Environment Secretary calls in Water Bosses to explain leakage failures

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Defra: ‘Today’s Times reported on the news that The Environment Secretary has called in the Chief Executives of nine water companies to explain their poor performance on leakage.

Environment Secretary Michael Gove said: Customers expect a reliable and resilient water supply and these results further demonstrate that water companies have much more to do to tackle leakage. That is why I have repeatedly made clear that companies must improve and recently wrote to them to outline my expectations during this period of dry weather. I have invited the Chief Executives of the companies that have failed to meet their leakage targets – and those with the poorest performance on leaks – to a meeting at Defra to discuss how they are going to address this serious issue. There was widespread further coverage including in The Daily Mail, The Telegraph, The Sun and on the Today Programme.’

Reputational Damage: ‘The water companies are gift to socialism’ Edward Lucas Sunday Times’

Although you’ll only see part of this article when the Murdoch press start running articles like this in PR terms you’ve got a problem.

Heatwaves, fires and climate change – the gloves are coming off

Extreme global weather is ‘the face of climate change’ says leading scientist

Guardian Exclusive: Prof Michael Mann declares the impacts of global warming are now ‘playing out in real-time’

• Heatwave made more than twice as likely by climate change, scientists find

Annual report confirms 2017 was the fifth hottest year on record and highlights increased average rainfall and sea levels   Business Green   The Met Office has today published its fourth annual State of the UK Climate Report, detailing how rising temperatures and increased rainfall are continuing to reshape the country’s climate. The report confirms 2017 was the fifth warmest year in a Met Office record dating back to 1910. Last year’s high temperatures are part of a trend which has seen average temperatures over the decade to 2017 recorded as 0.8C warmer than the 1961-1990 average. The trend is also repeated globally with average temperatures now more than 1C above the pre-industrial average. “Nine of the 10 warmest years for the UK have occurred since 2002, and the top 10 have all occurred since 1990,” the Met Office said. “The Central England Temperature series, which extends back to 1659, shows that the 21st century (since 2001) has so far been warmer than the previous three centuries.” The report also confirmed the UK climate is becoming wetter and sunnier. It found there has been eight per cent more rainfall and six per cent more sunshine over the decade between 2008 and 2017 compared of the 1960 to 1990 average.

In further evidence climate change is reshaping the UK, the report details how mean sea levels around the UK have risen 16cm since the start of the 20th century. “Our climate is changing, globally and here in the UK. People may not recall 2017 as having been a particularly warm year, with a relatively wet summer and snow in December,” said Dr Mark McCarthy, Manager of the Met Office National Climate Information Centre. “Despite this, when looking at the longer-term perspective 2017 was still more than 1C warmer than our 1961-1990 baseline and ranks fifth warmest year overall for the UK.”

The report comes amidst growing calls for the government and industry to step up efforts to enhance the climate resilience of UK infrastructure following new evidence that this summer’s heat wave was made twice as likely due to climate change.