High-resolution images and video footage of the action are available here. 

Activists installed the land art on Sychnant Pass (within Eryri National Park) in Conwy, Wales, where “terrifying” wildfires recently incinerated vast parts of the landscape. Greenpeace used the scorched earth as a canvas to send a message to the new PM: “Our house is on fire Andy”, accompanied by an illustration of Burnham poised to pour oil and gas over the flames.

The 1,120 m² artwork, made using eco-friendly, plastic-free paint, draws on Greta Thunberg’s famous speech in 2019, where she urged world leaders to take action to stop climate change. 

The protest lands at the end of a summer defined by climate extremes. Following successive heatwaves throughout June, July and August, the UK is on track to record its warmest summer on record. Drought conditions now grip almost three-quarters of the country, with over 27 million facing water restrictions. These extreme conditions have proven deadly, with May and June’s heatwaves accounting for an estimated 2,700 excess deaths. 

It also lands on the final day of a public consultation on whether to approve Rosebank, a controversial oil field branded a “carbon bomb” by campaigners and “climate vandalism” by Ed Miliband. Consultation for Jackdaw, another gas field in the North Sea, closed a week before.  

Despite Labour’s stated climate commitments, Prime Minister Andy Burnham has left the door open to approving these licenses under the guise of a “pragmatic” approach to energy security.

“The PM wants to be pragmatic, but there is nothing pragmatic about watching communities be battered by climate chaos while the Prime Minister flirts with expanding the very industry driving it. This summer has been an endless showreel of fossil-fuelled disasters playing out across the country. As the Conwy community reels from their own, we’re urging Andy to see through the self-serving promises of Big Oil and take an honest look at the real world consequences of more North Sea drilling.

“More drilling means more heatwaves, more droughts, more wildfires, and more suffering for the communities Burnham represents. The climate crisis is already hitting working people hardest — firefighters on the front line, bus drivers exposed to inhumane conditions, nurses collapsing on the job. 

“Does the Prime Minister really want to stand with the oil companies making billions, rather than the millions already paying the price? Our message is simple: be brave – say no.”

The environmental and moral consequences of more drilling in the North Sea are significant. Estimates show that the Rosebank project would generate a total of 254 million tonnes of CO₂ over its lifetime – equivalent to nearly 70% of the UK’s entire annual emissions in 2024. 

Oxfam research suggests that if both the Rosebank and Jackdaw fields are approved, their combined lifetime emissions would contribute to an estimated 65,495 excess heat deaths globally – equivalent to wiping out the entire population of Clacton-on-Sea.

Evidence also shows that approving Rosebank would not lower energy bills, nor meaningfully impact the UK’s energy security – with 80% of Rosebank’s oil reserves destined for export and all of it sold at global market prices. The government’s own energy factsheet confirms this, saying: “We are price-takers, not price-makers.”

ENDS

Contact: 

Molly Robson, Press Officer at Greenpeace UK

press@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255 

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“Any watering down of this policy would be a wrong turn for drivers, energy security, our climate and the economy. Electric vehicles are way cheaper to run than petrol and diesel cars, they don’t need foreign oil and the market is booming worldwide. Both the Iran war and this summer’s extreme weather have shown once again why we’re better off cutting our dependence on fossil fuels. This mandate is one of the most powerful policies we have to bring down planet-heating emissions, which is the only way to stop more deadly heatwaves in future. Burnham can’t fulfil his promise of tackling the cost of living crisis and reindustrialising Britain without the green economy. So why put on the brakes now?”

ENDS

Contact: Greenpeace UK press team on 020 7865 8255 and press.uk@greenpeace.org

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Russia is already the world’s leading nitrogen fertiliser exporter but analysis of official trade data [1] by Unearthed confirmed that Russian companies earned an estimated additional £5m a day from urea between March and May this year. This was during Iran’s initial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

The strait normally handles a third of global seaborne fertiliser trade and 20% of natural gas shipments, needed to make nitrogen fertilisers such as urea. It is the key export route for major producers in the Gulf. Russia’s Baltic export routes are largely unaffected by the closure of the strait, allowing its producers to cash in as the price of urea – the world’s most widely used nitrogen fertiliser – almost doubled between late February and late April.

