Press and Media
Manchester Friends of the Earth news releases will have contact details for the specific campaign leads.
You are also welcome to contact our Media officer or one of the Group coordinators but please be aware that we are all volunteers and may not be able to respond to you right away:
Media officer:
- Pete Abel: 07951 642858, pete[at]manchesterfoe.org.uk
Group coordinators:
- Ali Abbas: 07786 090520, ali[at]manchestefoe.org.uk
- Catherine Thomson: cat[at]manchesterfoe.org.uk
You can also email coords[at]manchesterfoe.org.uk which goes to both Ali and Catherine.
View our news releases and coverage in the media.
News Releases
Global CO2 emissions dropped by 17% amid coronavirus lockdowns – Friends of the Earth reaction
New research published today in the journal Nature Climate Change has shown that daily global carbon emissions fell by 17% in early April 2020 compared to 2019, with full-year 2020 emissions set to decrease by up to 7%, depending on further social distancing.
Heathrow Third Runway: Friends of the Earth to challenge developers’ Supreme Court appeal
“It is especially important now, as we plan for a future after the dreadful Covid-19 pandemic, that the UK invests in low-carbon, resilient infrastructure. A new runway at Heathrow is the opposite of what we need to be building.” Jenny Bates, Friends of the Earth
Climate action ‘central’ to rebuilding economy, say government advisers – Friends of the Earth reaction
Reacting to today’s letter to the Prime Minister from the Committee on Climate Change calling for a “green” package of measures to rebuild the economy, Mike Childs, head of science at Friends of the Earth, said:
Green post-pandemic recovery will deliver more jobs – Friends of the Earth reaction
Reacting to today’s study, which says that investing in green measures to boost economies post-pandemic will create more jobs and better financial returns, Friends of the Earth campaigner Tony Bosworth said:
Campaigners welcome plans to pedestrianise Deansgate and call on Government to relax side-road zebra crossing rules
Manchester Friends of the Earth welcomes the plans announced by Manchester City Council to pedestrianise part of Deansgate and to create extended footways in other busy areas of Manchester, and calls on the Government to allow councils to install side-road zebra crossings without expensive Belisha beacons. [1]
Spending on trees 25 times lower in England than in Scotland
Westminster’s strategy for creating more woodland has a huge imbalance. It’s failing to do nearly enough in England, while leaving Scotland to do the heavy lifting.
UN Climate Summit delayed to 2021
Friends of the Earth Scotland, and Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland joint statement
Budget 2020 – Friends of the Earth reaction
Reacting to the Chancellor’s Budget, Friends of the Earth’s head of policy, Mike Childs, said: “This Budget contains a massive road-building programme which completely destroys any pretence of UK government leadership ahead of this years’ crucial climate summit.
Campaigners call on Manchester to reduce climate-wrecking emissions from Manchester Airport, and drop road building schemes
Manchester Friends of the Earth welcomes the City Council’s ambition to halve carbon emissions from the city’s homes, workplaces and ground transport over the next five years and to reduce aviation emissions from Manchester Airport.
GM-CAN’s Response to the Decision on Heathrow’s Proposed Third Runway
We, the members of Greater Manchester Climate Action Network (GM-CAN1) welcome the news that Heathrow’s plan to build a third runway has been ruled unlawful
Friends of the Earth wins campaign to protect the climate from Heathrow Third Runway
“This ruling is an absolutely ground-breaking result for climate justice. We were fighting a project that would have had dire implications for present and future generations.” Will Rundle, head of legal at Friends of the Earth.
300,000 demand government action on plastic pollution, as MPs debate Environment Bill
A petition from over 300,000 people calling for tougher government action on plastic pollution will be handed in to 10 Downing Street on Wednesday (26 February), by Friends of the Earth and the National Federation of Women’s Institutes (NFWI).
Local campaign calls on GM Pension Fund to “Ditch the Coal!” (Fossil Free Greater Manchester)
Campaign group Fossil Free Greater Manchester is calling on the Greater Manchester Pension Fund (GMPF) to ensure that all its investments are free from coal mining, the most-polluting fossil fuel, by the end of 2020.
Heathrow third runway: Court of Appeal to hand down ruling on Thursday 27th
This Thursday (27th) the Court of Appeal will hand down it’s ruling in Friends of the Earth’s legal challenge against Heathrow Airport’s third runway, in the most important environmental law case in this country for over a generation.
Arsenal save half a million single-use plastic cups from landfill – Friends of the Earth reaction
Friends of the Earth is urging sport stadiums and other venues across the UK to introduce reusable cup initiatives after Arsenal revealed today that its scheme - introduced at the start of the season - has already prevented an incredible half a million single-use plastic cups being chucked away.
A303 Stonehenge Tunnel Petition hand-in to 10 Downing Street
Around 50,000 signatures to the Alliance’s petition [2] will be handed into 10 Downing Street on Wednesday. The petition is addressed to the Secretaries of State for Transport, and Culture, Media and Sport, asking for no further damage to be done to the archaeological landscape of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site.
“Inadequate and cynical” – Green campaigners respond to BP plans
The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer of BP has today laid out plans for how the oil and gas giant would be a "net zero" company. This is clearly an inadequate, as well as cynical, response to climate breakdown from one of the world’s biggest polluters.
HS2 gets green light – Friends of the Earth reaction
Reacting to the government’s decision to give the go-ahead to HS2, Friends of the Earth’s campaigns director, Jamie Peters, said:
Ban on new petrol & diesel cars accelerated – Friends of the Earth reaction
Commenting on Boris Johnson’s plans to consult on bringing forward a ban on sales of new petrol and diesel vehicles to 2035 or earlier, Friends of the Earth’s head of policy Mike Childs said:
British Heart Foundation urges Government to go further and faster with action on air pollution ~ 15 million people live in areas which exceed strict toxic air guidelines ~
The Government must go further and faster with plans to tackle air pollution by seizing a unique opportunity to clean up the country’s toxic air, according to a report by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).
