Shosha Adie

The new regional water authorities being set up by the government as part of its water sector ‘reset’ may not be independent or have their own regulatory powers, a DEFRA official has said.

A Water Reform bill is expected to be included in the King’s Speech next week, and DEFRA officials have provided further clues on its contents. Here’s what you need to know…

South East Water’s chief executive has resigned following a report by MPs that described the water company as “riddled with cultural problems” and called for a leadership change following serious failures.

A new bill to strengthen the growth duty for Natural England, the Environment Agency (EA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has been announced in the King’s Speech today, which will include powers for ministers to issue “strategic steers” to nature regulators.

The government has designated 13 new official bathing sites, including the first ever bathing water on the London Thames, ahead of new rules on the selection criteria for such locations coming into force.

New polling has revealed that the British public believes the government has a duty to protect it from endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as PFAS in consumer products, with a member of DEFRA’s Hazardous Substances Committee stating that better regulation can reduce exposure.

The deliberate burning of moorland for recreational shooting is releasing particulate pollution “equivalent to one third of that from road transport” in parts of the UK, impacting millions of people, a new study has found.

The King’s Speech held a major update for nature regulators, with a new bill to strengthen the growth duty and introduce sandboxing powers. But is a strengthened duty needed and could these new powers set a ‘dangerous precedent’? Shosha Adie reports.

Hundreds of sharks and other fish have reportedly washed up on a number of beaches in Wales, with a conservation expert telling ENDS that the incident is likely linked to lost fishing nets, rather than by-catch.

The government has agreed to the “ambitious” legally binding target to reduce carbon emissions by 87% by 2042, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee (CCC).