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 […]
06 Feb 2024
Tidal landscapes a greater carbon sink than previously thought
Mangroves and saltmarshes sequester large amounts of carbon, mitigating the greenhouse effect. New research from the University of Gothenburg shows that these environments are perhaps twice as effective as previously thought. Natural habitats flooded by the tide form ecosystems that captures large amounts of carbon, which can help to mitigate climate change. Carbon dioxide is […]
06 Feb 2024
Study highlights the importance of the ocean’s tiniest inhabitants
Tiny plankton – measuring less than 20µm (or 0.02mm) in diameter – make up the majority of plankton in the ocean and play a critical role in the planet’s health, according to new research. However, scientists say challenges in identifying them have led to them becoming a silent majority that is currently being overlooked when […]
06 Feb 2024
Norway’s deep-sea exploitation could put it in environmental and legal murky waters
By Ashley Pearl in The Conversation: Norway has a reputation for environmental leadership, from championing international biodiversity policies to its wilderness protection and ambitious biodiversity regulations. Now it is leading into another area, leveraging its long legacy of offshore oil and gas production into developing deep-sea mining. In January Norway became the first nation to open its continental shelf to commercial […]