ENVIRONMENT
Beyond borders: African agritech could strengthen UK farming
Smart farming tools pioneered by African start-ups – combined with UK strengths in AI and data – could transform the farming landscape. Yassine Laghzioui, Chief Entrepreneurship and Venturing Officer at University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P), and CEO of UM6P Ventures,...
Keeping toxic road run-off out of Brighton water supply
A landmark project in Brighton is on track to protect 90% of the city’s drinking water from toxic road pollution.
Every time it rains, millions of litres of water wash off roads, carrying a dangerous mix of oil, tyre particles,...
Overfishing is emptying UK seas – It can be stopped
Our fishing industries – and the oceans they depend on – face catastrophic collapse unless action is taken now, warns Alec Taylor, Director of Policy and Research at Oceana UK.
Half of the UK’s top ten fish stocks are in...
Green economy ‘thriving’ in National Parks
A major independent study is calling for nature to be enshrined in UK growth plans.
The South Downs National Park is the “economic powerhouse” of England’s protected landscapes, according to a new independent study.
With protected landscapes covering a quarter of...
Lab grown meat: cleaner, kinder, greener?
Meatly made history with the world’s first approved cultivated meat pet food. We ask CEO Owen Ensor: What’s next for lab-grown meat.
What is cultivated meat?
Cultivated meat is real meat, just made differently.
Instead of raising and slaughtering animals, we grow...
First harvest for unique North Sea seaweed farm
The project - situated between offshore wind turbines - is providing a valuable insight into seaweed cultivation.
Seaweed farmers have made the first-ever harvest at North Sea Farm 1, a commercial-scale seaweed farm located off the coast of the Netherlands...
Four million oysters to the rescue
A new reef is set to provide a significant boost for marine life in the East of England.
New oyster reefs are being deployed off the North Norfolk coast to improve water quality and help restore a healthy ocean ecosystem.
The...
Food industry will suffer if nature crisis deepens
A sustainable food charity is appealing to investors to step up and safeguard nature and biodiversity.
With the UK government backtracking on measures to prevent biodiversity loss, The Food Foundation has warned that if we fail to address biodiversity loss...
AI traffic management could stop ‘smog traps’
Narrow city centre streets flanked by tall buildings may be trapping pollution, leading to poor air quality..
Research by Nottingham Trent University (NTU) shows that streets narrower than 20m experience irregular and often dangerously high spikes in particulate matter (PM).
“There’s...
Holding back the floods with nature’s help
Climate change is putting pressure on UK infrastructure with up to eight million properties in England at high risk of flooding by 2050. A collaborative effort is required to prepare for, withstand, and recover from extreme weather events, says...
Will the Water Gap see the UK’s growth ambitions float away?
Water scarcity isn’t tomorrow’s problem - it’s already reshaping the UK’s industrial landscape. Chris Deadman, managing director, Alpheus, investigates.
With England projected to face a 5 billion litre a day shortfall for public water supplies by 2055, and a further...
Business leaders urge government to get biodiversity net gain back on track
An open letter from industry leaders and environmental charities is urging the Government to get Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) back on track across England.
The letter1 follows recent proposals to remove small and medium-sized developments from BNG commitments, a move...
Where there’s muck, there’s brass – and a reputation to manage
There aren’t many industries as essential - or old - as waste management. And while the sector has evolved significantly with modern technologies and regulatory frameworks, it still faces challenges, particularly in managing its corporate reputation. Dean Enon, Catalyst...
The Hidden Costs of Water in Food Production—and How to Cut Them
Water is critical to food and beverage (F&B) production—but with rising costs and stricter regulations, efficient water management is a growing challenge. Torben Poulsen, Business Development Manager for Pumps and Drives at ABB Motion, explains how smarter pump controls...
Crowdfunder launched for Bristol ‘food forest’
A Bristol community group hopes to raise £20,000 to develop a ‘food forest’ for local people.
