EU finalises technical follow-up for tougher car emissions tests

The reforms are expected to reduce margins of technical uncertainty and increase rigorous checks of cars already in circulation

MEPs greenlight stricter car testing reforms post-dieselgate scandal

The European Commission can impose fines of up to €30,000 (£26,260) per vehicle if manufacturers break the rules

New UK crackdown on litter louts come into force

Councils now have the power to almost double on-the-spot fines from £80 to £150

Vehicle emissions cheats could face UK criminal charges

Car manufacturers supplying vehicles fitted with defeat devices could face criminal charges and unlimited fines under new rules proposed by the UK Government. The Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation outlining the crackdown, which includes a new laboratory test procedure (WLTP) for measuring fuel consumption, revised emissions and safety standards for specialist and […]

On-the-spot fines for litter louts doubled to £150

  Maximum on-the-spot litter fines are to almost double from £80 to £150 from April next year. It is part of the government’s new measures to deal with litter louts, which includes fines for owners of vehicles from which litter is thrown, regardless of who discarded it. The changes follow a public consultation, which found […]

UK crackdown on illegal waste sites

  Rogue operators handling waste illegally will have to pay landfill tax. From 1st April 2018, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) will be able to prosecute these illegal operators where necessary. They could face large fines and risk a sentence of up to seven years in prison. HMRC estimates there are currently around 600 illegal […]

World’s toughest law against plastic bags?

  A plastic bag ban, believed to be the toughest in the world, has come into force in Kenya. Those manufacturing, selling or even using them could face fines of up to $38,000 (£29,339) or be imprisoned for up to four years. Enforcement will however initially be directed at manufacturers and suppliers. While the government […]

Volkswagen pleads guilty, pays $4.3bn for emissions cheating

Volkswagen has pleaded guilty and agreed to pay a record $4.3 billion (£3.5bn) in fines to settle the diesel emissions cheating scandal. That includes $2.8 billion (£2.3bn) in criminal fines and $1.5 billion (£1.2bn) in civil penalties. The US Department of Justice (DoJ) said Volkswagen used defeat devices to cheat on emissions tests mandated by […]

‘Time has run out for ESOS compliance’

Businesses that haven’t started their energy audits will “most certainly” miss the deadline which means they could end up paying thousands in fines. That’s the view of energy consultancy Inenco, which said it is not taking on any new Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS) compliance orders ahead of the 5th December deadline as “time has […]

Drax and Intergen fined for insulation fail

Power plant owners Drax and Intergen today agreed to pay millions of pounds in fines for failing to insulate consumer homes. They were meant to help a certain number of homes get energy saving measures by New Year’s Eve in 2012, under the Community Energy Savings Programme (CESP). Coal plant owner Drax is to pay £28 million […]