21 May 2024

The Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Eamon Ryan, has published Ireland’s first spatial plan for renewable energy at sea, the draft South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan (DMAP). This plan identifies four maritime areas off the south coast for offshore renewable energy (ORE) development over the next decade. An independent economic analysis accompanying […]

21 May 2024

As part of the UK government’s Levelling Up initiative island communities around the UK will see a distribution of £4.6 million funding go towards vital transport links, helping to support local jobs and grow the economy. A further £3 million also awarded to Orkney-based European Marine Energy Centre – the world’s first and leading wave […]

14 May 2024

Water is a vital resource that we depend on to survive. Unfortunately, it’s easy to take this resource for granted, assuming it will always be available in abundance. But that isn’t the case, with experts predicting that global fresh water demand will outstrip supply by 40% by 2030. Water scarcity is already an issue that affects millions […]

14 May 2024

Deeply concerning’ failures to properly implement regulations designed to protect rivers, lakes and coastal waters in England mean key targets for improvement will be missed, a report by the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has found. As part of its role to monitor how environmental laws are working in practice the OEP has carried out […]

14 May 2024

Investigation in The Guardian The National Farmers’ Union lobbied to increase the amount of pesticides allowed in the UK’s drinking water and to allow farmers to spread manure more frequently as part of a post-Brexit loosening of environmental regulations, it can be revealed. Nick von Westenholz, the director of strategy for the lobby group, met […]

14 May 2024

Defra has announced that a total of 27 new wild swimming spots in England are being designated as bathing waters ahead of the summer and will immediately benefit from regular water quality monitoring. Following a public consultation, the new bathing water sites will be designated ahead of the 2024 bathing water season, which runs between […]

14 May 2024

A report launched by Stormwater Shepherds and CIWEM shines a light on the toxic cocktail of pollutants that runs off the UK’s road network and into our rivers and water sources every time it rains. The pollution comes from tyre particles, fuel spills and other vehicle fluids, road surface fragments, sediment and herbicides. These contain […]

14 May 2024

The UK, US, Italy, Canada, France, Germany and Japan, joined by the EU, have pledged to “promote effective, efficient, inclusive and just policies to achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 to achieve clean water and sanitation for all,” along with other international water-related goals and targets. Other commitments included strengthening policy cooperation and […]