17 Dec 2024

Record funding of £150 million capital investment from the Scottish Government will support the growth of the offshore wind sector and support thousands of well-paid, green jobs across Scotland over the next decade. Overall strategic investment of up to £500 million over five years is expected to boost private investment in the sector by up […]

17 Dec 2024

Fin whale meat from off Japan’s northern coast was sold for the first time in nearly 50 years. Japan’s Fisheries Agency this year added fin whales to its list of three whale species that can be legally hunted as the country expands commercial whaling along its coast. Japan resumed commercial whaling within its exclusive economic […]

17 Dec 2024

Climate change, invasive non-native species such as brown rat, food shortages and other pressures are contributing to the dramatic declines seen in seabird numbers. Almost two thirds of Scotland’s seabird species have declined over the last 20 years, with eight including the Arctic tern, kittiwake and black-headed gull declining by more than 50%. The draft […]

17 Dec 2024

The Environmental Audit Committee of the UK Parliament is seeking views on the Government’s delivery of its environmental obligations under international marine treaties and the Government’s strategy for marine planning and protection. The United Nations’ (UN) 14th Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) relates to the planet’s largest ecosystem, which refers to life below water. The 14th […]

11 Dec 2024

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched a new inquiry to examine flood resilience in England as homes and businesses recover from more flooding misery in recent weeks. At the end of November, Storm Bert flooded in excess of 100 homes and over the weekend, Storm Darragh triggered over 200 flood warnings […]

11 Dec 2024

An investigation by the Guardian suggests EU countries will share laboratory capacity but UK rules mean products cannot be tested abroad. It claims that the safety of tap water in the UK could be at risk because water companies are unable to use products to clean it, industry insiders have said, as all the laboratories […]

11 Dec 2024

Europe’s water is under pressure from pollution, over-use, habitat degradation and increasing impacts of climate change. Improving the resilience and health of Europe’s lakes, rivers and groundwaters is an urgent priority to secure good-quality water for people and nature.   Photo credit: David Ruh   ‘EEA Signals 2024 – Towards healthy and resilient waters in […]

11 Dec 2024

Concerns about PFAS pollution have increased in many European countries but comprehensive monitoring data are often limited. A European Environment Agency (EEA) briefing ‘PFAS pollution in European waters’, shows that most monitored rivers, transitional and coastal waters and a large part of lakes in Europe are polluted with at least one of the many extremely […]