The deterioration of the UK’s natural environment could lead to an estimated 12% loss to GDP, according to new analysis led by the Green Finance Institute (GFI). In comparison, the financial crisis of 2008 took around 5% off the value of the UK GDP, while the Covid-19 pandemic cost the UK up to 11%2 of its GDP […]
UKWIR has published its new Research Strategy. This strategy sets out key focus areas for the future – seven themes, the outcomes the organisation is aiming for by 2030 and how it aims to deliver this work. The seven themes cover: Providing the services society needs, expects and values Providing clean water for all Protecting […]
Read CIWEM’s balanced and considered view on Ofwat’s new Growth Duty – will it support sustainable growth? This proposes an over-arching ‘sustainability duty’ to address the imbalance between Ofwat’s economic regulatory focus and the need for more robust environmental enforcement. Covered in The Guardian The Conservatives have pushed through a duty on the water regulator […]
Bloomberg reports that the Thames Water Crisis Risks £100 Billion UK Investment Plan, and that creditors warn Thames writedowns will push up borrowing costs. The debt crisis at Thames Water is jeopardizing £100 billion ($125 billion) of potential investment required over the next five years to mend Britain’s crumbling utilities infrastructure. Water companies have promised […]
This 3-minute piece on Channel 4 News Is critical of the Environment Agency testing regime for bathing waters, because some test results are discounted. Blurb Earlier this year, an investigation by this programme led to calls for a change to the system that’s meant to warn swimmers in England about pollution linked to sewage. We […]
A new, useful journal article, Forecasting bathing water quality in the UK: A critical review considers what an optimal framework for bathing water forecasting might look like. Abstract Climate change is altering rainfall patterns resulting in increasing variability and intensity of rainfall events worldwide. Increases to short duration, intense rainfall (i.e., convective rainfall), will lead […]
The chief executive of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has issued a public statement to reiterate an “unwavering” support for robust governance when it comes to standard setting. The controversy followed claims that SBTi would recognise carbon credits as a way to “abate” scope 3 emissions. These indirect, value chain emissions usually make up […]
Interesting piece in Construction Enquirer News Anglian Water, Heathrow, The Lower Thames Crossing, National Highways, Northumbrian Water and Sellafield have committed to scale-back use of the biggest contributors to CO₂ emissions – diesel, steel, and concrete. They are the first clients to sign up for the Construction Leadership Council’s “Five Client Carbon Commitments” designed to […]