Public Accounts Committee report calls on government to get a better handle on future fossil fuel infrastructure decommissioning costs The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of MPs has today published a new report warning there is “significant uncertainty over costs to taxpayers of decommissioning offshore oil and gas assets”, as well as a “poor understanding” within government […]

Read More

The National Infrastructure Commission has today launched an inquiry into what future changes may be needed to ensure regulation of the energy, telecoms and water sectors supports investment and innovation while at the same time keeping costs down for consumers. The regulation study is expected to examine: Future changes that may affect the regulated sectors: […]

Read More

Summary of consultees and government response August 2018 Between 5 and 26 April 2018 the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) held an informal consultation on the types and sizes of nationally significant water resources infrastructure in the Planning Act 2008 (‘the Planning Act’). The consultation can be found at: https://consult.defra.gov.uk/water/npsinfrastructure-types-and-sizes.The consultation was […]

Read More

IMECH Policy: This summer has presented the UK with the hottest and driest summer since 1976, a year well remembered for melting tarmac and long, hot summer’s days. The UK experienced average temperatures in June of 19.9ºC, the same as in 1976. When this is combined with June being one of the top five driest […]

Read More

This letter is Minister Rutley‘s (Interim Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) response to the Chief Executive Officer of Ofwat. Ofwat sent a letter to Minister Rutley setting out initial reactions to the National Infrastructure Commission’s ‘preparing for a drier future’ report on water. This included thoughts on how the sector needs to […]

Read More

Defra consults on nationally significant water resources infrastructure Defra has launched a new consultation seeking views on the types and sizes of nationally significant water resources infrastructure, including reservoirs, water transfer schemes and desalination plants, in order to amend the Planning Act 2008. Defra is consulting on its proposals for the types and sizes of infrastructure which […]

Read More

This report, produced with the National Trust, develops the Natural Infrastructure Scheme (NIS) concept, which we first proposed in 2016. The NIS mechanism creates a market for environmental improvements which funds sustainable practices. In the case studied in this report, we look at the potential to use the scheme to improve soil and water quality in the Anglian river basin. […]

Read More