of people in this way. The true number remains unknown and will probably not become clear for several more weeks.

A lack of shelter is itself a killer, especially during the cold winter months. The situation is particularly treacherous for children, older people, those with disabilities and long-term health conditions.

The people who have lost their homes will need shelter, food and water as a bare minimum. They will also need to reconnect with family members who they will have lost contact with in the chaotic aftermath of the earthquake.

These three priorities do not represent a hierarchy of need. A lack of rescue, treatment for the injured and housing for the homeless are three immediate life-threatening needs that all exist at the same time.

This makes responding to disasters very difficult because a decision in one direction may leave other much-needed aid undelivered. One of the tragedies of such human disasters is being faced with a level of need that overwhelms the ability to respond.

Delivering aid in disasters is logistically difficult as roads, ports, and bridges are put out of use. At the same time, essential services for aid such as power, IT and mobile phone systems may also be out of action. Even so, local and international disaster response teams have ways of working to ensure aid is distributed to those most in need. Aid agencies conduct rapid needs assessments paying particular attention to disaster victims who are particularly vulnerable, then make sure that the aid available matches the requirements of the population. Multiple aid agencies then coordinate their efforts to ensure aid is distributed efficiently.

Read more: Turkey-Syria earthquake: how disaster diplomacy can bring warring countries together to save lives

The immediate response over the next few days and weeks is only the first step to recovery, however. Disaster response teams and international aid workers may stay on the ground for several more weeks to help with the delivery of medical care and essential services such as the distribution of food and water and providing shelter.

But eventually, they will withdraw. This leaves the survivors to cope with their grief and attempt to rebuild a life that has some degree of meaning and purpose.

They took assistance, but our problems were not resolvable with these assistances. We lost everything, what we built in years. This assistance was like a dress on the deep wound that covers the surface of the wound, but it doesn’t help repair.

This is a quote from an earthquake survivor in Iran published in 2016 and is a reminder of the depth of loss experienced by disaster survivors. It also reminds us the deep wounds inflicted by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria – not only physical wounds but psychological wounds – will take a long time to heal.

We can hope that the immediate aid offered in Turkey and Syria will go some way to saving lives and allowing survivors to begin to recover.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.


Jeff Evans is affiliated with Brecon Mountain Rescue Team, and is a board member of the World Society of Disaster Nursing

Albanian children come to Britain for safety. Instead, they get Home Office cruelty

David Neale

THE GUARDIAN
Wed, 8 February 2023 

 Suella Braverman

Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA

In recent months, it has been exhausting and dispiriting to see the British government demonising Albanian asylum seekers. For several years now, formerly as a barrister and now as a legal support worker, I’ve worked with Albanian asylum-seeking children and young people. The anti-Albanian rhetoric of politicians and media figures has been deeply misleading and unfathomably cruel. And the Home Office’s current anti-Albanian campaign is going to cost lives.

One of the most toxic narratives has been the idea that Albanian boys and men, as opposed to girls and women, aren’t “real” victims and aren’t in need of protection. This assumption is false. I’ve worked with many Albanian boys and young men who came to the UK as unaccompanied asylum-seeking children. They are exceptionally vulnerable. Many have been trafficked, either within Albania or from Albania to the UK or other European countries into forced labour or forced criminality, and severely abused. Most are from deprived backgrounds and some have suffered childhood domestic violence. The overwhelming majority have post-traumatic stress disorder and depression, and some have other disabilities.

Related: UK minister admits 200 asylum-seeking children have gone missing

Many have been retraumatised by the UK asylum system, let down by the adults who should have helped them and ultimately retrafficked within the UK. Against this backdrop, it’s particularly disturbing that 176 Albanian asylum-seeking children who were placed in hotels run by the Home Office have gone missing, and may have been trafficked by organised crime gangs.

