In a highly criticised move from both sides of the political spectrum, the UK government announced plans to grant 100 new drilling licences to extract oil from the North Sea. Despite Rishi Sunak’s press secretary's assurances that the plan was still “totally compatible” with reaching net zero by 2050, the news has been described as a “wrecking ball” to the UK’s climate commitments. The move looks like another missed opportunity for the UK to plan long-term to tackle climate change and energy security better. And unfortunately for Sunak, it adds some credibility to Zach Goldsmith’s claims that he is “simply uninterested” in the environment. Ouch. The Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) may have proven unpopular in recent local elections, but according to polls, the UK public still cares about climate change. 8 out of 10 people interviewed rated themselves as ‘concerned’, and 5 out of 10 want our net zero targets to be achieved sooner. Full story here.