While Russia’s energy sector and many other parts of its economy have been subjected to price caps and sanctions since the Kremlin invaded Ukraine in 2022, fertiliser exports have continued.

The UK imported around 33,900 tonnes of Russian urea between March and May, generating an estimated £8 million in additional revenues. And the EU’s imports generated around £11.5m. [2]

European governments have aimed to reduce their farmers’ reliance on Russian and Belarussian fertiliser through introducing tariffs. Last year the EU introduced staged tariffs, rising every year until 2028, aiming to reduce dependence on Russian and Belarussian fertiliser. The UK, whose initial 2022 tariffs had levied 35% on Russian fertiliser but excluded nitrogen products such as urea, closed that gap in July 2025.

Almost half of the estimated windfall came from the United States. US imports of Russian urea reached record levels during the early months of the conflict, generating an estimated £226 million in additional revenues for Russian producers.

The price shock has also intensified fears over global food security and rising food prices. The United Nations has warned that rising fuel, fertiliser and food costs could push millions more people into hunger, with African countries likely to be hit hardest.

Elena Polisano, Co Head of Biodiversity campaigns at Greenpeace UK, said:
“This crisis shows how dangerously exposed our food system is to war, volatile gas prices and fossil fuel-based fertilisers. Farmers are already battling extreme weather caused by climate change. This summer’s extreme heat and drought have damaged harvests, and now global conflict is driving up farm costs too.

“To make farming more resilient to future shocks, strengthen the UK’s long-term food security and allow wildlife to recover, the UK government needs to provide proper funding and support for farmers to reduce fertiliser and pesticide use over time and shift to nature-friendly farming.”

Nitrogen fertilisers remain central to global food production, but campaigners say farming must become less dependent on them through nature friendly farming measures including cover crops, crop rotations, nitrogen-fixing plants and more efficient nutrient use.

ENDS

Notes to Editors: 

[1] Unearthed compared average monthly urea prices during March, April and May 2026 with the average February price, before multiplying the difference by Russia’s estimated monthly export volumes. The analysis used Bloomberg Green Markets pricing data for urea at Baltic ports and import data from Russia’s trading partners provided by Trade Data Monitor, based on imports reported by Russia’s trading partners.

Russia exported at least 2.48 million tonnes of urea during the three-month period. The estimated £500 million represents additional revenue, not profit, and does not account for changes in production or transport costs.

A full briefing and methodology is available on request. 

[2] European governments have aimed to reduce their farmers’ reliance on Russian and Belarussian fertiliser through introducing tariffs. Last year the EU introduced staged tariffs, rising every year to reach €430 per tonne by 2028. to reduce dependence on Russian and Belarussian fertiliser. The UK, whose initial 2022 tariffs on Russian fertiliser had excluded nitrogen products such as urea, closed that gap in July 2025, and will climb to 35% from 2027. 

UK imports of Russian urea have fallen significantly since the invasion of Ukraine, but the UK still imported 33,900 tonnes of Russian urea during March-May 2026, producing an estimated £8m in additional revenues for Russian producers. 

However, Russia’s increasing exports of fertilisers to other countries such as Brazil, India and the US have made up for decreasing exports to the EU and UK. In fact, Russia has placed limits on the volume of fertilisers that can be exported, to protect domestic supply.

The post Iran war boosted Russian fertiliser revenues by over £5m a day appeared first on Greenpeace UK.

The stunt highlights what the organisation described as the “obscene” profits being made by one of the world’s biggest fossil fuel companies while communities across the globe suffer the escalating impacts of climate change.

