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Plans to boost nature recovery and safeguard England’s national parks for future generations have been set out. The proposals, which will be subject to consultation, are set out in the Government’s response to Julian Glover’s independent Landscapes Review which looked at whether the protections for National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) are still fit for purpose. Environment Secretary George Eustice...

Active households could significantly reduce peak electricity demand by using time-of-use tariffs, 'the UK’s largest domestic flexibility study' has found. Undertaken by National Grid ESO, Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Distribution, Octopus Energy and Ohme, the Crowdflex-study investigated how 25,000 households responded to price signals by reducing or increasing electricity demand. Geoff Down, Innovation Manager, National Grid ESO, commented: “System flexibility...

Poor water quality in English rivers is a result of 'chronic underinvestment and multiple failures in monitoring, governance and enforcement', the Environmental Audit Committee warns. According to the committee, only 14% of English rivers meet good ecological status, with pollution from agriculture, sewage, roads and single-use plastics contributing to a dangerous ‘chemical cocktail’ coursing through waterways. The committee also states that...

The Welsh Government has announced £65 million of new funding to support further education, higher education and adult community learning in Wales. The package includes £46m to help post-16 education and community learning providers reduce their carbon footprint and improve their digital connectivity. The Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles, commented: "We are committed as a government to fight...

The Department for the Economy is seeking views on proposals to introduce new legislation in Northern Ireland that are set to provide greater consumer protections for people connected to heat networks and support the growth of the heat network sector. Proposals in this new consultation aim to drive forward low-carbon heat networks’ growth in a regulatory framework that 'protects consumers...

In this thought piece, Paul Preston takes a look at the sustainability of different elements relating to electric vehicle production. Paul is a freelance writer from Redbridge, London who is juggling work and University duties as he is trying to finish his Masters's degree in Big Data Management. Governments and eco-researchers worldwide are encouraging the use of electric vehicle (EV)...

Today the government has launched a new programme to help develop innovative technologies to produce hydrogen from sustainable biomass and waste. Backed with £5 million in government funding, the new Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Programme is set to support the development of technologies to produce hydrogen generated via BECCS (bioenergy with carbon capture and storage). The BECCS process produces hydrogen from biomass and waste,...

The Government has unveiled the next stages of its plan to reward farmers and landowners for actions which are set to benefit the environment, supporting sustainable food production alongside vital nature recovery and work towards net zero. Two new environmental land management schemes are expected to play an essential role in halting the decline in species by 2030, bringing up...

Plans to ensure wildlife can be better protected and enhanced in developments have been set out in a new consultation. The proposals set out in the Biodiversity Net Gain consultation are set to help communities, planners, developers and Local Planning Authorities ensure new developments are “nature positive” – which means putting nature and biodiversity gain at the heart of all...

Water companies in England and Wales should go further to reduce emissions from future infrastructure projects, according to expectations set out by Ofwat. In a position paper on net zero ambitions, the regulator welcomes the Water UK 2030 Routemap on carbon as 'an important step towards the industry being net zero by 2050.' However, to achieve that goal, the paper highlights...