• Brown's unconvincing rhetoric in war on 'red tape'

• New ETS on the cards

  The Government is considering a new emissions trading scheme for large, low energy-using firms

• Brown's OFR bombshell

  Operating and financial reviews have been shelved, much to the City's disappointment

• Buncefield pollution fears

  Toxic PFOS used in firefighting foam could have entered groundwater, the Environment Agency admits

• Growing demand for green professionals

  Demand for experienced environmental professionals continues to grow, according to ENDS' latest salary and careers survey

• Trouble brews on Thames super-sewer
• Pre-budget report round-up
• Uptake of CEnv qualification

Corporate

• CIA warning on product risk

  Chemical firms have been warned that they are seriously underestimating societal demands to address product risks and other long-term issues. The Chemical Industries Association also published its first annual sustainability review showing mixed progress towards goals.

• BP bolsters renewable business
• EMS credibility 'at the crossroads'

Energy & carbon

• Energy efficiency review
• Row over micro-CHP carbon savings
• UK carbon allocation victory
• Social cost of carbon
• Uncertainty over carbon prices

Pollution & clean-up

• Agency approves switch from gas to oil burning

  Environment Agency allows companies to switch from burning gas to more polluting oil in combustion processes

• Welsh crypto outbreak
• DEFRA under pressure on nitrate
• Scotland's first special site
• Octel's soil washing agent
• £5m for remediation technologies
• Car emissions understated

Supply chain

• WWF tissue report

  Kimberly-Clark, the company behind such household names as Andrex and Kleenex, has finished bottom in a WWF survey of the environmental performance of tissue manufacturers.¹ None of the companies, says WWF, is "offering enough recycled content".

• Energy use of kettles
• BASF's biodegradable plastic
• UNEP on trade and eco-labels
• Green spending increases
• CIWEM blasts bottled water
• Timber procurement guide
• DTI's eco-design competition

Waste & resources

• Corus moves into waste oil market

  Corus has emerged as a major customer for recovered fuel oil after power stations were forced to stop burning it in order to meet the new waste incineration Directive's emission limits. Meanwhile, waste oil collector and processor OSS claims installations can burn its new "clean fuel oil" without having to meet emission limits because CFO is not "waste".

• Magazine deal relies on council recycling
• Mystery drop in car battery recycling
• Biodiesel from waste oil
• Slow start on technology showcase
• Standard for biogas fertiliser
• Scots and N Ireland recycling
• WRAP paper giant probe

• IPPC and breweries

  Scottish Courage, the UK's largest brewer, is getting to grips with IPPC despite initial opposition to the regime

• Better regulation?

  Environmental policy is under threat from the EU's better regulation drive, the IEEP says

• Scottish and Newcastle's corporate performance
• UK better regulation drive

National

• Sustainable building codes
• Benchmarks to be used for power allocation
• Packaging recovery targets
• Hazwaste permitting
• Proposals on London Mayor's powers
• Guidance on farm waste
• Scots licensing exemptions
• Guidance on classifying hazwaste
• Guidance on vehicle coating
• Biodegradability exemptions for surfactants
• Dry cleaning guidance
• Government response on marine environment
• Water competition regs
• IPPC glassworks guidance
• Guidance on RoHS regs
• IPPC guidance on pig and poultry
• Scottish Water's price limits
• Further delay on WEEE
• Scottish contaminated land regulations
• Ozone depleter regulations
• Regulations on ships' sewage
• N Ireland coastal strategy
• Scottish nitrate regulations

International

• Montreal climate summit
• World struggles on GHGs
• Backlash on biomass action plan
• Landmark deal on REACH
• IPPC guidance on organic chemicals
• Energy services Directive
• Toluene/TCB Directive
• MEPs on batteries Directive
• Environment Council meeting
• Rules on car recyclability
• Agreement on mining wastes

• EAC inquiry on nuclear
• Cameron rethinks Tory policy
• Debate on contaminated land
• MPs on DEFRA annual report
• Plastic bag tax proposal

• High Court judgment on IPPC and the glass sector
• Pig slurry 'not a waste'
• UK in breach of habitats Directive
• Shanks fined £45,000
• £46k fine for illegal landfill
• Golf course loses lengthy waste battle
• Water companies in the dock
• Thames Water prosecutes food firms
• Paper firm fined £10,000
• N Ireland abattoir fine
• Gleeson's water polution fine
• Scottish councils fined for poor landfill management
• Chemical firm's safety fine
• Third fine for Welsh landfill