Shell today reported almost $10 billion ($9.84 billion or £7.4 billion)  in profit for the second quarter of 2026 alone.

Images from today’s action are available here.

Greenpeace analysis shows the scale of those profits:

• Shell made the equivalent of an average UK worker’s annual salary in profit every 37 seconds.
• An average UK worker would need to work for around 210,000 years – or 5,300 full working lifetimes – to earn what Shell made in just three months.
• Shell’s Q2 profits alone could have funded around 4.7 GW of new onshore wind capacity – enough to generate electricity for around 5.8 million UK homes.
• The fossil fuel giant’s Q2 earnings could cover the annual energy bills of nearly 4.5 million UK households – more than every household in London, based on the current Ofgem price cap of £1,663 a year for a typical direct debit household.
• Someone earning over £9,900 every day since the birth of Jesus still wouldn’t have earned as much as Shell made in profit in the last three months alone.

Responding to Shell’s bumper second-quarter profits, Greenpeace political campaigner Rudy Schulkind said:

“We’re running out of words to describe the obscenity of these numbers. As these figures land, Europe is engulfed by apocalyptic wildfires, communities across Asia are reeling from devastating floods, and the UK battles through drought and yet more dangerous heat. 

These aren’t anomalies; they’re the defining story of the fossil fuel age: Shell takes the profits, and the rest of us pick up the catastrophic bill.

“There is nothing to celebrate about a business model that generates billions for shareholders while families lose their homes, farmers’ crops fail, public services buckle and future generations inherit an increasingly unstable climate. Let’s be clear: these profits are built on a business model that is upending lives across the world.”

The protest comes as the Northern Hemisphere experiences another summer of destructive climate extremes. Across Europe, North Africa and beyond, communities have endured deadly heatwaves, catastrophic wildfires, prolonged drought and devastating floods.

In the UK, record-breaking temperatures this summer are estimated to have contributed to around 2,700 excess deaths, while prolonged dry conditions have left half of England officially in ‘exceptionally serious’ drought. Since mid-July, wildfires have swept across France, Spain and Portugal, forcing more than 300,000 people to evacuate.

Scientists have concluded that the extreme temperatures experienced across the UK and Europe this summer would have been virtually impossible without human-caused climate change driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels. Despite this, the oil and gas industry continues to lobby the Burnham government to approve new North Sea oil and gas developments, including the controversial Rosebank and Jackdaw fields.

Schulkind added:

“Andy Burnham’s Labour government has a choice. It can continue shielding the extraordinary profits of oil and gas giants, or it can make polluters pay by strengthening oil and gas taxation and using the revenue to help households with the cost of living, strengthen our resilience against extreme weather, and supercharge the transition to clean, affordable energy. A government that claims to be on the side of working people cannot credibly do both.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

How each figure was calculated (all at £7.4 billion):

• Shell earns an average UK annual salary every 37 seconds.
  Based on Shell’s reported Q2 2026 profit of £7.4 billion over a 91-day quarter (7,862,400 seconds), the company earned approximately £934 in profit every second. Using an average UK full-time annual salary of £35,000, this equates to the average worker’s annual salary every 37.5 seconds, rounded to 37 seconds.
• 210,000 years / 5,300 working lifetimes.
  Based on an average UK full-time annual salary of £35,000, it would take an average worker approximately 211,428 years to earn £7.4 billion, rounded to 210,000 years. Assuming a 40-year working career, this is equivalent to approximately 5,286 working lifetimes, rounded to 5,300 lifetimes.
• Enough to generate electricity for 5.8 million homes:
  Using Arup’s central capital expenditure estimate of £1,588 per kW for UK onshore wind (DESNZ, July 2025), £7.4 billion could fund approximately 4.66GW of new onshore wind capacity. Applying Arup’s central 38.1% load factor, this would generate around 15.6TWh of electricity annually. Based on the DESNZ/Ofgem medium annual household electricity consumption of 2,700kWh, this is enough to power approximately 5.77 million UK homes, rounded to 5.8 million.
• Enough to cover the annual energy bills of nearly 4.5 million households: Using Ofgem’s energy price cap for 1 July–30 September 2026 of £1,663 per year for a typical dual-fuel direct debit household, £7.4 billion would cover the annual energy bills of approximately 4,449,789 households, rounded to nearly 4.5 million households. For comparison, this is more than the total number of households in London.
• £9,900 every day since the birth of Jesus. Someone earning £9,900 every day from the birth of Jesus until today (calculated using 2,026 years × 365.25 days) would have earned approximately £7.33 billion – still around £73 million less than Shell’s £7.4 billion profit in Q2 2026 alone. This figure is converted from the original dollar comparison using an exchange rate of US$1.334 to £1 and rounded down to ensure the comparison remains accurate.

