04 Jul 2019

Bob Earll      Each week in preparing Water News I scan the Defra website. This week this site is awash with individual regional calls for projects under two themes: Call for project’s promoting climate change adaptation, risk prevention and management’ Call for project’s focusing on preserving and protecting the environment and promoting resource efficiency’ This is […]

26 Mar 2019

Questioning goes to the heart of the provisions in the Bill on audit and the principles at the heart of sustainability and environmental management. EAC ‘The Environmental Audit Committee examines the proposed Office for Environmental Protection, the environmental principles, Environmental Improvement Plans, collaboration with the devolved administrations and no-deal preparations. Witnesses   Wednesday 20 March 2019, […]

14 Mar 2019

Defra ‘The Government has today (13 March) confirmed that new developments must deliver an overall increase in biodiversity. Following our consultation last year, the Chancellor confirmed today in the Spring Statement that the government will use the forthcoming Environment Bill to mandate ‘biodiversity net gain’ – meaning the delivery of much-needed infrastructure and housing is not at the expense […]

19 Jan 2019

The first part of the Environment Bill was published before Christmas and embodies some key elements of how we will frame our environmental activities post Brexit. The speech below by Emma Howard Boyd rightly signals why this is important to everyone working in environmental sector.  Read more commentary in the Guardian assessment of the Environment […]

12 Dec 2018

Greener UK Risk Tracker argues that with less than four months to go until the UK leaves the EU huge uncertainties remain over the future of environmental safeguards BusinessGreen ‘The government’s shock decision to delay today’s hotly anticipated parliamentary vote on its proposed Withdrawal Agreement has further fuelled fears a ‘no deal’ Brexit could unleash […]

16 Oct 2018

A new report says that aligning farm subsidies with the water sector spend would keep costs down. In the report, From blue to green: how to get the best for the environment from spending on water, the Green Alliance is calling for the UK’s new post-Brexit farm subsidy scheme to be better aligned with water companies’ […]