Young people forcibly returned to Albania by the Home Office after they reach adulthood are at high risk of being trafficked there, too. Research by Asylos and Asylum Research Centre in 2019 found that the risk factors for trafficking or retrafficking included poverty, low education, suffering from physical or mental disabilities, domestic violence and/or sexual abuse within the family and being LGBT. Most asylum-seeking Albanian boys and men I have worked with display some or all of these risk factors. Despite this, the Home Office has recently claimed that Albanian trafficked boys and men are not at risk in Albania, and has even determined that their claims can be certified as “clearly unfounded”, which means depriving them of the right to appeal. They are completely wrong.

Besides trafficking, another common cause of Albanian boys and men fleeing their country is blood feud. A young man can be targeted because of something his father, grandfather, uncle or even a distant cousin did. Some blood feuds last for decades. Some can erupt suddenly even after a years-long lull. Many men and boys have no option but to self-confine, remaining in their homes for years at a time, with devastating consequences for their mental health.

In 2012, the UK’s Upper Tribunal assessed the evidence on blood feuds, and accepted that the Albanian state does not provide adequate protection to those who are in an active blood feud, especially in the north of the country (where most blood feuds occur). For the past few years, however, the Home Office has been arguing in its country policy and information notes (Cpins) – the guidance it gives to its caseworkers – that the situation has improved and that Albania now provides adequate protection. Even more concerning is that successive Cpins have claimed that asylum cases based on blood feud can be certified as clearly unfounded. Such decisions can be challenged by judicial review, but not all asylum-seekers are fortunate enough to have good legal representation, or know what their rights are.

Since 2018, I have been reviewing (and debunking) Home Office Cpins on Albania, most recently the January 2023 Cpin on blood feuds. When one actually reads the sources cited in Cpins, instead of taking the Home Office conclusions at face value, it’s clear that the conclusions are not supported. According to independent sources (as opposed to the Albanian government’s rose-tinted self-appraisals) adequate protection is not provided. Most people won’t check the accuracy of their conclusions, and overworked, underpaid legal aid lawyers don’t have the time. The result is that people in desperate need of protection have their asylum claims refused, sometimes without a right of appeal.

Related: Suella Braverman’s Rwanda flight ‘dream’ could happen this year, sources say

Misleading country policies aren’t the only reason why asylum claims are wrongly refused. Many asylum seekers are found “not credible” by the Home Office because of “inconsistencies” in their account, such as muddling up the date something happened, or the number of times it happened, or how long it took. Decades of psychological research has shown that human memory for this kind of temporal information is extremely fallible, and that depression and PTSD can cause memory problems. This is exacerbated in the case of children, whose autobiographical memories are not fully developed.

Yet it’s still common for the Home Office, and some judges, to disbelieve traumatised young people because of inconsistencies in their account. And asylum decision-making isn’t just intellectually dishonest, it’s also highly retraumatising. Asylum seekers are forced to relive the worst experiences of their lives in interviews and appeal hearings, quizzed by hostile officials whose job is to find reasons to call them a liar. Many don’t have the benefit of a good lawyer fighting their corner, due to the chronic shortage of legal aid immigration advice, and the poor quality of some private advice.

Incorrect refusals come at a terrible human cost. Many young people whose asylum claims are refused end up becoming street-homeless, exploited in illegal work on construction sites and car washes, or even trafficked by criminal gangs which subject them to brutal violence. Some young people I have worked with have lost hope and attempted to take their own lives. The current media hostility towards Albanians has only worsened the mental health of these young people and made suicide attempts more likely. And if a young person is detained and removed to Albania, it can be a death sentence. The Home Office’s culture of refusal, and the lack of adequate safeguarding for asylum-seeking children and young people, are causing immense and avoidable suffering.

The government is blaming the victims of its own policies. Having failed to provide safe and legal routes to the UK that would give desperate people an alternative to human smuggling, it’s now cracking down on a deeply vulnerable group of people who are in dire need of the UK’s protection. History will not judge this government kindly.

David Neale is a legal researcher and former barrister who specialises in immigration and asylum law

PROPERTY IS THEFT

UK
Thousands more renters evicted as charities urge government not to 'look the other way'

Thu, 9 February 2023 

Charities are calling on the government not to "look the other way" as new statistics show rising eviction rates for renters across the country.