The post Shell pockets equivalent of an average UK annual salary ‘every 37 seconds’ as Greenpeace targets oil giant over ‘shameful’ Q2 profits appeared first on Greenpeace UK.

The findings come as millions of households face new restrictions on their water use following a prolonged spell of hot and dry weather. 

The most recent Ofwat data shows that water companies are still wasting a staggering 2.87 billion litres of water every day through leaky pipes, enough to fill 1,150 Olympic-sized swimming pools. A fifth of all the water pumped into the network is lost in this way. By comparison, a nationwide hosepipe ban is estimated to save about 4% of the water distributed (577 million litres per day) – an amount five times smaller than that wasted through leaks.

Following a very dry and hot end of June and start of July, all regions in England are experiencing drier-than-average soils, with river flows and groundwater levels declining at nearly all sites and reservoir storage below the long-term average for this time of year. [1] 

The water industry, which was privatised in the 1980s, has faced widespread criticism for prioritising shareholders’ dividends over investing in critical infrastructure. While leakage has fallen in recent years, the scale of the waste remains huge and the infrastructure inadequate. 

Aside from the well-known issue of underinvestment in sewage treatment, not a single major new reservoir has been built in England and Wales over the last 30 years, although several projects are now planned. Until recently, the rate of replacement of old water pipes – where many of the leaks occur – meant that it would take 700 years to replace the entire network, according to the National Audit Office. [2] 

Meanwhile, the Climate Change Committee has warned that climate change will make droughts more frequent, intense and widespread, with England facing a potential water-supply shortfall of more than five billion litres a day by the mid-2050s. [3] 

Greenpeace UK is calling on the government to crack down on failing water companies once and for all, and set out how it plans to climate-proof the sector in its upcoming Water Bill.

Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace UK’s chief scientist Dr Doug Parr said:

“Of course people should use water carefully during prolonged hot and dry weather. But it’s galling to be told to put away the hose while water companies are losing nearly three billion litres every day through leaks. Fossil-fuelled climate change is making severe droughts more frequent and more dangerous, so ministers must not treat water security as tomorrow’s problem. The incoming Burnham government must force water companies to repair and renew the network and tackle the fossil-fuel pollution driving extreme heat and drought. Without this, people and nature will ultimately pay the price, not the company shareholders and execs.”

Notes to editors:

1. Environment Agency weekly update
2. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-24/it-will-take-700-years-to-replace-uk-water-grid-at-current-pace  
3. From the National Framework for Water Resources 2025

Methodology

Greenpeace UK researchers analysed the latest available Ofwat figures, published in January 2026. The determination forecast for water distribution by 17 water firms across England and Wales in 2024-25 is 14,428 million litres per day. The overall amount of water leaked over the same period is 2,869 million litres per day. According to industry research quoted by the Environment Agency, hosepipe bans and temporary use bans can reduce the amount of water companies put in their distribution network by 3 to 5%, so our researchers used the mean, 4%, for their calculations. 4% of 14,428 million is 577 million litres per day, meaning the water lost to leaks is about five times what a hosepipe ban would save. 

