The lay of the land
Modern society creates competing land demands for food, housing, energy and nature. England’s new Land Use Framework lays out a data-driven approach to managing this but, as our analysis attests, its success will depend on effective coordination across sectors.
Global pressures on land are undeniable: ecologically vital grasslands and wetlands are being converted for livestock and agriculture, and in Europe, this intensification is contributing to habitat loss and soil degradation. Knock-on impacts include a reduction in biodiversity, the release of carbon back into the atmosphere, and an increase in pollution that affects mental and physical health. A new report from the WWF recognises this, and advocates for large-scale wetland restoration for societal (as well as ecological) benefits.
To begin rolling back these negative impacts, real change will require effective decision-making on farms, planning, and restoration at scale: and this is by no means impossible, as shown by one aspiring fossil-fuel-free farmer in Cornwall, and by the solutions-focused articles in our recent agriculture journal.
At risk
Climate risk is no longer just a modelling exercise: it’s already reshaping the boundaries of insurance markets. Some parts of the US are already effectively uninsurable, as premiums rise or coverage is withdrawn completely. For insurers, environmental risk now ranks among the top strategic concerns, reflecting escalating losses and deep uncertainty on how future scenarios will play out.
Uninsurability forces us to ask who bears the brunt of climate risk, and how societies can adapt when private risk transfer breaks down. The City of London’s inaugural Global Risk Summit in May and The Conduit’s Insurance in a Changing World Summit in April signal more urgency in the industry’s response. Over the past few years, our journal has investigated the financial implications of risk, and the forthcoming infrastructure (published next week) and climate tipping points (June) editions will see expert authors addressing these issues head-on and asking how we can build a more resilient future.
Who’s bringing the energy?
UK renewables delivered a record share of electricity in 2025, with wind, solar and biomass reaching new heights, but combined with increases in electricity generation from gas. Could geothermal, the overhaul of nuclear planning and regulation and the new UK fusion strategy, further diversify energy supplies?
Environmental Outcomes Reports (EORs) represent a new approach to environmental assessment, shifting away from extensive documentation and moving towards a focus on results. The new consent process could enable quicker deployment of renewables through streamlining planning, although critics have warned of oversimplification and weakening of scrutiny.
Energy security can’t come soon enough. Shocks from the Iran conflict are exposing the UK’s reliance on global energy markets, and whilst renewables aren’t exempt from the turbulence, the Climate Change Committee’s latest assessment shows that the cost of the net zero transition will likely be lower than a single fossil fuel price shock. | 