According to the latest figures from the Ministry of Justice covering October to December 2022, landlord possessions rose by 98% from the previous year, going from 2,729 in 2021 to 5,409.

And 6,101 landlords in England started so-called "no-fault eviction" court proceedings - telling tenants to leave without a reason - in the same period, up 69% in a year.


Charities are now demanding action from the government to avoid "the crushing reality of homelessness".

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Thousands face threat of 'nowhere to go'

Chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, Matt Downie, said: "The devastating impact of the cost-of-living crisis, rising rents and low wages has once again been laid bare as thousands more renters are faced with eviction and the very real threat of being left with nowhere to go.

"With rents rising at their fastest rate in 16 years, the government cannot continue to look the other way as more and more people are forced into homelessness."

Crisis is calling for investment into housing benefit, which has been frozen since April 2020, so it "adequately reflects today's cost pressures".

Mr Downie added: "Failure to do so will see thousands of households facing the uncertainty of eviction and the crushing reality of homelessness."

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'Renters face impossible decisions'

Campaign group Generation Rent also appealed to the government, calling for it to freeze rents and suspend no-fault evictions, saying they were at their highest rate since 2017.

Director Alicia Kennedy said: "Renters have faced impossible decisions over paying for food, heating or rent, and now face homelessness.

"Rising rents on new tenancies are encouraging unscrupulous landlords to raise rent for their existing tenants and serve no-fault evictions if they can't afford the increase."

Shelter went further, urging the government to push ahead with a permanent ban on no-fault evictions, which were blocked during the pandemic but allowed again from May 2021.

Chief executive of the homelessness charity, Polly Neate, said: "Every eviction notice that lands on someone's doormat brings with it fear and uncertainty.

"No one wants to be forced out of their home, but these court figures show that's happening to more and more private renters in this country."

She also attacked a "chronic lack of social homes" leading to the demand for rented accommodation to soar.

"Every day we hear from desperate families who've been served with no-fault eviction notices for daring to complain about poor conditions, or because their landlord wants to cash in on rising rents," added Ms Neate.

"No-fault evictions are pushing too many people needlessly into homelessness and turning thousands of people's lives upside down.

"Renters can't wait any longer... it's time the government stopped stalling and changed the law."

Political row over rising mortgage costs

The MoJ statistics also showed a 134% jump in mortgage repossessions for the same three-month period - from 313 in 2021 to 733 - while claims beginning legal proceedings by lenders rose 23% from 2,570 to 3,160.

The Liberal Democrats blamed the figures on former prime minister Liz Truss' disastrous mini-budget, which saw the markets spiral and mortgage rates rocket after her chancellor announced a string of uncosted tax cuts in September 2022.

The party's Treasury spokeswoman, Sarah Olney, said it was "shocking" the ex-PM had refused to apologise when she made her return to the political fray last week for what the MP called "economic vandalism which has crippled people with mortgage misery".

And she reiterated the Lib Dem call for emergency mortgage protection to stop people from losing their homes.

Ms Olney added: "People's homes are on the line and still the government refuses to act. Botched budgets and a complete failure to control inflation has led to this point. Ministers must act now before any more families face the heartbreak of losing their homes."

A government spokesperson said the statistics showed overall mortgage and landlord possession claims were below pre-pandemic levels but added that they "recognise that both renters and homeowners are struggling with the cost of living".

The spokesperson added: "Ensuring a fair deal for renters remains a priority for the government. We will deliver our commitment to abolish section 21 'no-fault' evictions as soon as we can in this parliament - protecting 1.3 million families - and have provided £366m for local councils to help prevent evictions and provide temporary accommodation.

"We are also taking action to support people with rising costs - our Energy Price Guarantee will save the typical household around £900 this winter, with a further £500 saving before April 2024, and we are providing payments of £1,200 to millions of the most vulnerable families."

Shell’s board of directors sued over ‘flawed’ climate strategy in first-of-its-kind lawsuit

Rosie Frost

EURONEWS
Thu, 9 February 2023

Shell’s board of directors are being personally sued over their alleged failure to properly manage risks associated with the climate crisis.