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On page 88 of the Environmental Impact Assessment, Adura states:

“The 300 jobs on Shearwater are comprised of the current 273 jobs for operating the Shearwater host installation, plus 27 new Full Time Equivalent (FTE) roles required for the Jackdaw-specific activities.”

This means the project would create just 27 new full-time equivalent jobs, with the remaining roles already existing as part of the Shearwater platform’s operations. To put that into context, that’s not enough people to fill the top deck of a double-decker bus and fewer than the players who were on the field during the England vs Argentina World Cup semifinal.

The finding contradicts years of political and industry messaging used to justify approval of new oil and gas developments on employment grounds.

Conservative Shadow Scottish Secretary Andrew Bowie has described Jackdaw as a project that would “help shape the lives of thousands of North Sea workers for years to come”, adding that it would “create 3,500 jobs during construction, with 880 high-quality, well-paid jobs sustained throughout production.” However, Adura’s own assessment indicates that the number of genuinely new permanent jobs associated with Jackdaw specifically is only 27.

Campaigners say the disclosure further weakens the case for approving new fossil fuel developments on employment grounds.

Angharad Hopkinson, political campaigner at Greenpeace UK, said:

Adura has scored an own goal with its Environmental Impact Assessment. After years of claims that projects like Jackdaw are essential for protecting jobs, the company’s own figures show the project won’t create enough full-time roles to fill the top deck of a London bus.

“It’s never been workers who stand to gain most from projects like Jackdaw – it’s oil and gas companies and their shareholders. After a record-breaking summer of extreme heat driven largely by fossil fuels, this isn’t the time for Andy Burnham to cave in to the demands of the polluters’ lobby. If he’s looking for job creation, the clean economy is where he’ll find it.

ENDS

Contact: Greenpeace UK press team at press.uk@greenpeace.org and on 020 7865 8255

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Kathryn, who is the Deputy Secretary General at Amnesty International, brings many years of director-level experience in international development and human rights to the role.

Before joining Amnesty, she held high-profile posts at International Alert, the global peace-building organisation, and Conciliation Resources, an international organisation committed to stopping violent conflict, where she was responsible for programme delivery across 15 countries, including Latin America and Africa.

Kathryn also spent six years as Asia Regional Director for the BBC Media Action, reaching more than 100 million people a year in some of the world’s poorest countries, and establishing new offices in Indonesia and Myanmar. 

Her career spans bringing about change for both people and planet. Her previous role as chair was with Walworth Garden, a charity providing learning and horticultural therapy through an award-winning community garden. At BBC Media Action, she oversaw the world’s largest survey of the impact of climate change.

Commenting on her appointment, Kathryn Tomlinson said:

I’m incredibly excited to take on this role at Greenpeace UK, an organisation I’ve admired for decades. Ever since joining my parents on marches against nuclear weapons as a child, I have seen that what changes the world for the better is people taking action together. And not a day has gone by without a stark reminder of why we need Greenpeace, whether it’s fossil-fuelled heatwaves or the latest report on nature’s collapse. As campaigners face threats from government crackdowns on protest rights to intimidation lawsuits by big polluters, I’m looking forward to putting my expertise at Greenpeace UK’s service. Boards play a crucial role in providing the right structure and backing that allow a campaign group to aim high and take risks. I can’t wait to work with the great talent on this board to support Greenpeace in its vital mission.

Kathryn joins a diverse, highly-skilled board of directors encompassing many crucial areas of expertise from climate studies and humanitarian law to movement building and charity finance.

She is taking over as chair from Andrew McParland, whose eight-year term at the head of the board ended earlier this year. 

