The government’s environmental watchdog, the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP), has identified possible failures to comply with environmental law by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the Environment Agency and Ofwat in relation to the regulation of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The failures relate to a possible misinterpretation of the law, which […]
The UK has agreed associate membership of the EU-wide Horizon Europe and Copernicus research programmes. However, scientists say the years out of the programme has done ‘untold damage’.
The Nature Positive Initiative is a new initiative aimed at driving alignment around the definition, integrity and use of the term ‘nature positive’ and supporting broader, longer-term efforts to deliver nature-positive outcomes. Launched this week, the initiative will engage business, government, and other stakeholders, and provide the tools and guidance to deliver nature-positive outcomes and […]
A new report from international sustainability non-profit Forum for the Future highlights four possible future trajectories and calls for five shifts in how businesses operate if they are to manage the systemic risks associated with an increasingly disrupted climate. The report calls on leaders to shift their business: From a risk prevention mindset to a […]
That is the finding of biologists at Goethe University Frankfurt, who say effluents from wastewater treatment plants have a dual effect: some species disappear, while others increase in number. The impact of effluent is especially noticeable with certain insect species, such as stonefly and caddisfly larvae, which are decimated. By contrast, certain worms and crustaceans, […]
The Water Innovation Europe 2023 conference ‘EU Water Policy- What’s next?’ concluded in June, welcoming more than 180 participants from all around Europe, giving the floor to 63 leading experts, hosting four main sessions & five side-events and giving awards to 6 water innovators. This new post-event policy report summarises the multi-stakeholder exchanges of the event regarding the need for a European […]
According to an investigation by the New York Times, the US is using up its groundwater at an alarming rate, threatening to squander a resource that is the backbone of the country’s farming system. Data analysis found that in the past decade, four of every 10 groundwater sites in the country hit all-time lows. This […]
Last week, we reported how the government has scrapped nutrient neutrality rules on new developments, under pressure from housebuilders. Whilst the official press release included favourable quotes from developers and housebuilders, reaction from others has been somewhat less enthusiastic. The body set up by the government to hold it to account on protecting and improving […]