The lawsuit says the British oil giant’s 11 directors have breached their legal duties under the UK’s Companies Act by failing to bring their climate strategy in line with the Paris Agreement.

Environmental law charity ClientEarth, which filed the lawsuit, says it is the first case in the world that looks to hold corporate directors personally responsible for failing to prepare for the energy transition.


“Shell may be making record profits now due to the turmoil of the global energy market, but the writing is on the wall for fossil fuels long term,” says Paul Benson, a senior lawyer at ClientEarth.

“The shift to a low-carbon economy is not just inevitable, it’s already happening.”

But the Shell board is persisting with a transition strategy that is “fundamentally flawed,” Benson claims. He says it leaves the company seriously exposed to the risks climate change poses to their success in the future - “despite the board’s legal duty to manage those risks”.

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Lawsuit against Shell has support from investors

ClientEarth filed the first of its kind climate case at the High Court of England and Wales in its capacity as a shareholder.

The legal claim also has the backing of institutional investors and pension funds who together own over 12 million of Shell’s 7 billion shares. These investors include pension funds like Nest - the UK’s largest workplace pension scheme - and London CIV in the UK and Swedish national pension fund AP3.

Investors want to see action in line with the risk climate change presents and will challenge those who aren’t doing enough to transition their business.

In a letter to the board of directors notifying them of the legal action last year, ClientEarth said its lawsuit was in the “best interests” of the company as the economy “inevitably shifts away from fossil fuels.”

They also said it was in the best interests of investors.

“Investors want to see action in line with the risk climate change presents and will challenge those who aren’t doing enough to transition their business,” says Mark Fawcett, Nest’s chief investment officer.

“We hope the whole energy industry sits up and takes notice.”

‘Pure greenwashing’: Shell reports highest ever profits while labelling fossil gas as ‘renewable’


Exxon makes record €51 billion profit. Only 5% is going to ‘low-carbon’ projects
Shell says its climate plans are ‘industry-leading’

Shell says its ‘Energy Transition Strategy’ - including its plan to be net zero by 2050 - is consistent with the 1.5C temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. The company also claims its plan to halve emissions by 2030 is “industry-leading”.

But ClientEarth says this covers less than 10 per cent of its overall emissions and independent assessments have found that Shell’s climate strategy is not Paris-aligned.

The environmental law charity is asking the high court to order Shell to adopt a strategy that properly manages climate risks and complies with a 2021 legal order by Dutch courts to cut emissions by 45 per cent.

'Climate Justice' placard seen during the demonstration outside Shell HQ in London. - SOPA Images/ Vuk Valcic / SOPA Images

A spokesperson from Shell said they “do not accept ClientEarth’s allegations”.

“Our directors have complied with their legal duties and have, at all times, acted in the best interests of the company.”

“ClientEarth’s attempt, by means of a derivative claim, to overturn the board’s policy as approved by our shareholders has no merit. We will oppose their application to obtain the court’s permission to pursue this claim.”

Shell’s Board Sued Over Lack of Climate Ambition

Katharine Gemmell and William Mathis
Thu, February 9, 2023 

(Bloomberg) -- Shell Plc faces a new front in climate litigation as lawyers, supported by a group of shareholders, sue the oil giant’s board in the UK.

Two years after a Dutch court ordered Shell to slash its emissions, ClientEarth are filing the first lawsuit of its kind anywhere in the world against 11 members of the board, accusing them of failing to manage the company’s climate risks.

The environmental law firm is bringing the suit under the UK’s Company Act against Shell’s board at London’s High Court, arguing that the their failure to approve an energy transition strategy that aligns with the Paris Agreement amounts to a breach of a director’s legal duties.

“The board is persisting with a transition strategy that is fundamentally flawed, leaving the company seriously exposed to the risks that climate change poses to Shell’s future success – despite the board’s legal duty to manage those risks,” said Paul Benson, a senior lawyer at ClientEarth.

The Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015 with a goal of slowing global warming to well below 2C, compared to pre-industrial levels. With record temperatures across much of the planet in 2022, and a series of catastrophic weather events, the severe effects of climate change are already being felt.

