Flooding is the number one natural hazard in the UK, costing billions of pounds each year. The risk and damages to the UK from flooding is only expected to increase due to Climate Change. Natural Flood Management (NFM) is a critical mechanism to help reduce the risk of flooding, while delivering environmental benefits such as carbon sequestration, […]
The government has announced that 19 councils are set to be granted exceptional financial support for the next financial year. In principle support for these councils for 2024-25 is worth around £1.5bn, enabling them to use capital receipts from asset sales or borrowing to fund day-to-day costs up to that amount. Further in principle support for […]
Water industry finances are under pressure again. Thames Water Last week, the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee questioned Thames Water and Ofwat about the company’s financial situation. This included the nature of the recent £500m equity injection to Thames, its parent company’s ability to pay its debts, Ofwat’s new dividend lock-up powers and prospects […]
The Sunday Times reports that a part owner of one of the UK’s biggest water suppliers is considering an exit as the sector comes under increasing scrutiny. US-based investment house Corsair is reportedly seeking a buyer for its 30 per cent stake in Kelda, the owner of Yorkshire Water. The company is reportedly looking for […]
Ofwat has published the Monitoring Financial Resilience (MFR) report 2022-23, which aims “to promote a focus on efficient investment that secures long-term resilience and delivers long-term value for money for customers and the environment”. According to the report, the water sector has attracted £4.6bn in additional money from shareholders since 2020, helping to improve the […]
Ofwat has issued a statement on financial resilience in the water sector, seeking to provide reassurance following recent media reports, especially concerning Thames Water. The regulator says that “overall, the sector is continuing to attract international capital and is especially attractive to long term investors such as pension funds. Indeed, there has been an additional […]
A total investment in nature of USD 8.1 trillion is required between now and 2050 – while annual investment should reach USD 536 billion annually by 2050 – in order to successfully tackle the interlinked climate, biodiversity, and land degradation crises, according to the State of Finance for Nature report. The report finds that annual investments in […]
A new report from the European Investment Bank on investing in nature-based solutions Nature-based solutions are cost-effective interventions that provide environmental, social, and economic benefits and build resilience. This report highlights the challenges involved in financing nature-based projects and draws on the European Investment Bank’s experience in implementing the Natural Capital Financing Facility pilot programme […]