“We’re seeing our air quality deteriorate. We have a drinking water crisis.”
Roishetta Ozane

Before I jump into the latest shocking reveal, I need to let you know about our latest fundraising push.

This week, we launched our crowdfunding campaign in partnership with Big Give. For one week only, every pound you donate will be doubled at no extra cost to you.

We’re raising funds to help our Environment team shine a light on the links between fossil fuel companies and politicians – connections that too often prevent governments from passing laws that would put people and the planet over company profits.

We’ve got a target of £20,000 to go towards reporting, fact-checking, legal fees and our work with MPs and campaigners. It’s really important reporting, but as a non-profit newsroom, our resources are always stretched. Unlike these politicians and lobbyists, we don’t have millionaire backers: we have you – our readers – and your generosity.

If you’ve already donated, then thank you so much – we really appreciate your support and your belief in what we’re doing. If you haven’t, then please donate to our Big Give crowdfunder and help us get over the line:

And this is why our work matters so much.

This week, we can reveal that your “green” pension money could be funding a massive, polluting gas expansion – without you knowing anything about it.

Sixty local government pension funds have invested £8bn into opaque “infrastructure funds”, which we’ve discovered are paying for the rapid construction of huge gas terminals on the Gulf Coast of the US. If you’re one of the seven million people with a UK public sector pension, your cash could be playing a part.

These liquified natural gas (LNG) projects have been described as the number one threat to the planet – and they’re already having real-world effects.

We spoke to Roishetta Ozane, a community activist living close to two LNG terminals in Louisiana. She said the infrastructure and pollution was causing healthcare issues and rising cancer rates in her community. 

Two of Roishetta’s children have asthma, and her son died last year. He suffered from seizures that a doctor said may have been exacerbated by the local pollution.

“We’re seeing more women develop health issues that are living near these facilities, having pre-term babies or having miscarriages,” Roishetta told us. “We’re seeing our air quality deteriorate. We have a drinking water crisis.”

The story made headlines across the UK – outlets in Yorkshire, Blackpool, Bedford and even smaller places like Leighton and Waltham Forest republished our piece. In all of these places, public sector workers have unwittingly had their savings fund ruinous LNG projects.

The good news is that we can do something about it. We shared our investigation with 326 divestment campaigners, who can use the information to petition their local pension committees to change their investments.

This isn’t the first time we’ve reported on banks using green funds to pay for dirty fossil fuels – regular readers of Uncovered will be familiar with this particular brand of injustice.

But if we’ve learned anything, it’s that those people with a financial stake are the ones able to make the difference. Investors in some big banks are speaking up and challenging the executives on their harmful investments. It’s our job to arm them with the right information.

Each week we reveal a fascinating fact from our reporting…

A new UK–US agreement means that the NHS will pay pharmaceutical companies more for their medicines.

The UK–US talks were marked by various warning shots towards the UK, with the Trump administration raising the prospect of crippling tariffs.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies, whose profit margins were on the line, threatened to scrap major UK projects. The deal that was eventually reached commits the NHS to spend more on expensive new medicines – and also to pay more for the drugs it is already buying.

Find out more here

After all these years, we finally got a glimpse this week into how our reporter and editor Gareth Davies blew open the gigantic local council investment scandal in Essex.

His reporting on Thurrock’s shady solar farm investments led to council leaders getting sacked, the council being declared bankrupt and the Serious Fraud Office launching an investigation into the company of the man at the centre of the whole thing: Liam Kavanagh.

This week Gareth tells the story of how he came in contact with one of his key sources, who he protected over the years in which Kavanagh was going after the people scrutinising his dodgy deals.

As Gareth says: “It’s no exaggeration to say it took years to build the level of trust I needed. There were times when we would exchange 50 messages a day, when I heard from them more than I did my friends and family.”

Speaking of Kavanagh, we also finally – finally – heard his side of the story. Thurrock council is now suing Kavanagh, which means he had to file a defence to the case.

And guess what? 

Kavanagh admits to pocketing a “substantial part” of the £130m that Thurrock council thought it was investing in one of his solar farm ventures. 

This is a change of tune. Whenever he sent us aggressive legal threats he denied this, but it looks as if being hauled into court has compelled him to change his mind.

And what did he do with all that money? Well, his purchases included a country estate, a private jet, and nearly £14m on a sailing yacht.

Click the button to see what else the Sunshine Millionaire had to say for himself.