“We do not accept ClientEarth’s allegations,” a Shell spokesperson said. “Our directors have complied with their legal duties and have, at all times, acted in the best interests of the company.”

Fresh Strategy

Trying to hold board members legally accountable for their companies’ contributions to climate change marks a fresh strategy as lawyers and campaigners increasingly turn to the courts to try and pin some of the blame for the climate crisis on Big Oil. In the Netherlands at least, activists have had success.

Shell was ordered in 2021 by a court in The Hague to slash its greenhouse gas emissions 45% by 2030 compared to 2019 levels. It’s appealing the ruling as the court’s order is an acceleration of an existing strategy there are aspects of it that are just not feasible, Shell argues.

“Shell’s goal is to become a net zero emissions energy company by 2050,” the company said. “Appealing does not change this.”

Shell already has plans to halve emissions from its own business and the energy it purchases, by 2030 compared to 2016 levels. But those represent less than 10% of its overall carbon footprint, with most planet-warming gases emitted when its customers burn the fuel they buy from Shell.

While the company also has a goal of reaching net zero emissions across all its business by 2050, there’s not yet a clear plan how to do it. It was the oil and gas business that drove record-breaking profits of nearly $40 billion last year. And while Shell’s investment in its renewables unit hit an all-time high in 2022, it was less than half what the company spent on its business exploring for and extracting fossil fuels.

Renewables Pause

Wael Sawan, who took over as Shell’s chief executive officer in January, said he plans to grow the company’s natural gas business while Shell pauses growth in spending on its renewables unit. The CEO is focused on delivering value for shareholders.

“Our philosophy has been a real pivot toward energy transition investments,” Sawan said in a call with reporters on Feb. 2. “But we will make sure that those investments go into the areas where we can see line of sight toward attractive returns to be able to reward our shareholders.”

The lawsuit, which also alleges the directors failed to comply with the Hague ruling, is being supported by institutional investors including pension-fund manager London LGPS CIV Ltd, Nest, Swedish pension fund AP3, and Danske Bank Asset Management. Together they hold over 12 million shares in the company, still less than 0.2% of the total.

“Recognizing the dual materiality of this global emergency and the associated financial opportunities associated with the green transition,” London CIV has a duty to its beneficiaries to understand climate risk, Jacqueline Amy Jackson, head of responsible investment, said in a letter of support to ClientEarth.

UK
Firefighters’ strikes postponed after increased pay offer

Alan Jones, PA Industrial Correspondent

Thu, 9 February 2023

Strikes by firefighters have been postponed following an increased pay offer during lengthy talks with employers, it was announced on Thursday.

The Fire Brigades Union (FBU) said it has been offered a 7% pay rise backdated to July 2022, and then 5% from July this year.

The union had warned of strikes if a previous 5% pay offer was not increased following a huge vote in favour of industrial action.

The union’s executive decided to put the new offer to a ballot of its members, and has postponed the announcement of strike dates pending the outcome.



The FBU said it will have an “honest and sober” discussion of the offer, adding that it still amounts to a real-terms pay cut given the rate of inflation.

FBU general secretary Matt Wrack said: “This offer is testament to the power of collective action through the Fire Brigades Union.

“Last year we were offered an insulting 2%.

“The employers have now revised their position.

“We have achieved this increase because of the massive vote in favour of strike action by firefighters and control staff across the country, which made clear the strength of feeling among firefighters about cuts to their wages.

“Since 2010, the average firefighter has lost at least 12% of the value of their pay.

“We will now ballot our members.

“Frontline firefighters and control room staff will make the decision on whether this pay offer is considered a real improvement.

“Our internal discussions will be honest and sober.

“While the offer is improved from last year, it still amounts to a real-terms pay cut.

“Meanwhile, plans to announce a series of strike dates and industrial action will be postponed, pending the outcome of the ballot.”

Mr Wrack said the union’s executive will now decide whether to recommend the new offer to members.

He told the PA news agency that no strikes will be held while union members vote.

The timing of the ballot is being finalised on Thursday and is likely to take a few weeks.

No details had been given on what would happen during any strikes by firefighters but there has been speculation that the military would provide cover.

