The Icon

The Carbon Neutral Islands project is a programme for government commitment aimed at supporting islands to become carbon neutral by 2040. Scotland has over 900 offshore islands. The islands included as part of the project, Hoy, Islay, Great Cumbrae, Raasay, Barra and Yell, have been identified by the Scottish Government in collaboration with local authorities and island representatives. Whilst working closely...

Whilst sustainability is rising higher on corporate agendas and CEOs recognise sustainability as a business imperative and growth driver, a lack of reliable data insights is hindering their ability to take action, according to a new study from IBM Institute for Business Value. IBM’s annual CEO study, Own your impact: Practical pathways to transformational sustainability, which surveyed more than 3,000...

The Drinking Water Inspectorate, Ofwat and the Environment Agency have launched a new joint service to improve advice and slash response times for water innovators. Called StreamLine, the new collaborative service will function as a one-stop shop, making it easier for business and innovators to obtain informal regulatory advice and help them navigate regulations and get the advice they need...

Although most social housing tenants recognise that action is needed, few see the need to act now to limit the carbon footprint of their homes, according to new research by Sovereign Housing. In response, the housing association will be increasing engagement with tenants as they embark on a major programme of strategic asset management to meet their net zero targets. Social...

Consumers are more likely to change providers due to environmental reasons than customer service or product quality, according to a recent survey by GHD. 37% of consumers surveyed by the professional services company would change providers for a more environmentally friendly product/service, compared to 28% who would switch if they were offered products/services of a higher quality and 26% who...

A new guide setting out how landowners and managers can adapt their woodlands in the face of climate change has been published by the Forestry Commission, Scottish Forestry, Natural Resources Wales and the Northern Ireland Forest Service. The UK Forestry Standard Practice Guide ‘Adapting forest and woodland management to the changing climate’ outlines the steps that can be taken to foster woodlands...

Just over half of water bill payers believe they will struggle to pay a utility bill over the coming year, rising to 7 in 10 if there are children in the household, according to new Ofwat research. A third of those who expect their financial situation to get a lot worse in the next year report feeling depressed. While fewer customers...

A new report released by non-profits CDP and Planet Tracker reveals how financial institutions are exposed to significant risks posed by depleted and contaminated water supplies. The analysis, described as the first-of-its-kind, shows how global companies in key industries are already losing billions as a result of the global water crisis. By focusing on four sectors, oil & gas, electric utilities,...

Wales – currently ranked third in the world in domestic recycling – was the only nation to uphold its rates during the pandemic, with England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all seeing a drop in performance, the Welsh Government has announced. The new stats reveal Wales to be the only UK nation to reach the minimum 50% recycling target set by...

The Water sector has been identified as the sector most resilient to future disruption, ahead of the Information & Communication industry in second place and Energy in third, in GHD's inaugural UK Disruption Index. To build the index, the professional services company analysed the risk of disruption to 11 key sectors - Rail, Highways, Water, Energy, Chemical & Pharmaceuticals, Construction,...