07 Feb 2024
07 Feb 2024
New guidance on Shoreline management plans
The Environment Agency has published new guidance on Shoreline Management Plans (SMPs), which help to deliver the ambitions of the National Flood and Coastal Erosion Risk Management Strategy. They set out a planned approach to managing flood and coastal erosion risk around the coast of England to 2105. There are 20 SMPs covering the English coast. You can […]
07 Feb 2024
Five-fold increase in sewage discharges into London’s rivers
The London Assembly claims that instances of sewage flowing into London’s rivers in 2023 were almost five times the amount for the same period the previous year. The London Assembly used published Thames Water data which monitors discharge from 118 sites across the Thames Water network feeding into 33 rivers and waterways. The data shows […]
07 Feb 2024
Balancing Climate Change, Investment and Water Charges
A blog by Alex Plant, Scottish Water Chief Executive Officer The amount customers pay to keep Scotland’s water cycle flowing is increasing. It’s going up because the climate we rely on for the water needs of our nation is affecting every aspect of our services, and we must do more to maintain and replace our […]
07 Feb 2024
Comparison of Nature-related Assessment & Disclosure Approaches
A new report, co-authored by the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC) and the United Nations Environment Programme Finance Initiative (UNEP FI), provides an overview of the key methodological and conceptual trends among the private sector assessment and disclosure approaches on nature-related issues. It provides comparative research on seven leading standards, frameworks and systems […]
30 Jan 2024
Water bosses told they can no longer monitor themselves on sewage
The Times reports that Defra ministers have told water company bosses they will no longer “mark their own homework” on whether they are illegally polluting rivers, in a shift in how the sector is regulated. Private water companies have to run checks to ensure they are meeting permits issued by the Environment Agency about how […]
30 Jan 2024
Customers would pay more for natural solutions
Households would be willing to pay up to £40 a year more on their water bill to use nature instead of man-made materials to improve river water quality and reduce the risk of flooding. A study by the Consumer Council for Water (CCW) explored people’s appetite for water companies to pursue nature-based approaches to tackle some […]
30 Jan 2024
Charging for water quality permits
The Environment Agency (EA) has opened a consultation on charge proposals for water quality permits. It would see charges increase significantly, especially for water companies. The EA says it is seeking to recover the full cost of services through charges. The EA has our charges to address changes in the cost of delivering services, inflationary […]