Rachel Harrison, national officer of the GMB union, said: “Firefighters have been made an offer and suspended their strikes but the Government still won’t talk pay with ambulance workers.

“Ambulance workers in England are feeling like second-class citizens as Welsh and Scottish Governments make offers on pay and now it looks like they are being treated like second-class emergency workers too.

“It’s clear that the pay review body doesn’t work and is being used as a mask to hide behind, preventing a proper pay negotiation.

“Ministers need to pull their finger out and talk pay now.”

The employers body which negotiates pay on behalf of all fire and rescue services across the UK, said that, as well as the pay offer, it has also proposed a programme of talks to explore other matters raised in the claim.

A statement said: “We welcome the Fire Brigades Union commitment to consult its members on the offer and its commitment that no strike dates will be called while that happens.”

National Employers chairman Nick Chard said: “Our dedicated fire and rescue staff are rightly held in high regard by the public for their tireless efforts to help save lives and prevent fires.

“The National Employers remain committed to resolving this dispute through discussion, which we have demonstrated throughout these talks.

“We hope that this offer will be accepted so that firefighters can receive this significant uplift in pay as soon as possible and strike action can be averted.”

Around 48,500 uniformed employees in the fire service across the UK are covered by the discussions, including firefighters and control staff but not those in senior management posts.

UK

'The workload is back breaking' - physiotherapists strike over pay dispute

Andrew Gardner

THE ARGUS
Thu, 9 February 2023

The strike was set to a soundtrack of clanging pots and pans (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

Physiotherapists joined the ever-growing list of NHS workers on strike as they picketed outside hospitals this morning.

A crowd of them braved the cold weather outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton to call for a pay increase, which they say will protect patient services "both now, and into the future".

The Argus: They were outside the main entrance to the hospital

They were outside the main entrance to the hospital (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)


The Chartered Society of Physiotherapists called for the strike following their first day of industrial action over pay on January 26.

Physiotherapists across 33 NHS trusts in England are taking part in strike action today, including the University Hospitals Sussex NHS Trust, which operates the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

They will continue to provide emergency services, such as in intensive care or on-call respiratory physiotherapy.

The Argus: Fraser has been a physiotherapist for 'some time'

Fraser has been a physiotherapist for 'some time' (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

A senior physiotherapist at the Royal Sussex, who gave his name as Fraser, said: "We've constantly been pulled left, right and centre.

"In terms of our pay, we're underpaid and understaffed as well. The main reason we're in this job is because we want to help our patients.

"We're not here for the money, because you can pick other careers for that, but it's got to a point where the pay needs to improve.

"It's great we're all out here, making so much noise - and everyone is supporting us."

"I've got hopes for a deal, I don't know if they're high - but I've got hopes."

The Argus: Ambulances sounded their sirens as they passed by the picket line

Ambulances sounded their sirens as they passed by the picket line (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

The striking workers chanted and held up placards to demand better pay. Some read "Physios stretched to breaking point" and "Poor pay is a pain in the neck".

Anothyer physiotherapist at the trust said: "We do it because we love it, but we need better pay, and a job that's worth doing.

"We need to make sure that we have a great quality of life, in order to deliver a great quality of care to patients."

Physiotherapists from all departments in the trust picketed outside the hospital in Eastern Road.

A neurosurgical physiotherapist, who gave her name as Victoria, added: "We are out here because we want the public to be more aware of our situation.

"The trust has been very supportive of us, but it's the government we have an issue with."

The Argus: There was around 20 physiotherapists on the picket line

There was around 20 physiotherapists on the picket line (Image: Andrew Gardner / The Argus)

The strike comes shortly after the biggest day of industrial action in more than a decade on February 1.

Workers from seven trade unions, including teachers, university lecturers, bus drivers and security guards walked out at once over pay.

Bahrain loses state immunity bid in dissidents' spyware lawsuit in UK

Wed, 8 February 2023 

LONDON (Reuters) -Bahrain cannot claim state immunity to block a lawsuit brought in Britain by two dissidents who say its government hacked their laptops with spyware, the High Court in London ruled on Wednesday.