Generation Soil CIC aims to provide fresh, nutritious food once the market garden is up and running, with the help of its team of...
Fix THE Planning Bill or nature will pay the price
Over 30 charity leaders have warned that new planning reforms threaten to demolish environmental law.
CEOs from 33 nature organisations have written to Defra Secretary of State Steve Reed and Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, issuing a warning over new planning laws.1
Their...
Invest in your own small piece of nature
Businesses are invited to invest in parcels of land in a UK National Park that are then secured for nature for the next 30 years.
Efforts to create a huge new wildlife haven in the South Downs National Park through...
Why sustainable buildings are more valuable than ever
Demand for sustainable buildings has surged, positioning them as some of the most valuable assets in real estate. Architect Julie Winrow explains how energy-efficient design, climate resilience, and focus on occupant wellbeing are transforming the property market.
The value of...
Forest of hope grows from industry’s ashes
Thirty years ago, a bold idea took root in the heart of England — to turn a landscape scarred by industrial decline into a thriving forest. Today the National Forest Company celebrates its 30th anniversary with a tribute to...
The rubbish reality: a country blighted by litter
Over 90% of places surveyed across the country are plagued with litter, reveals shocking new report.
Environmental charity Keep Britain Tidy has released a landmark report exposing the alarming scale of England’s litter crisis and its disproportionate impact on the...
The pencil that turns into a plant
How do businesses make simple changes and communicate their sustainability initiatives, without boring customers? Michael Stausholm, CEO and founder, SproutWorld, has one simple – but ingenious – solution.
SproutWorld’s journey began in Massachusetts in 2013, when a group of robotics...
New awards for countryside heroes
New national awards will recognise private land managers who are improving the health of the British countryside.
The Schöffel Countryside Awards is organised by country clothing brand Schöffel Country and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust (GWCT).
At a moment in...
Rolls-Royce turns talent to luxury dormouse homes
Apprentices at Rolls-Royce Motor Cars have designed and handmade a series of nest boxes for one of the UK’s most endangered mammals, the hazel dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius), as part of the marque’s long-term environmental partnership with the neighbouring Goodwood Estate.
The...
Why you should invest in peatland restoration
Scottish SMEs can offset their carbon emissions with the help of nature-based solutions, says Freddie Ingleby, of Caledonian Climate.
Last year saw 12 named storms recorded in the UK, the highest number since records began in 2015.
COP29 was held against...
The real threats hiding behind CO2
We must address the full spectrum of air pollution, not just the ‘poster child’ of CO2, says Dr Alexander Krajete, CEO of holistic emissions treatment specialist Krajete.
Ambient air pollution is responsible for 4.2 million premature deaths each year, according...
Supermarket announces sustainability fund for British farmers
Co-op is supporting British farmers with an £820K fund for sustainable farming efforts, building on its long-term investment in UK agriculture.
The investment in two major sustainability projects will see farmers directly rewarded for efforts to reduce carbon emissions and...
How supermarkets can ‘meat’ net zero targets
What we put on our plates impacts the planet. So how can we make the weekly shop more sustainable, asks Harsh Amin, CEO, Ivy Farm Technologies.
In late 2024, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) issued a stark warning to UK...
Bar turned into sustainable urban farm
The Urban Farmer Project is the first of its kind in in the City of London and will turn food waste into 20,000 meals for vulnerable communities, while also cultivating 15kg of greens every month.
The project is a collaboration...
Banning & taxing plastics is just ‘gesture-politics’
It’s time for governments to work with industry to reduce the environmental impact of plastic products, says Michael Laurier, CEO, Symphony Environmental.
It’s estimated that UK households throw away a staggering 100 billion pieces of plastic packaging a year, and in...
Landmark crackdown on ‘water pollution’ bosses
Major legislation to crack down on water bosses polluting Britain’s rivers, lakes and seas has been unveiled by the government, including the most significant increase in enforcement powers in a decade.
The Water (Special Measures) Bill has been introduced to...
