Expansion of the UK Boiler Upgrade Scheme now offers a £2,500 grant for air-to-air heat pumps alongside the existing £7,500 support for air-source and ground-source units, making domestic air-conditioning eligible for government funding for the first time. Carrier Solutions UK, distributor of Toshiba systems, expects this to catalyse a residential air-conditioning market, particularly in flats and apartments currently using direct-electric or storage heating. Multi-split air-to-air systems, with one outdoor unit serving several rooms, are positioned as a practical retrofit route where conventional air-to-water heat pumps are hard to install.

Efforts to reform the Kimberley Process have stalled again after the World Diamond Council spent three years drafting a broader “conflict diamond” definition to include non-state armed groups and explicitly recognise artisanal and small-scale miners. The proposed wording aimed to move beyond the current focus on rebel movements against legitimate governments, addressing violence linked to private security forces, criminal gangs and abusive supply-chain intermediaries. Continued deadlock leaves producers, cutters and retailers operating under a narrow legal definition that diverges from NGO expectations and many downstream buyers’ ESG due-diligence standards.

The UK government plans to meet 30% of domestic demand for critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt and rare earth elements from UK sources by 2035 under a new 10‑year strategy. The plan mirrors US, Canadian and EU policies aimed at reducing reliance on China‑dominated supply chains for battery, wind turbine and electronics materials. For miners and processors, it signals stronger backing for domestic exploration, recycling capacity and mid‑stream refining projects, with permitting, ESG compliance and grid access likely to be key constraints.