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Water companies are adopting disinformation tactics similar to those used by the fossil fuel and tobacco industries with the widespread use of greenwashing to downplay the environmental harm they cause, a study says.

Environmental scientists analysed the communications of the nine main water and sewerage companies in England, and compared them with a framework of 28 greenwashing tactics employed, researchers say, by the tobacco, alcohol, fossil fuels and chemical industries.

The water companies have adopted 22 of these tactics to downplay environmental harm, misrepresent information, undermine scientific research, shift blame and delay action, the researchers say.

Plans for a £250m upgrade of a major road network could be disrupted by a butterfly.

Last week, Kent County Council revealed plans to improve the A229 Blue Bell Hill which connects Chatham to Maidstone.

The plans contain a raft of new slip roads and roundabout enhancements, but one of the measures is for an additional lane and a new slip road on the southern-bound carriageway heading to Maidstone.

That would plunge it through the habitat of the Green Hairstreak butterfly.

The Mersey Forest is seeking public input on its new long-term strategy, More With Trees.

It aims to transform Cheshire and Merseyside by increasing tree cover, improving woodlands, and encouraging community involvement in nature-based activities.

The consultation is live until March 2, 2025.

Labour is being warned it is hurtling towards a “powder keg” confrontation with environmentalists, green groups and a swathe of its own supporters in the next few weeks, amid its claims that “blockers” are standing in the way of economic growth.

A flurry of pro-growth measures have been announced by ministers in recent days as part of a government fightback against claims that the economy is stalling.

The drive culminated last week in chancellor Rachel Reeves’s assertion in Davos that economic growth is more important than net zero. She is now on the verge of effectively giving her backing to airport expansion at Heathrow, Gatwick and Luton.

Songbird chicks are being killed by high levels of pesticides in the pet fur used by their parents to line their nests, a study has found.

Researchers surveying nests for the harmful chemical found in pet flea treatments found that it was present in every single nest. The scientists from the University of Sussex are now calling for the government to urgently reassess the environmental risk of pesticides used in flea and tick treatments and consider restricting their use.

Cats and dogs are widely treated with insecticides to prevent against fleas. Vets often recommend regular flea treatments as a preventive measure, even when dogs and cats do not have the pest. But scientists now recommend animals should not be treated for fleas unless they actually have them.

A new initiative, encouraging every household in the Island to take action to support biodiversity and create habitats for wildlife, has been launched by Manx Wildlife Trust as part of their ‘Make Space for Nature’ campaign.

The project, which has been made possible by support from Ørsted, aims to inspire residents to transform outdoor spaces, at their homes and in the wider community, into havens for wildlife.

Working towards the Isle of Man’s goal to see 30% of the Island’s land and sea managed for nature by 2030, the campaign aims to mobilise community wide action in different ways, inspired and enabled by a series of newsletters which will provide practical guidance and free resources over six weeks.

Everyone, whether they have large gardens, small balconies or no outdoor space of their own, can get involved and collectively make a real difference. For those who want to widen their scope and create more ambitious community projects there will be ongoing support from Manx Wildlife Trust through online and in person meet ups, plus access to tailored project by project advice and information.

A new project that will restore and connect vital wildlife sites surrounding one of North Yorkshire’s most scenic roads is now underway along the southern edge of the North York Moors National Park.

Linking Thirsk to Scarborough, the busy A170 winds its way through market towns and quaint villages and passes stunning woodland, pasture and farmland. Now, in a drive to connect these spaces not just for people, but for nature and wildlife too, new ‘insect super-highways’ will be created and cared for as part of GrubsUp!

The two-year project has received funding from Santander UK as part of the bank’s continued support of the UK’s protected landscapes and collaboration with National Parks Partnerships (NPP).

The UK Government has said that it has "no plans to ban driven grouse shooting" after a petition on the subject surged towards 50,000 signatures.

The petition response said that the government "recognises well-managed grouse shooting can be an important part of a local rural economy", adding that "well-managed shooting activities can bring benefits to the rural economy and can be beneficial for wildlife and habitat conservation."

The petition was started in late November by Wild Justice – a non-profit environmental organisation run by Chris Packham, Dr Ruth Tingay and Dr Mark Avery. As of 22 January, it had garnered almost 48,000 signatures.

The decision to withdraw plans for the £274m Norwich Western Link road has been welcomed by two wildlife charities.

The Norfolk Wildlife Trust and the Woodland Trust said they were pleased that Norfolk County Council had pulled its own planning application for the 3.9-mile road.

Leaders at the Conservative-controlled council said they had made the "difficult decision" to withdraw the proposal after objections triggered by rare, protected bats.

Ministers have seen off a bill that would have made the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding, after promising Labour backbenchers that they would have input into environmental legislation.

The deal avoids an internal row over the bill, which was introduced by the Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage but had support from dozens of Labour MPs.

Before Friday’s debate on the legislation, ministers insisted on the removal of clauses that would have required the UK to meet the targets it agreed to at Cop and other international summits. A Labour source said the bill as it stood would have forced the government to renegotiate its international climate change agreements.

A landmark bill that would make the UK’s climate and environment targets legally binding seems doomed after government whips ordered Labour MPs to oppose it following a breakdown in negotiations.

Supporters of the climate and nature bill, introduced by the Liberal Democrat MP Roz Savage, say Labour insisted on the removal of clauses that would require the UK to meet the targets it agreed to at Cop and other international summits.

Although it is a private member’s bill, more than 80 Labour MPs, including several ministers, had publicly signed up to support it.

Bee-killing pesticides have been banned for emergency use in the UK for the first time in five years after the government rejected an application from the National Farmers’ Union and British Sugar.

The neonicotinoid pesticide Cruiser SB, which is used on sugar beet, is highly toxic to bees and has the potential to kill off populations of the insect. It is banned in the EU but the UK has provisionally agreed to its emergency use every year since leaving the bloc. It combats a plant disease known as virus yellows by killing the aphid that spreads it.

Prof Dave Goulson, a bee expert at the University of Sussex, has warned that one teaspoon of the chemical is enough to kill 1.25bn honeybees. Even at non-fatal doses it can cause cognitive problems that make it hard for bees to forage for nectar and the chemicals can stay in the soil for years.