The Icon

The Sustainability Reporting Standard for Social Housing was unveiled today by the ESG Social Housing Working Group, a collaboration of 18 banks and investors, housing associations, service providers and impact investing organisations. The working group was set up in 2019 following concerns that ESG (Environmental, Social and corporate Governance) investment was being inhibited by a lack of a common reporting standard within...

A new environmental report released by ocean conservation charity Surfers Against Sewage claims water companies are 'routinely' discharging untreated sewage into UK waters. The 2020 Water Quality Report claims that water companies were responsible for almost 3,000 raw sewage pollution incidents into bathing waters in England and Wales from licensed Combined Sewer Overflows from 1 October 2019 to 30 September...

Longer goods vehicles that increase productivity and reduce haulier emission levels could become a permanent fixture on Britain’s roads as the government launches a consultation into their future. Longer than conventional heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) but not heavier, longer semi-trailers (LSTs) can carry three more rows of supermarket goods cages on each journey compared with existing trailers. A trial of LSTs that has...

A new £4.5 million cashback incentive to help people install renewable and energy efficiency measures in their homes has been announced by the Scottish Government. Homeowners will be able to apply for 75% cashback up to the value of £7,500 towards the cost of a renewable heating system and a further 40% cashback up to £6,000 for energy efficiency measures. This is in...

Leeds-based Arla Foods Limited has applied for a retail water licence and sewerage licence (“WSSL”), restricted to self-supply from water regulator Ofwat. Arla Foods is a dairy company owned by 12,000 dairy farmers of which 2,500 are based in the UK, which manufactures a wide range of products including milk, yoghurt, cream, and cheese. On 19 October 2020, Arla Foods applied for a water licence...

Five retrofitting projects across Wales that have secured support under the new Optimised Retrofit Programme have been announced. Announced in August, the Optimised Retrofit programme will test a new approach to decarbonising Welsh homes, based on the recommendations of the Jofeh Report published in July 2019. Initially £9.5m was available for this financial year but the budget was later increased to...

Five political parties have officially announced their support for the Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill (CEE Bill), urging Boris Johnson that immediate action is needed if the UK is to deliver on its commitments in the 2015 UN Paris Climate Agreement. The CEE Bill, which was officially published in the House of Commons on 2 November, offers the UK Government...

The biggest initiative to restore nature ever in England has opened for business, as the Nature Recovery Network (NRN) Delivery Partnership, led by Natural England, was launched. The Network brings together representatives from over 600 organisations to drive forward the restoration of protected sites and landscapes and help provide at least 500,000 hectares of new wildlife-rich habitat across England from...

£49 million government funding has been announced to support the automotive sector’s quest to go green. 31 projects are receiving a portion of £10 million from the government’s Automotive Transformation Fund, to support to development of low carbon emission technologies for vehicles, such as state-of-the-art motors and high-performing batteries for electric vehicles. Minister for Business and Industry Nadhim Zahawi commented on...

Locations across Wales have been earmarked as “exemplar sites” for a National Forest – a connected network of forests which will span the length of the country. As well as improving existing woodlands to meet the National Forest standard, plans will also see more trees planted by Welsh Government in collaboration with partners such as communities, farmers, foresters and public...