Energy Secretary Ed Miliband has announced the Labour government's plan to introduce legislation that would permanently ban fracking across the United Kingdom. The announcement, made during Miliband's speech at the Labour Party conference in Liverpool, represents a significant escalation from the current moratorium that has been in place since 2019. The proposed law would enshrine the prohibition in statute, making it substantially more difficult for future governments to reverse the policy.

Fracking, formally known as hydraulic fracturing, involves drilling deep into the earth and injecting a high-pressure mixture of water, sand, and chemicals to fracture shale rock and release natural gas. The practice has proven controversial in Britain due to concerns about seismic activity, with the Oil and Gas Authority concluding in 2019 that accurately predicting earthquake risks was not possible. The temporary ban was briefly lifted under Prime Minister Liz Truss in 2022 but was quickly reinstated by her successor, Rishi Sunak.

The Labour government's move sets up a direct confrontation with Reform UK, which has championed the revival of fracking as part of its energy platform. Miliband stated the legislation would be introduced "at the earliest opportunity" as part of the North Sea transition plan scheduled for publication this autumn. The energy secretary emphasized that the ban would protect the 187 constituencies situated above shale gas areas from potential drilling operations.

Environmental campaigners have welcomed the announcement, with Veronica Hawking, campaigns director at 38 Degrees, calling it "an amazing result for our environment, our local communities, and the thousands of committed people and groups right across the country who've spent years fighting for fracking to be banned for good." The legislation would require any future government seeking to reverse the ban to secure parliamentary approval, a politically challenging task given the widespread opposition to fracking in affected constituencies.

King Charles has joined forces with Oscar-winning actress Cate Blanchett in a previously unpublicized podcast recording focused on global conservation efforts. The 22-minute episode, titled "Unearthed: The Need For Seeds," was recorded in the private gardens of Windsor Castle in July and features the monarch alongside Blanchett and Kew seed scientist Dr. Elinor Breman. This marks only the second podcast recording in the King's public life, demonstrating his continued commitment to environmental causes that have defined much of his royal work.

The conversation centered on the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst, West Sussex, which King Charles originally opened in 2000 and has maintained an active interest in since. The facility represents one of the world's most ambitious conservation projects, having collected, cleaned, dried and stored nearly 2.5 billion seeds from more than 40,000 plant species in walk-in freezers maintained at minus 20 degrees Celsius. Both the King and Blanchett, who became Wakehurst's first ambassador last year, emphasized the critical importance of this work in preserving global biodiversity.

During the discussion, Blanchett expressed concern about the rapid loss of natural habitats, noting that "97 percent of wildflower meadows have been decimated" in recent decades. She highlighted the disconnect between perceived natural beauty and actual ecological fragility, stating that "there is an urgency to the work that the seed bank does." The King echoed this sentiment, reflecting on his long-standing awareness of environmental degradation, particularly the damage to flower-rich meadows since the postwar period.

The podcast also touched on broader conservation challenges, including the need for increased funding and public awareness. Blanchett pointed to the frustration of seeing "so many extraordinary initiatives right there ready to be scaled up" but lacking financial support and direction. King Charles acknowledged both the progress made and the need to accelerate conservation efforts, stating that while the seed bank's work is "wonderful," the process must speed up to address escalating environmental threats facing plant species worldwide.