http://www.endsreport.com/bulletin/A weekly online news service offering a succinct round-up of key environmental policy and legislation developmentsWed, 03 Mar 2010 18:00 GMThttp://www.endsreport.com/feeds/http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21899http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21899Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTA committee of MPs warned on Tuesday that premature investment decisions aimed at improving the UK’s national grid could reduce opportunities for a smart grid in futurehttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=22004http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=22004Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTA report on the feasibility of Scotland’s ambitious 42% interim target for greenhouse gas emissions reduction by 2020 advises this would be difficult in the absence of a wider global climate deal.http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21896http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21896Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTA Conservative government would create a presumption in favour of “sustainable development”, according to a green paper published on Mondayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21898http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21898Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTWelsh councils could be fined if they do not meet the country’s stretching recycling targets under draft regulations issued this weekhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21894http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21894Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe Court of Appeal cut a £125,000 fine against Thames Water last Friday to just £50,000. The ruling, following a conviction for polluting a river with bleach and killing over two tonnes of fish, took account of substantial voluntary compensation offered by the companyhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21893http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21893Thu, 25 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTProsecutions instigated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) led to average fines of just £2,511 in the financial year 2008/10 - only a third the level of comparable fines obtained by Environment Agency prosecutionshttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21888http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21888Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe Environment Agency began consulting on how it will use the new civil sanctions regime on Mondayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21892http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21892Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe commission created two new departments on climate change and energy yesterday, following approval by MEPs and member states last weekhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21890http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21890Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe water industry's financial regulator unveiled plans for a wide-ranging review of its activities in a report released last Fridayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21887http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21887Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTEnvironmental consultants Aether and ENDS launched the world’s first free-access directory of environmental accounting software tools on Tuesdayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21889http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21889Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTHeineken, Exxon, BASF and Kellogg’s are among UK brands performing poorly on managing and reporting the risks of water scarcity, according to a survey published last weekhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21881http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21881Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe environment department (DEFRA) has announced that it is to review the guidance underpinning the contaminated land regimehttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21867http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21867Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS), is failing to drive investment in low carbon technologies as carbon prices continue to flatline during the recession, MPs on the Commons Environmental Audit Committee concluded on Mondayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21884http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21884Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTTrade associations Water UK, the Engineering Employers’ Federation (EEF) and the Mineral Products Association (MPA) have made environmental policy staff redundant to cut costs. Welsh Water is also to restructure with 300 job losseshttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21874http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21874Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe Scottish Parliament unanimously voted in favour of the Marine (Scotland) Bill last Thursday, despite earlier threats by the Green Party to oppose ithttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21882http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21882Thu, 11 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTThe government has given the Welsh Assembly the right to legislate on environmental mattershttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21870http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21870Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTA study by energy regulator Ofgem has concluded the UK energy market cannot deliver the investment needed to ensure energy security beyond 2015http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21868http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21868Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTRenewable energy firms are hoping thousands of homeowners and businesses will install renewables systems after the government announced the final rates for its feed-in tariff scheme on Mondayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21872http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21872Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTProposals for cash rewards for generation of renewable heat were published by the energy and climate department (DECC) on Mondayhttp://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21869http://www.endsreport.com/index.cfm?action=bulletin.article&articleid=21869Thu, 04 Feb 2010 00:00 GMTKey developed-country carbon emitters have formally pledged greenhouse gas emissions cuts and associated themselves with the so-called Copenhagen Accord which emerged from the UN climate conference in December