Commenting on Kathryn’s appointment and the end of his tenure as chair, Andrew McParland said: 

It’s been an honour and a privilege to serve on the Greenpeace UK board for 16 years, half of them as chair. During that time, I’ve witnessed some of our biggest victories alongside our moments of greatest jeopardy – and how both have added to the organisation’s incredible strength. I’m very glad to pass on the baton to someone of Kathryn’s talent and experience, and to a brilliant team of passionate and capable board members.

ENDS

Contact: Greenpeace UK news team at press.uk@greenpeace.org and on 020 7865 8255

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 Key findings:

●      65% of  UK adults struggled to sleep during June’s heatwave, with nearly half (48%) of those losing three or more hours each night

●      Almost a quarter (23%) said they or someone in their household felt physically unwell because of the heatwave

●      Over half of respondents (56%) said their homes need retrofit upgrades to cope with future heatwaves – yet 78% would struggle to afford them

●      Almost half (46%) of  UK adults said they would support a levy on high-carbon emitting companies to fund these essential upgrades

●      60% of workers said their workplaces were uncomfortably hot, with more than a quarter (27%) admitting they were less productive, and 9% reporting they worked in “unsafe” conditions

●      22% of UK adults were forced to throw away food that spoiled in the heat, went off sooner than expected or couldn’t be kept cool – compounding cost-of-living pressures

 A major new YouGov survey released today reveals the massive social, financial, and productivity cost of June’s historic heatwave – with millions of Brits experiencing sleepless nights, spoiled food and uncomfortably hot workplaces.

The poll, commissioned by Greenpeace UK, shows a nation fundamentally unequipped to cope with rising temperatures caused by climate change. More than half (56%) say their homes need infrastructure upgrades like air conditioning, heat pumps and insulation to withstand extreme heat, but only around 1 in 8 (13%) would find it easy to afford such measures.

While 86% of UK adults say their homes were too hot in the heat, very few (5%) support raising personal taxes to fix the UK’s crumbling infrastructure. Instead, a levy on high-carbon emitting companies emerged as the single most popular funding option[1] drawing significant public support (46%). This ‘polluter pays’ approach won backing from across the political spectrum, including 35% of Conservative and one quarter (26%) of Reform UK voters.

The findings also shed light on the cost-of-living burden of extreme heat on households. Twenty-two percent of respondents said they had to throw away food that spoiled in the heat, went off sooner than expected or couldn’t be kept cool, and over a third (35%) of UK adults spent extra money on fans, cooling, cold food or drinks to cope with the historic temperatures.

The heatwave also took a heavy toll on productivity and workplace safety. More than a quarter (27%) of respondents said they were less productive. Seven percent of UK adults had to stop work early, 4% lost working hours or income and 9% reported working in conditions they felt were unsafe. A whopping 60% of British workers said their workplaces were “too hot”, with one third (34%) reporting their workplaces were “far too hot”.

The data lands as the nation braces for its third heatwave this summer, following a June that smashed records as the hottest in history. Scientists have confirmed that the extreme temperatures scorching Europe this summer are only possible due to the climate crisis driven mostly by fossil fuel burning.

Mel Evans, head of climate at Greenpeace UK, said:

“This data exposes the brutal reality of dragging our feet on climate action in the UK. Heatwaves are no longer just a novel inconvenience, they are a creeping health, housing, and economic emergency that is costing families money they don’t have. And as these extremes become our new normal, the public wants the corporate polluters who made this mess to pay their fair share towards fixing it.

“It’s a moral failing that UK households are bearing the economic, social and physical costs of climate breakdown mostly caused by fossil fuel giants. The government must stop big polluters from heating up our planet and make sure they pay at least some of the costs of cooling our homes, securing our national infrastructure and protecting public health.”

