A team of pioneering researchers including Professor Richard Thompson OBE, Head of the University of Plymouth’s International Marine Litter Research Unit, has won two prestigious awards for the impact of work highlighting the presence, and potential impacts, of microplastics in our oceans and the marine life they contain. Along with colleagues from the University of Exeter […]
Government proposals to place the environment at the heart of new development have been unveiled by Environment Secretary Michael Gove. In plans published today (2 December 2018) for consultation, developers could be required to deliver a ‘biodiversity net gain’ when building new housing or commercial development – meaning habitats for wildlife must be enhanced and left in […]
Water pollution in the River Thames The Environment Agency’s successful prosecution of Thames Water over a series of major pollution incidents on the River Thames was the subject of a new documentary aired by BBC 1 yesterday. Defenders UK follows the work of enforcement officers from various agencies as they work to protect the public, with the […]
The Welsh Assembly is introducing new regulations covering the whole of Wales to protect water quality from agricultural pollution. The regulations will come into force in January 2020 with transitional periods for some elements to allow farmers time to adapt and ensure compliance. The regulations will include the following measures: nutrient management planning sustainable fertiliser […]
Defra joins forces with Keep Britain Tidy to launch the ‘Keep it, Bin it’ campaign Shocking images are at the centre of a new campaign unveiled today (30 November) to crack down on littering in England. Launched by Environment Secretary Michael Gove in partnership with environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy, and supported by some of the biggest […]
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s Scrutiny of the Agriculture Bill report calls on the Government to ensure imported food products are held to current British standards as part of any future trade deal. Read the conclusions and recommendations Read the full report: Scrutiny of the Agriculture Bill The inquiry was launched alongside the […]
Environment Bill delayed until 2019 The Secretary of State for the Environment, Rt Hon Michael Gove MP, admitted to a parliamentary committee that the only part of the Environment Bill that will be published this year will be the part concerning environmental principles and governance post Brexit, which government is legally obliged to publish by the end […]
Scottish Parliament Urgent action needs to be taken to improve the regulation of the Scottish salmon farming industry and to address fish health and environmental challenges, a Holyrood Committee has concluded. Following its in-depth inquiry into salmon farming in Scotland, the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has determined that, if the industry is to expand, […]