Saeed Shehabi and Moosa Mohammed say Bahrain infected their computers with surveillance software called FinSpy, which allowed agents to take control of their laptops, access their files and monitor their communications.

The software also allows users to enable microphones and cameras on electronic devices to conduct live surveillance and to track their location, they say.

Shehabi and Mohammed, who both live in Britain, say Bahrain infected their laptops with FinSpy in around 2011, which allowed the kingdom to monitor their work with political prisoners in Bahrain, and are seeking damages for "psychiatric harm".

Bahrain denies hacking Shehabi and Mohammed's laptops and says they have provided no evidence of how their computers were alleged to have been infected.

The kingdom had argued it was entitled to state immunity because any alleged hacking did not take place in Britain and that the psychiatric injuries claimed did not amount to personal injuries, for which there is an exception to state immunity in English law.

But Judge Julian Knowles dismissed Bahrain's application, meaning Shehabi and Mohammed's case can proceed in London.

"This decision demonstrates that we can prevail in our fight for justice and that our voices will not be muzzled by the Bahraini regime's reprisals or intimidation," Mohammed said in a written statement.

A spokesperson for the Bahraini government said it was disappointed with the ruling and intended to appeal.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; Editing by Alex Richardson)

England built just two onshore wind turbines in 2022: What needs to change?

Rosie Frost

EURONEWS
Wed, 8 February 2023 


Only two onshore wind turbines were built in England last year, according to trade body RenewableUK.

Across the UK, a total of 10 onshore projects were installed - six in Scotland, two in Northern Ireland, one in Wales and one in England. Together they generate enough energy to power 209,000 homes.

In contrast, more than ten times as much offshore wind capacity was installed in the UK in 2022. RenewableUK says a total of 3.51GW of new offshore wind energy was added - enough to power more than 3.4 million homes. This figure smashed a previous record set in 2018.

So what’s going wrong with onshore wind farms?

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A ‘de facto’ ban on onshore wind farms

The planning system is a major barrier to speeding up the UK’s shift away from fossil fuels and imported energy, according to experts.

Nowhere is the problem with planning more evident than in onshore wind farms.

“In England, there has been a de facto ban on onshore wind since 2015,” explains James Robottom, head of onshore wind at RenewableUK.

It was part of former Prime Minister David Cameron’s pushback on so-called ‘green crap’.

The planning policy means that proposals for one or more wind turbines need to meet two criteria: they must be located in an area identified by local authorities as suitable for renewable projects and they must have consent from the local community.

Wind turbines are seen behind houses in Burton Latimer, England

. - REUTERS/Andrew Boyers

Though these requirements empower communities to have more of a say over what is built in their area, it has caused onshore wind farm installation to stagnate.

Very few local authorities in England have designated areas for renewable development. Just 11 per cent according to research from the University of West England.

And, Robottom says, “any impact has to be fully assessed. That means one person in a local area can object and the whole wind farm goes.”
What is the UK government doing to solve the problem?

A consultation is currently underway to attempt to remove these planning roadblocks and allow projects where there is enough local support. The government’s own polling shows that four-fifths of the UK public support onshore wind.

It is also seeking opinions on whether communities that back onshore wind should get lower energy bills.

Conservative lawmaker Simon Clarke, who led calls for change, celebrated on Twitter when the consultation was announced in December.

“Really pleased to see a sensible agreement reached this evening which will enable onshore wind to be delivered while enshrining the vital principle of community consent,” he said.

Planning reforms are underway in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland too.

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‘Substantial changes’ are needed to planning laws

RenewableUK believes there needs to be “substantial changes” to the planning system to improve the “glacial pace” of onshore wind installation.

But Robottom says the footnotes in the government’s proposed new wording for planning laws are even “more complex and more confusing”.

He adds that the government's ambition for renewable power is also nowhere near the recommendations of reports like the Skidmore Review - a plan that outlines the path to net zero for the UK.

This confusion means it is difficult to know what the situation with onshore wind will be in the future.

“If I was looking to invest in onshore wind in England, I just wouldn’t,” Robottom says.