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DEFRA’s 'unstable' staffing risks poor outcomes, say auditors

13 February 2019 12:52 GMT

Staffing tumult and the pressures of Brexit are threatening the quality of DEFRA’s work, according to the National Audit Office

Environmental Politics

Latest News

10 things you need to know about DEFRA's waste consultations

18 February 2019 12:56 GMT

The government has today launched four consultations on its plans to improve the management of waste. Here are 10 things you need to know.

Waste & Resources
Holyrood consults on post-Brexit environmental principles and governance

18 February 2019 12:51 GMT

The Scottish government has opened a consultation on “effective and appropriate environmental governance” and the establishment of environmental principles after Brexit

Environmental Politics
Government publishes plans to ‘overhaul’ the waste sector

18 February 2019 11:21 GMT

The government has today launched four highly-anticipated consultations aimed at “overhauling the waste system, cutting plastic pollution, and moving towards a more circular economy”

Waste & Resources
Environment Agency launches UK’s first natural flood management auction

18 February 2019 11:02 GMT

The Environment Agency (EA) has launched the UK’s first auction for landowners to bid for money to carry out natural flood prevention on their land

Land, Ecology & Development
Flybmi blames carbon costs for collapse

18 February 2019 11:04 GMT

Midlands-based airline Flybmi has said that a Brexit-related increase in carbon costs is in part to blame for its decision to cease operations and file for administration

Energy
UK coal phase-out not enough to meet EU sulphur dioxide target

15 February 2019 13:07 GMT

The government’s intention for unabated coal generation to be phased out by 2025 will not be enough for the UK to meet a future obligation to cut emissions of sulphur dioxide.

Air Management
Waste director fined for withholding information from the Environment Agency

15 February 2019 12:39 GMT

The director of a wood chip biomass firm has been fined for failing to provide documents required as part of an Environment Agency (EA) investigation

Waste & Resources
New thermal treatment removes emerging contaminants from soil

15 February 2019 11:42 GMT

Consultancy Jacobs says it has successfully removed emerging contaminants per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) from soil, using a new thermal treatment process

Land, Ecology & Development

More news

Analysis

DEFRA’s water environment proposals: 6 things you need to know

14 February 2019 16:11 GMT

DEFRA is consulting on its plans to improve the water environment, which include getting tougher on abstractors, mandating drainage and wastewater plans and introducing a new charging methodology. Here’s what you need to know about the proposals

Water Management Analysis
What does DEFRA’s water abstraction crackdown mean for industry and the environment?

14 February 2019 16:03 GMT

DEFRA’s softly-softly approach to reforming its system of abstractions from rivers and groundwater has brought comfort to industry and frustration to environmental NGOs in equal measure

Water Management Analysis
Deep issues: Why groundwater pollution is so hard to beat

14 February 2019 16:42 GMT

The saga of bromate pollution still underlying the St Leonards Court housing estate in St Albans 19 years after it was detected is a reminder of just how difficult cleaning up groundwater can be.

Land, Ecology & Development Analysis
Who profits from DEFRA’s nature compensation schemes?

7 February 2019 17:44 GMT

DEFRA’s nature compensation schemes could be worth £1.2bn a year, according to a report from the free market thinktank the IEA, but will wildlife profit or will others? Rachel Salvidge investigates

Land, Ecology & Development Analysis
Why are utilities worried by the Office for Environmental Protection?

7 February 2019 17:30 GMT

As the draft clauses of the Environment Bill make their way through the first stages of parliamentary scrutiny, concerns around the proposed green watchdog - the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) - have begun to crystallise

Brexit Hub Analysis
Explainer: What are conservation covenants and will they become law?

7 February 2019 13:38 GMT

Conservation covenants are back on the government’s policy agenda as a method for underpinning net gain. Here is everything you need to know about them...

Environmental Law Analysis

More analysis

Big Issue

Featured articles

Alien invasion: Which six ‘very high risk’ invasive species could arrive in the UK next?

The majority of invasive species posing the greatest risk to the EU could come to the UK, according to a major Europe-wide research project. But which ones? Catherine Early reports
Seven compliance deadlines to look out for this month

Important deadlines relating to best practice, waste compliance, industrial strategies, pollutants and chemicals are coming up in February and early March
EIA: The mega project masters

Who are the consultants taking a lead role in advising on the environmental impacts of the biggest infrastructure projects in England and Wales? Adam Branson investigates
Policy changes that need to be on your radar in 2019

With Brexit edging closer, fundamental changes to UK environmental policy and legislation are on the cards. ENDS checks the policy radar to identify what you need to prepare for in the coming year
Out of proportion: have EIAs grown too big?

Environmental impact assessment in the UK has long been considered to have a problem with proportionality. Why does this matter and what can be done to improve the situation? Isabella Kaminski investigates
Environment Bill: 10 things you need to know

Your at-a-glance guide to the draft environment bill, including details of the remit of the proposed post-Brexit watchdog and how ministers will have regard to environmental principles after the UK leaves the EU
Brexit Library: live table

Click through to view a sortable and regularly updated table of key Brexit-related policy, legislation and guidance documents published by the UK government, devolved administrations and the European Commission
Fines Monitor: live table

Click through to view a live table containing details of tens of millions of pounds of financial penalties issued by regulators in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for breaches of environmental regulations
Fines Monitor: The largest environmental penalties of 2018

Thames Water is again at the top of ENDS’ ten greatest payouts for environmental offences last year

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Special Reports

Environmental consultancy market review 2018

30 May 2018

Top consultants tell ENDS how they are dealing with new policy initiatives, major projects and ongoing uncertainty
ENDS Environmental Impact Awards 2017

4 May 2017

ENDS inaugural Environmental Impact Awards recognised the achievements of 11 winners and several highly commended projects and teams
UK environmental law on the way to Brexit

29 March 2017

A guide for environmental professionals on key issues in UK environmental law and compliance during the Brexit negotiations, highlighting four ways in which the legal relationship between UK and EU law could begin to loosen even before the final date of departure.