Environment Agency

The UAE Pavilion Features the Launch of the Data-Driven Earth Platform on Nature, Land and Oceans Day at copper 28

Retrieved on: 
Sunday, December 10, 2023

The tool is designed to be used by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, relevant federal and local authorities, and data providers.

Key Points: 
  • The tool is designed to be used by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, relevant federal and local authorities, and data providers.
  • The platform can support decision-making by providing reliable, accurate, real-time data that help shape future trends and strategies.
  • Imminent plans also include the launch of a comprehensive infrastructure for EVs in the UAE, details of which will be announced soon.
  • For more information about the pavilion and the schedule of events taking place, please visit the UAE Ministry of Climate Change and Environment Website , and the COP28 Website

OceanX Convenes Global Climate Leaders at COP28 to Advance Ocean Health

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, December 21, 2023

NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX convened world-class partners and climate advocates at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, UAE, hosting a joint Blue Zone pavilion with the  UN Ocean Decade, organizing panels and events on ocean science, media and technology, and forging partnerships to advance ocean innovation and education. Recognized for its robust scientific research, cutting-edge technology, experiential education, and accessible media, OceanX is an advocate of ocean health globally.

Key Points: 
  • Global ocean exploration nonprofit announced major partnerships and hosted events and panels about ocean science, technology, education, and media
    NEW YORK, Dec. 21, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX convened world-class partners and climate advocates at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, UAE, hosting a joint Blue Zone pavilion with the  UN Ocean Decade, organizing panels and events on ocean science, media and technology, and forging partnerships to advance ocean innovation and education.
  • Recognized for its robust scientific research, cutting-edge technology, experiential education, and accessible media, OceanX is an advocate of ocean health globally.
  • The organization's efforts at COP28 aimed to further discussions around the ocean, catalyze initiatives that advance robust marine research, and provide data that contributes to the development of effective ocean management policies and educational initiatives.
  • Dalio and Pieribone spoke with climate experts, filmmakers, philanthropists, and business leaders, sharing their expertise on ocean science, ocean research innovations, the impact of storytelling in supporting climate efforts, and the importance of inspiring a new generation of ocean advocates.

OceanX Launches Mission in the United Arab Emirates in Partnership with The Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD), G42 and Bayanat

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, November 16, 2023

NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX will embark on a first-of-its-kind mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD), G42 and Bayanat. Alongside these partner organizations, OceanX will develop a comprehensive map of the UAE's ocean environment for the first time in history and conduct fishery assessments to create environmentally sustainable fishing tools and methods. The mission will bookend the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference, with the first half taking place from November 14 - 23 and the second half from December 15 - 24 in UAE waters.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Nov. 16, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Global ocean exploration nonprofit OceanX will embark on a first-of-its-kind mission to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in partnership with The Environment Agency – Abu Dhabi (EAD) , G42 and Bayanat .
  • This baseline will reveal the most complete picture of the UAE's deep-sea environment ever.
  • "Embarking on this groundbreaking mission with our esteemed partners in the United Arab Emirates marks a milestone in our pursuit of oceanic understanding and conservation," said Vincent Pieribone, co-CEO of OceanX.
  • For media inquiries regarding OceanX, please contact Adriana Torres Plaza at [email protected] and regarding EAD, please contact [email protected]

Met Office warning for further rain in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Retrieved on: 
Monday, October 23, 2023

Met Office warning for further rain in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire

Key Points: 
  • Met Office warning for further rain in Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
    - Published
    Flood-hit communities are being warned of further rain, with a fresh yellow weather warning issued for much of Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.
  • The Met Office said "heavy rain" was expected across the region between 03:00 BST and 16:00 on Tuesday.
  • The Met Office warning states: "There is a small chance that homes and businesses could be flooded, causing damage to some buildings.
  • Between 10-20mm of rain is expected to fall "fairly widely" on Tuesday, it added, but some places in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire could see between 30-50mm.

Women Front and Center at High-Level UNGA and Climate Week Events

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, September 27, 2023

NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Women-led discussions and research on climate change were more prominent than ever during the 78th UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, as the impact becomes even more apparent. Key events and opportunities during the world's largest gathering of global leaders showcased the growing noteworthy female experts and scientists in climate thought leadership and action.

Key Points: 
  • NEW YORK, Sept. 27, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Women-led discussions and research on climate change were more prominent than ever during the 78th UN General Assembly and Climate Week NYC, as the impact becomes even more apparent.
  • Key events and opportunities during the world's largest gathering of global leaders showcased the growing noteworthy female experts and scientists in climate thought leadership and action.
  • Ms. Al Hameli also spoke on the main stage at Climate Week as part of a panel on biodiversity.
  • All three panels featured women leaders in sustainability sharing critical perspectives on climate and the importance of cooperative cross-sector action.

Why the UK government is relaxing rules for river pollution

Retrieved on: 
Friday, September 1, 2023

This move will undoubtedly benefit the housing sector, delivering an estimated £18 billion to the economy and also helping the government meet its housing targets.

