As party conference season ends, Conservative plans for achieving their net-zero pledge to end carbon emissions by 2050 have been roundly criticised. They include a promise of a plant to deliver zero-carbon energy from nuclear fusion by 2040 – even though most experts believe achieving the dream is still 30 years away, as well as […]
Last week’s global climate strikes and a passionate speech from Greta Thunberg at the UN climate summit in New York could have spurred nations into action. Instead, despite warnings from the scientific community that the impact of global heating is set to intensify, the climate summit failed to secure anything more than incremental promises. Of […]
Lots more news and initiatives around this still relatively recent concept. We can’t keep track of them all, but here’s a taster. Scathing Natural Capital Committee report The government announced millions of pounds to help other countries meet a range of environmental objectives. Sadly, however, it is failing to meet its own. The latest report […]
A great article looks at the LINK BETWEEN FLOODING & POOR MENTAL HEALTH People whose homes are damaged by extreme weather events like flooding are far more likely to suffer mental health problems, new research has found. The study, led by the University of York and the National Centre for Social Research, found that experiencing weather damage to […]
The C40 Cities initiative works with cities across the world to “bold climate action, leading the way towards a healthier and more sustainable future”. It has a useful network around urban flooding. The C40 has undertaken a useful Benefits Research programme. The aim is to equip “C40 mayors with the evidence and tools to make […]
This article appeared in New Civil Engineer (19 Sep) The water industry should not fear a no-deal Brexit, a senior Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) figure has claimed. Following revelations of the details of Operation Yellowhammer, the codename used by the UK Treasury for cross-government civil contingency planning for the possibility of a […]
The Met Office, Defra, BEIS and the Environment Agency have launched the highest-ever resolution of climate projections produced for the UK: for the first time on a par with the resolution used for weather forecasting. The launch complements the other products already unveiled last year as part of the UKCP18 suite of climate projections. Dr Lizzie […]
Ofwat has published a report on customer satisfaction with Portsmouth Water and Anglian Water coming out as top performers, following strong results the year before too. The bottom performers are Thames Water and Hafren Dyfrdwy, and with Thames taking last place consistently over four years, it will have to return £100m to customers under Ofwat’s […]