-ENDS-

Notes to Editors:

1.  Funding options presented in survey: Increasing taxes for everyone (5%); Reducing public spending in other areas (13%); A levy on companies with high emissions (46%); Increasing government borrowing (3%); Something else (6%); Not applicable – I do not think these upgrades are necessary (13%); Don’t know (14%).
2. All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. The total sample size was 2,135 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between 30th June and 1st July 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all UK adults (aged 18+). Full dataset is available upon request. 
3. The late-June heatwave saw provisional records shattered across the UK, including a new provisional June maximum temperature of 37.7°C recorded at Lingwood, Norfolk, and record-breaking overnight minimums (“tropical nights”) of 23.5°C in Wales and 23.2°C in England.

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Thirteen of the UK’s leading environmental organisations have proposed six ‘tests’ for the next prime minister as Keir Starmer prepares to hand over the keys to Number 10. They cover the immediate actions needed to restore nature, deliver net zero and build a fairer, more resilient economy.

The six tests, which have been sent to Andy Burnham, are endorsed by Climate Action Network UK, Climate Outreach, ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Greenpeace UK, Marine Conservation Society, Oceana UK, RSPB, The Climate Coalition, The Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife and Countryside Link and WWF. Together the groups represent millions of supporters across the UK.

They warn that “climate change and nature loss are … threatening our economic stability, food security and public health” but that policies to tackle these threats are “too often treated as separate from the government’s core priorities”. 

It comes as the UK braces for another heatwave with temperatures expected to reach the mid-30Cs in England and Wales next week – the third heatwave so far this year. The groups also point to the continued decline of wildlife and rising pressures on food, water and public health as evidence of environmental breakdown. 

The six ‘key tests’ for the next prime minister are as follows:

• Bring down bills for good   

Ensuring more people feel the benefits of the energy transition by using the Energy Independence Bill to roll out renewable energy at pace, legislate for the North Sea oil and gas licensing ban, and make a full government commitment to electrification and insulation for homes.

• Support a fair transition for workers and communities   

Champion policies that lower bills, warm homes and create high-quality jobs, learning from past transitions to better support workers and industries impacted by change, including British farmers.

• Restore our natural environment   

Protect at least 30% of land and sea for nature while also supporting nature friendly farming practices and ensuring that new housing and infrastructure allows both people and nature to thrive.

• Ensure polluters play their part in the transition 

Stand up to the polluters who have been making huge profits – whether by dumping sewage and chemicals into our waterways or by producing climate-wrecking fossil fuels –  and hold them to account through tighter regulation, fines and taxation.   

• Protect civic space, public participation and the right to protest 

Safeguard our democracy and protect civic space to ensure the British public can have their voices heard, whether that be through protest, legal challenge, campaigning or community action.

• Champion international leadership   

Drive forward international action on climate and nature. They must also oppose violations of international law that so often cause – and are caused by – environmental neglect and unsustainable energy policies. 

Public support for stronger action is clear: 83% of people say that restoring nature is a priority, yet only 15% believe the government is currently doing enough to deliver it. Separate polling by Greenpeace shows that investing in renewables and higher taxes on oil and gas company profits are among the most popular policies among Labour defectors.Together, this points to both a strong mandate and a significant political opportunity for leaders prepared to put climate and nature at the heart of their agenda. 

Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK said: 

“A prime minister’s first duty is to keep us safe. In the last few months we’ve seen hundreds of people die prematurely in back-to-back heatwaves. Our energy and food bills have skyrocketed because of Trump’s fossil fuel war, forcing millions into fuel poverty. Burnham’s in-tray is overflowing, but thankfully we’re already well on our way to clean, homegrown power. Many of the policy foundations are there – he just needs to go further and faster. These six tests would be good for people, good for our environment and good for the economy. Now Burnham must decide.”

Blanche Shackleton, interim executive director of Green Alliance said:

“The next Prime Minister must avoid treating climate and nature as political battlegrounds. The choices made in the coming years will shape the UK’s prosperity, security and wellbeing for decades to come. Getting this right means lower bills, healthier communities, and a thriving natural environment. Failing to act will leave everyone paying a far higher price.”

