The United Kingdom has created 41 new marine conservation zones, ranging from Studland Bay near Bournemouth to the Goodwin Sands off the Deal coast in Kent. The newly-protected areas will cover 4,633 square miles of marine habitat, bringing the total number of marine protected areas around the British coastline to 355. Among the species and habitats that will benefit from the new protections are the short-snouted seahorse, the ocean quahog, ross worm reefs, and blue mussel beds. Each zone will be managed according to the requirements of marine life and local residents, including fishermen.

The High Court has ruled unlawful aspects of the UK government's national planning policy concerning fracking. The court found that the government failed to take into account scientific developments that called into question whether gas was considered a low-carbon fuel source before adopting the planning policy. The ruling suggests that gas from fracking might not be considered a low-carbon fuel source, which could hamper attempts to expand fracking around the country.

The UK's secretary of state for international development, Penny Mordaunt, has pledged to contribute £2.1m to tackle the underlying causes of the illegal wildlife trade and protect critically endangered Sumatran tigers and west African chimpanzees. The funding will help create sustainable jobs and livelihoods for local communities in Africa and Southeast Asia, and provide them with a financial alternative to hunting wildlife and clearing forests that are essential to the species' long-term survival.

Last week, in a series of moves related to air quality, the European Commission proposed measures to help member states combat air pollution. The Commission also referred France, Germany, and the United Kingdom to the EU Court of Justice for failure to respect limit values for nitrogen dioxide and for failing to take appropriate measures to keep exceedance periods as short as possible. In addition, it referred Hungary, Italy, and Romania to the Court of Justice over persistently high levels of particulate matter.

New British biofuel targets, which officially went into effect April 15, aim to double renewable fuels usage in the United Kingdom's transport sector and reduce reliance on imported diesel. With these targets, large-scale transport fuel suppliers will mix at least 12.4% biofuel by 2032. The changes will also support the production of sustainable aviation fuels in Britain.

The sale and export of almost all ivory items would be banned in the UK under plans set out by the government. The government says there will be some exemptions for musical instruments and items of cultural importance. There were more than 36,000 items exported from the UK between 2010 and 2015, more than three times that of the next biggest exporter, the US. Conservationists argue that these sales stimulate the demand for ivory and are linked to increased elephant poaching across Africa. For the full story see http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-41512796

The British government committed to ban the sale of diesel and gas vehicles from 2040 to curb rising levels of nitrogen oxide. The government said the move, which will include hybrid vehicles, was needed because of the impact that poor air quality has on human health. The government was urged to introduce taxes for vehicles to enter clean air zones but the government sees the option as a last resort.

Last year, thousands of Nigerians brought a case against Shell, accusing them of years of oil pollution that has contaminated the drinking water of thousands. The suit was brought against Royal Dutch Shell, an Anglo-Dutch company, in an attempt to hold multinationals liable for their subsidiaries’ actions. Last week, the British High Court ruled in favor of Shell and said the claimants should pursue the case in Nigerian courts. However, the claimants are skeptical that the Nigerian courts have the expertise to address their case.

Britian's Communities Secretary Sajid Javid has overturned the Lancashire council’s decision to prevent shale company Cuadrilla from fracking on the Fylde coastal plain. The Secretary’s decision to grant Cuadrilla’s appeal will allow the company to drill four wells in the county, despite strong opposition from local groups, environmentalists, and politicians. Opponents to Javid’s ruling say that the decision threatens the environment and undermines democracy, as many see this decision as the government overriding the will of local people.

On August 3, seaweed farmers from Indonesia sued the Thailand company PTT Exploration and Production (PTTEP) for more than $152 million. The lawsuit was launched in Sydney's Federal Court and would cover damages from the worst Australian oil spill, which occured in 2009 when an explosion at PTTEP's Montara drilling rig spilled approximately 30,000 barrels of oil into the Timor Sea over the course of 74 days. Lawyers arguing the case say that the spill reached as far as Nusa Tenggara Timur in Indonesia, a distance of 124 miles. The case is funded by the UK-based Harbour Litigation Funding.