Key Points: 
  • This move will undoubtedly benefit the housing sector, delivering an estimated £18 billion to the economy and also helping the government meet its housing targets.
  • Wastewater from new homes, as well as run-off from construction sites, can cause nutrients to seep into nearby waterways.
  • Developers must calculate how much nutrient pollution the planned accommodation would create and demonstrate how that pollution would be treated or offset.
  • The government will instead take responsibility for nutrient offsetting itself – mainly by doubling funding for Natural England’s offsetting scheme.

Taking control

    • The government is falling well behind its own housing targets and removing nutrient neutrality from planning applications will release the current deadlock.
    • However, the long-term success of the offsetting schemes in genuinely achieving nutrient neutrality has been questioned.

Questioning the new approach

    • Any potential benefits of the new approach will also rely on it being delivered properly.
    • A lot of the new environmental measures mentioned in the government’s initial press release are already taking place.
    • Nutrient pollution caused by farming practices is already being addressed through initiatives such as catchment-sensitive farming – a scheme of training and funding to help farmers reduce nutrient pollution.
    • And it’s also true that new housing developments are not the largest contributor of nutrient pollution in the UK.

“We are continuing to deliver for the public” – ICO publishes practice recommendations and enforcement notices on FOI

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, August 10, 2023

The action coincides with a year since the ICO published our new Freedom of Information (FOI) regulatory manual, which set out its approach to more strategic enforcement of FOI in line with its statutory powers.

Key Points: 
  • The action coincides with a year since the ICO published our new Freedom of Information (FOI) regulatory manual, which set out its approach to more strategic enforcement of FOI in line with its statutory powers.
  • In a blog post today, Warren Seddon marked the anniversary by highlighting increased action taken by the ICO over the last year.
  • - Practice recommendation issued to the Medicines & Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for failures to conform to the Freedom of Information Act Code of Practice.
  • - To report a concern to the ICO telephone call our helpline on 0303 123 1113, or go to ico.org.uk/concerns.

The UK is still not prepared for extreme temperatures – here's what it should do

Retrieved on: 
Friday, July 21, 2023

But that doesn’t mean there’s no risk of intense heat: on this exact week last year, the UK broke 40°C for the first time.

Key Points: 
  • But that doesn’t mean there’s no risk of intense heat: on this exact week last year, the UK broke 40°C for the first time.
  • For the UK, the new reality is that 40°C temperatures are possible and eventually will be commonplace, and the country must adapt urgently.
  • For example, creating green space in urban areas to provide a cooling effect that reduces the intensity of extreme heat.
  • Even before the Paris agreement required adaptation plans, the UK had already started to plan adaptation actions under the Climate Change Act 2008.

What risks has the UK identified?

    • Climate change projections indicate that the UK will experience hotter drier summers and warmer wetter winters.
    • These projections have been used by the government to develop the climate change risk assessment, on which national adaptation plans are based.
    • In order to deal with these risks the UK has planned key actions to protect against extreme heat and flooding from sea level rise and rainfall.

UK adaptation plans

    • The NAP3 will provide further structure, compared to previous plans, and delivery will be via an existing governance process.
    • The UK, like many countries, has numerous frameworks and plans, such as the Heatwave Plan, Green Infrastructure Framework, and National Infrastructure Delivery Plans.
    • Adaptation is complex, involving numerous parties at numerous scales from the huge Thames Barrier to a few trees on the road outside your home.
    • One analysis of adaptation plans for European cities identified Sofia (Bulgaria) and Galway and Dublin (Ireland) as the best quality.
    • National adaptation plans have improved, but those that are actually coordinated at a national level, like in Ireland, are rare.

Five ways to know if a river is polluted – and whether it's safe to go in the water

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Just 14% are in good ecological condition – and that’s just the ones that are regularly assessed.

Key Points: 
  • Just 14% are in good ecological condition – and that’s just the ones that are regularly assessed.
  • To prevent flooding, overflows are permitted to release excess water into rivers when combined sewers cannot cope with a deluge.
  • Sewage bacteria in the river reached levels observed in storm overflow discharge, which implies that the natural flow of the river only slightly dilutes these discharges.
  • To avoid getting sick, here are five things you should do before entering a river.

1. Check for storm overflows

    • Water and sewerage companies in England and Wales update the Environment Agency on how long their storm overflows discharge over the course of a year.
    • Check this map for storm overflows that frequently discharge upstream of where you plan to swim.

2. Consider the size of the river – and what surrounds it


    Small rivers flowing in urban areas receive less water from their catchment than larger ones to dilute sewage. As our work showed, concentrations of sewer-related bacteria in a small urban river can be very high when it rains.

3. Look out for sewage litter


    Plastic litter derived from sewage, such as wet wipes and sanitary products, is a sign that the sewer system is discharging into a river. This kind of litter is often tangled in tree roots or other vegetation along the high-flow line, or dumped on embankments that flood during storms.

4. Avoid rivers during and after storms


    Heavy rain can cause storm overflows to release sewage, so avoid rivers during and after heavy rain (and flooded areas if a river has left its embankment). In a thunderstorm, heavy showers can fall upstream while the weather remains sunny even a short distance downstream. So avoid rivers when conditions are thundery.

5. Avoid cloudy water

    • We found that cloudier water tended to have more sewer bacteria.
    • While rivers can be naturally cloudy following rainfall, it is often a sign of water pollution, not just from sewers but also farms.
    • These five tips should help you recognise the signs of pollution from sewers that could make you sick.