12 Jan 2021

The government has bowed to significant pressure from environmental groups and others and confirmed that former Business Secretary Alok Sharma will become the full-time President of the UN COP26 climate conference later this year. Covered by the BBC. Meanwhile, Latest data released by the Copernicus Climate Change Service show that 2020 was Europe’s warmest year […]

12 Jan 2021

More than 100 MPs from across different parties are supporting a parliamentary bid to stop water companies discharging untreated sewage into rivers. Philip Dunne, the Conservative chair of the environmental audit committee, is seeking in a private member’s bill to place a duty on water companies to ensure untreated sewage is not discharged into rivers […]

12 Jan 2021

Water UK has issued an updated briefing note outlining the industry’s position on the Environment Bill, which is currently in Report Stage in the Commons. It sets out how the body thinks the legislation can be improved. The industry body broadly supports the Bill, “including the introduction of biodiversity net gain, conservation covenants, moves to […]

12 Jan 2021

A major new report charts progress against the SDGs for the European Union, its Member States, and partner countries The key findings include The COVID-19 pandemic represents a serious setback for sustainable development in Europe and around the world, but the EU is right not to compromise on its vision or its values The SDGs […]

12 Jan 2021

The Prince of Wales has launched Terra Carta, which “offers the basis of a recovery plan to 2030 that puts Nature, People and Planet at the heart of global value creation”. Anglian Water is a founding signatory of HRH The Prince of Wales’s Terra Carta. It includes a statement of intent and the aims of […]

12 Jan 2021

A useful and interesting recent contribution around integrating water management into broader economy and urban planning. From Aquatech Trade News The UNESCO circular water strategies report highlights how four European cities and one region are incorporating water and sanitation into wider circular economy initiatives. Reusing water has the potential to fill the gap between availability […]

09 Jan 2021

RSPB warns of harm from new wind farm – about Hornsea Project Three Offshore Wind Farm given development consent By Roger Harrabin  BBC environment analyst The giant Hornsea Three development lies 75 miles away from Flamborough Head, England’s biggest sea bird colony on the Yorkshire coast. The RSPB says kittiwakes will need to fly through the area, […]

09 Jan 2021

New report finds bottom trawling taking place in 98% of UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas Date posted: 6 January 2021 Marine Conservation Society ‘We’ve released our Marine unProtected Areas report which found that bottom trawling is taking place in a worrying 98% of the UK’s offshore Marine Protected Areas designed to protect the seabed. As a result of […]