18 Sep 2024

Following last week’s publication of the Water (Special Measures) Bill, the government has given a clearer indication of the importance of water sector investment in the delivery of growth and job creation. The Secretary of State for Environment, Food, and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed and Financial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Livermore hosted a roundtable […]

28 Aug 2024

The government has published a list of sensitive catchment areas designated as catchment permitting areas under the Water Industry Act 1991. The Secretary of State has designated the following catchments as catchment permitting areas for the purposes of Chapter I, Part IV of the Water Industry Act 1991: River Avon Solent Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast […]

13 Aug 2024

The government is consulting on plans to double compensation payments for customers when their basic water services are disrupted. Subject to an eight-week consultation, the proposals will double payments for all existing standards and will more than double the payments for certain highly disruptive incidents, such as when water companies fail to provide notice of supply […]

13 Aug 2024

A Conservative minister repeatedly tried to stop England’s environment regulator from publishing data showing a sharp rise in recorded sewage spills into waterways, according to emails obtained by Unearthed. The Environment Agency (EA) is obliged by law to publish annual statistics on how often overflow pipes released sewage into rivers and seas, and how long the […]

23 Jul 2024

Last week’s King’s Speech included 35 bills and draft bills, setting out the new government’s plans for this parliament and recognising “the urgency of the global climate challenge and the new job opportunities that can come from leading the development of the technologies of the future”. The government will establish Great British Energy, a new […]

23 Jul 2024

The independent, statutory body which advises the UK and devolved governments on emissions has warned that the UK is significantly off track on its target to achieve Net Zero by 2030. In its 2024 Progress Report to Parliament, the Climate Change Committee (CCC) says that only a third of the emissions reductions required to achieve […]

15 Jul 2024

A coalition of NGOs has called on the new UK Government to expand the title and function of the role of UK Special Representative for Climate Change to Special Representative for Climate Change and Biodiversity.     The coalition, led by the Environmental Justice Foundation, have written to the Prime Minister with the following asks: […]