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From community quilts to government policy: how grassroots campaigning won better homes
Real change doesn't start in Westminster. It starts with people who refuse to accept the unacceptable, and who know how to make their voices heard.
Over the past three years, Friends of the Earth supporters have been campaigning for warmer, cheaper-to-heat homes through persistent, creative, community-led action. Local groups worked alongside foodbanks, faith groups, and renters' unions to shine a light on the scandal of cold, damp homes and soaring energy bills.
They crafted community quilts, each stitch telling a story of fuel poverty. They organised petitions, secured media coverage, and brought real-life testimonies to MPs. In November 2023, a national day of action made headlines and put warm homes firmly on the political agenda.
And it worked. In January 2025, the government announced its Warm Homes Plan: a commitment to tougher rental standards, street-by-street insulation, and billions of pounds in support for clean energy upgrades.
Why business support matters
Campaigns like United for Warm Homes need resources, coordination, expert research, and the ability to sustain pressure over time. When businesses fundraise through Work for Good, they help make this work possible. Support enables local organising, evidence that decision-makers can't ignore, and partnerships that turn short-term action into lasting change.
The Warm Homes Plan is a significant step forward, but millions of households still live in poorly insulated homes. Friends of the Earth will continue pushing the government to go further and faster.
From warm homes to clean transport, nature recovery to climate justice, this work is ongoing. With your support, we can keep turning community action into national change.
If you'd like to launch a Work for Good campaign for Friends of the Earth, you can get started today.
A win for the planet, locally and globally
Real climate progress does not just happen at global summits. It happens when communities are supported, pressure is sustained, and decision-makers are held to account.
Recently, a fracking company was ordered to clean up a site in Lancashire after years of local campaigning. It is a powerful reminder that people-powered action works, especially when communities are backed by expert legal and policy support.
At the same time, pressure from environmental groups has helped push the UK government to withdraw funding from a controversial overseas gas project in Mozambique. A decision with global significance for climate justice and the communities most affected by fossil fuel expansion.
These wins may look different on the surface, but they are deeply connected. From local councils to international finance decisions, change happens when people come together and refuse to accept business as usual.
Support from businesses and individuals helps Friends of the Earth connect these dots. Donations enable legal challenges, community organising, and campaigning that turns public concern into real-world impact, both here in the UK and around the world.
By giving through Work For Good, businesses can be part of this shared effort. Supporting action that protects nature, strengthens communities, and pushes for a fairer future, one practical step at a time.
Stopping fossil fuels, one legal win at a time
This year, thanks to the support of Work for Good businesses and hundreds of thousands of committed supporters around the UK, Friends of the Earth has successfully blocked 5 new fossil fuel developments in the UK.
The first case came in June, when the Supreme Court upheld Sarah Finch's climate change legal challenge against new oil production at Horse Hill in Surrey. It ruled that the local council acted unlawfully by granting planning permission because it didn’t consider the climate impact when the oil is inevitably burned.
The case set a legal precedent that be used in other court challenges against new UK fossil fuel developments. And that’s exactly what happened. In September, the High Court quashed planning permission for the proposed Whitehaven coal mine in Cumbria.
Alongside this, our team in Northern Ireland successfully intervened in 3 cases, blocking significant gas and oil developments.
These wins are incredible.
They reflect years of work from committed grassroots campaigners and volunteers who give so much of their time and energy to these cases. Friends of the Earth is proud to support these local groups with our legal expertise, media support, and campaigning tools and tactics – they all help to secure these wins.
We’re ready for more battles ahead. But for now, these stories demonstrate the power of community action and bring hope to many that we can pave the way for a fossil free future.