Report clarifies urban air pollution patterns worldwide
Late August saw the release of “Air Quality and Health In Cities”, the latest edition of The State of Global Air report, produced annually by the US Health Effects Institute. It attempts a snapshot of air pollution exposure in over 7000 cities worldwide, and its impact on health. Standout findings this year include a clearer picture of PM2.5 and NO2 pollution, with fine particles seeming to be an affliction of the world's poorer regions especially, while NO2 is a problem for city dwellers everywhere.
£4m innovation contest
Ofwat, the economic regulator of water services in England and Wales, has announced a new "open access" competition for innovators, in an aparent widening of the scope of its existing £200 million Innovation Fund, and a bid to encourage more diverse ideas to transform the water sector.
Black bag blues: Does Scotland have enough incineration capacity?
Ongoing uncertainty about Scotland's ability to deal with its own residual waste - once a ban on landfilling biodegradeable material takes effect on 1 January 2026 - has prompted soul-searching north of the border, and an extensive contemplation of the appropriate role that incineration should play in the waste hierarchy. Envirotec reports.
Defra’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan falls short, says conservation group
"We are appalled to see that Defra’s Storm Overflows Discharge Reduction Plan has not taken into account the thousands of responses to the draft...
New government must act decisively to grip the energy crisis, says CBI
69% of firms expect their energy costs to increase in the next three months, with almost a third anticipating rises of more than...
Rainwater is no longer drinkable thanks to PFAS, say researchers
A perspective article by researchers from Stockholm University and ETH Zurich, published in August in Environmental Science & Technology, suggests that environmental contamination by...
England housing strategy could consume over 100% of the nation’s carbon budget
The UK government’s business as usual housing strategy could consume all of England’s cumulative carbon budget consistent with 1.5°C of heating by 2050, unless...
Sulphur shortage: Study highlights “potential resource crisis” as the world decarbonises
A projected shortage of sulphuric acid, a crucial chemical in our modern industrial society, could stifle green technology advancement and threaten global food security,...
Next UK prime minister must ban microplastics, says drainage group
The UK’s next prime minister should ban manufacturers from intentionally adding microplastics to consumer or professional use products, according to a new environmental campaign...
All-time record level recorded for fire likelihood index
A combination of record temperatures and dry weather in the UK this summer are causing "exceptionally high" levels of danger from extreme wildfires, according...
Kwasi Kwarteng says biomass wood imports are “not sustainable”
Cooling towers at Drax, North Yorkshire (image credit: Shutterstock.com / Phil Silverman).
Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told a private meeting of MPs this week that...
Research highlights widespread ignorance of plans to transform recycling system
New research seems to show that 16 per cent of Brits don’t recycle, with a lack of knowledge about what can and can’t be...
Extended Producer Responsibility cannot be delayed, says ADEPT
The Association of Directors of Environment, Economy, Planning and Transport (ADEPT) has reacted unequivocally to suggestions that Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) should be abandoned...
100-MW green hydrogen facility to be built at Port of Felixstowe
Scottish Power has announced (8 August) plans to build a 100-MW green hydrogen production facility at the Port of Felixstowe, on the Suffolk coast....
Uncrewed vessel returns from volcano caldera survey in Tonga loaded with ‘astounding’ data
A plethora of data and imagery obtained using an Uncrewed Surface Vessel (USV) is filling important gaps in scientists' understanding of the HungaTonga Hunga-Ha'apai...
Two million UK micro-businesses don’t believe reducing their own emissions will make a difference...
Millions of micro-business owners do not believe they can have a positive impact on the UK’s targets for a net-zero economy, according to research...
Research seems to confirm the effectiveness of oil dispersants
One of the few tools available to mitigate the damage from marine oil spills are chemical dispersants that break down oil in the water....
New Antarctic study shows levels of ‘forever chemicals’ reaching the remote continent have been...
New evidence from Antarctica shows that toxic ‘fluorinated forever chemicals’ have increased markedly in the remote environment in recent decades and scientists believe CFC-replacements...
UK aviation sets sights on net zero by 2040
A new “Jet Zero Strategy” seemingly commits UK domestic aviation to achieving net zero emissions by 2040, and for all airports in England to...
Software developers’ increasing interest in sustainability projects revealed by survey
Sustainability projects are an increasing area of focus for software developers, according to research commissioned by Ordnance Survey, with job satisfaction, higher pay, and...