Tanya Steele, CEO of WWF, said:

“Climate and nature are central to the UK’s resilience, security and future prosperity. The next prime minister has an opportunity to put climate and nature at the heart of their vision to make Britain a better place to live for everyone. Getting this right won’t just help save our wildlife and cut emissions, it will strengthen our food security, protect communities from growing climate shocks and build a more resilient future for both people and nature.”

Ends

Notes to editors:

The full letter with the six tests is available here: https://www.greenpeace.org.uk/resources/open-letter-to-the-uks-next-prime-minister/ 

The signatories to the key tests are: Climate Action Network UK, Climate Outreach, ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth, Green Alliance, Greenpeace UK, Marine Conservation Society, Oceana UK, RSPB, The Climate Coalition, The Wildlife Trusts, Wildlife and Countryside Link, WWF. 

Polling by the National Trust and More In Common in March 2026 found that 83% of respondents say restoring nature is important or a top priority to them personally – rising to 91% for Labour voters. Only 15% think the government is doing a good job at protecting the natural world. https://www.businessgreen.com/news/4527282/poll-brits-political-stripes-nature-lovers 

Polling by Greenpeace UK and YouGov in May 2026 offered respondents a choice of policies from different areas. Investing in renewable power and implementing higher taxes on oil and gas company profits were consistently among the most popular among people who have defected from Labour since 2024. 

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Pavements, rail platforms, building sites and playgrounds across London reached sweltering surface temperatures in the 50-60C range yesterday, according to thermal camera images captured for Greenpeace UK during the record-breaking heatwave.

The series of shots, taken by thermal imaging experts, reveal how extreme heat is putting a huge strain on daily life in the capital, affecting shoppers, passengers, children and outdoor workers. 

Images taken in the heart of the capital show people walking across scorching surfaces in Piccadilly Circus (56C), Oxford Circus (56C), and Regent Street (57C) yesterday afternoon, as air temperatures hovered around 35C. The camera marks higher temperatures in lighter colours and lower ones in darker tones.

On the sunlit overground platform at Highbury & Islington, the camera detected a surface temperature of 62C. At a bus stop on Gray’s Inn Road the pavement temperature reached up to 59C, while the granite paving stones in King’s Cross Square hit a sizzling 54C. The floor of a packed Victoria Line carriage showed a maximum reading of around 40C.

As the mercury soared after noon, many outdoor workers in London were also exposed to searing temperatures. At a roadwork site in Holborn, the churned-up tarmac glows white-hot in the thermal footage, hitting a staggering 65C, while parts of a nearby scaffolding ranged from 40-60C, depending on the material.

At a semi-deserted playground in Islington, the black rubber floor reached up to 53C at 5pm. 

Unlike standard thermometers, which measure air temperature, thermal cameras show how hot the streets, pavements and buildings really get. The data reveals the extreme surface heat people face in urban areas, especially where tarmac, glass and a lack of tree cover turn streets into heat traps. 

Commenting on the findings, Greenpeace UK head of climate Mel Evans said:

“This record-smashing heatwave has turned London into a sticky, sizzling cauldron. This isn’t just weather – it’s a public health emergency driven by fossil fuel giants and their planet-heating emissions. These abnormal temperatures are stretching homes, schools, transport and our own health to breaking point, and yet the government has been caught off guard. Ministers need to stop winging it and deliver a proper extreme heat plan, with cooler homes and schools, safe limits for workers, more shade and green space, and clear protection for the most vulnerable. But adaptation alone won’t be enough. Political leaders must also stop fossil fuel companies from turning up the heat on our planet – and make them pay their fair share to fix the problem they’ve caused.”

ENDS

Photos and footage available for download here.

Notes

The images were taken by TI Thermal Imaging, experts in thermographic inspections, using a FOTRIC Ti7 camera at various Central and North London locations on Wednesday 24 June, between 2pm and 5pm.

Contact: Greenpeace UK press team on 020 7865 8255 and press.uk@greenpeace.org

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