18 Jun 2020

New working group includes a range of water companies and experts across the UK Published 12 June 2020 Defra: Sewage monitoring is being established across the UK as part of an advance warning system to detect new outbreaks of coronavirus. The new approach is based on recent research findings that fragments of genetic material (RNA) […]

08 Jun 2020

There have been many reports, reviews, inquiries and calls for HPMAs in UK waters. The latest in this long line was a review commissioned in 2019 by the then Environment Secretary, Michael Gove. Published on World Oceans Day, the review recommends the introduction of HPMAs as essential for marine protection and recovery, total protection for […]

02 Jun 2020

Watch the video with Emma Howard-Boyd https://twitter.com/i/status/1267448311646236675 Green projects given support to attract private sector investment New investment approach announced to involve private sector in environmental projects, helping to tackle climate change and restore nature. Four projects which will protect and restore valuable habitats have been selected to receive funding in a pilot scheme to […]

19 May 2020

Environment Audit Committee  ‘Establishing a Nature Volunteer Force (Citizens’ Army) to monitor invasive species is one of a number of recommendations the Government is exploring following the Environmental Audit Committee’s report on Invasive Species. Read the Government Response [HTML] and [PDF] Inquiry: Invasive Species  Urgent action needed Last year, the Committee published its report on invasive species, finding that they […]

19 May 2020

The Wildlife Trusts’ ‘Beavers are back, but their future is not secure. The Wildlife Trust are calling for a beaver strategy for England. The Wildlife Trusts have pioneered the reintroduction of beavers to Britain ever since Kent Wildlife Trust released these industrious creatures into a fenced area of fenland in 2001. Then followed the Scottish […]

05 May 2020

The government has issued (1 May) new guidance on access to green spaces. Recognising that exercise is still important for people’s physical and mental wellbeing, the government has said people can leave their homes for exercise once a day. Please use the following guidance in order to stay safe: stay local and use open spaces […]

05 May 2020

Last week, the Chairman of the Environmental Audit Committee (EAC), Philip Dunne, wrote to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) warning that parts of UK could run out of water and calling for Government action, requesting an update on measures such as leakage targets and managing water consumption. Read the letter here. […]

21 Apr 2020

The Government has announced a new formula for allocating funding for flood and coastal defences across England. In a move that will be welcomed by many, Ministers have decided to make a number of changes to improve the way government funding is allocated to flood risk management schemes. This includes a recognition of the wider […]