A Major New U.S. multiagency report affirms that climate change is getting worse. According to the Climate Science Special Report, “climate change is real. It’s caused by greenhouse-gas pollution released by human industrial activity. Its consequences can already be felt across every region and coastline of the United States—and, unless we stop emitting greenhouse gases […]

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The government is seeking views on the development of a national policy statement for water resources and the types of infrastructure that it will apply to. The government wants to know what you think about its approach to developing a national policy statement for water resources. The statement will simplify the process of gaining planning […]

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Defra has announced support for further restrictions on neonicotinoid pesticides, linked to impacts bees and butterflies. Read Defra’s blog and there is more coverage in the Guardian. According to Defra, Matt Shardlow, CEO of Buglife, warmly welcomes the news in the Express saying Michael Gove’s support for a more comprehensive ban on neonicotinoids is just […]

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Nationalisation of the water industry was back on the agenda at the 2017 CBI conference. Jeremy Corbyn denied the suggestion that Labour’s policy was a ‘throwback’ to the 1970s, saying “it’s not good for the image of business when water companies pay out billions in dividend and interest payments through opaque financial arrangements, while households […]

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CIRIA has released the results of a Scoping study to explore support for partnership funding in flood & coastal erosion risk management. You have to register to download the publication, but the key points are as follows. In 2011, the UK Government announced a new approach to funding projects that would reduce flood and coastal […]

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The European Commission has published a Roadmap for the upcoming Fitness Check of the Water Framework Directive and its daughter directives as well as the Floods Directive. The fitness Check will look at the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and EU added value of the Directives. This will include an assessment of the potential for regulatory simplification and […]

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New environmental protections to deliver a Green Brexit Environment Secretary Michael Gove announces plans to consult on a new, independent body for environmental standards   Defra: Plans to consult on a new, independent body that would hold Government to account for upholding environmental standards in England after we leave the European Union have been set out by […]

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