News analysis

Scotland offers investors favourable location and incentives

The UK’s first Labour government for 14 years has set out its priorities for legislation and policy in the King’s Speech. There’s much for the environmental and sustainability (E&S) consulting sector to get excited about, but, as ever, the devil will be in the details

As water sector reform reaches the top of Labour’s environmental agenda and Ofwat announces record investment allowances in environmental protection and nature-based solutions, many E&S consultants are reaping the rewards through multi-million pound contracts on the Anglo-Welsh water utilities’ 5-year investment plans

The EU’s groundbreaking Nature Restoration Law will require member states to create national plans and collaborate on monitoring biodiversity indicators – consultancy services will be vital to ensuring the new legislation has the desired impact. 

Collaboration within the sector, and with other stakeholders, could unlock progress

As the UK goes to the polls, the pressure is on to restore investor confidence in the country, deliver on long-term strategies in national infrastructure and decarbonisation, and regain the health of the transport sector. 

Supreme Court rules downstream emissions should be included in EIA for Horse Hill petroleum extraction planning application

Global packaging firm unveils ‘first-of-its-kind’ nature strategy, supported by specialist input from consultants Biodiversify and Quantis. Environment Analyst finds out what makes it an industry-leading approach.  

The UK’s social value model for public sector procurement, strengthened by new legislation, will underpin investment programmes whichever party wins the election. Its influence is spreading across the world, as a way of levering social and environmental sustainability gains into government spending.

The Labour Party – as the clear favourite – is facing more policy scrutiny than its rivals. But when it comes to areas like environmental protection there are far more questions than answers.

A look at supply chain risk management through the eyes of specialist advisor epi Consulting, who identifies priority measures for ESG progress in the telecoms industry.  

A once-in-a-generation expansion of Britain’s electricity grid, worth £58bn, is being delivered through a new partnership model. The energy systems work is multidecadal, and its delivery will be complicated and challenging, finds EA.

New industry initiatives and partnerships should help supply more accurate data for greenhouse gas emissions measurement tools, as top firms found to be lagging on value chain emissions disclosure.

Is it possible to prioritise the quality of client deliverables and wellbeing of employees whilst optimising financial objectives? If any industry should be leading the transformation away from the ‘growth at any cost’ model it is this one. 

Environment Analyst reviews progress towards the Kunming-Montreal nature targets agreed at COP15. Even as biodiversity net gain is mandated, environmental groups are calling for greater ambition and urgent action to protect UK nature.

Biodiversity net gain (BNG) became mandatory for new developments in England from February. The Environment Bank has already created over £100m worth of tradable BNG units – offering a globally scalable model – but concerns remain about BNG's long-term viability.

Companies should be doing more to assess water-related supply chain risks and engage with suppliers to manage them, says global disclosure organisation CDP.

Results from our early careers survey point to five common issues shaping the decisions and development of those looking to progress their sustainability careers.

Pulling more sectors and industries into the UK’s Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) is critical to lowering emissions, but the economic costs need to fall on the right players, according to delegates at a WEET conference.

Global warming risks making cities uninhabitable for humans in many parts of the world. Countering this trend is an inclusive, holistic, “regenerative” approach to design.

Before the conversation turned to SBTi’s corporate net zero policy shift, the organisation had produced detailed guidelines for implementing beyond value chain carbon mitigation. They deserve our attention.

Environment Analyst looks at how nature markets are set to develop as investor interest grows and the first dedicated standards to support the sale of high-integrity biodiversity credits in the UK are introduced.

Where sustainability is concerned, the construction industry does not rate highly. Environmental and design consultancies are playing a major role in making the sector’s rich data resource accessible for practical action.

As humanity pushes past Earth system boundaries, sustainability experts will be painfully aware of the disconnect between frameworks and targets and what’s needed in reality. How can they reconcile the disparity?

In the second instalment of this special series, Environment Analyst examines how consultancies are responding internally to the complex challenges of climate change mitigation and measuring their wider sustainability impacts.

The UK has lost its early lead on clean hydrogen and is slipping down international development rankings. The outcome of the second project funding round, HAR2, will be a bellwether for the future of the nation’s hydrogen economy.

Insight: The next five-year asset management programme (AMP8) could see £96bn spent on improving Anglo-Welsh water infrastructure. As consultants prepare for unprecedented levels of demand, we ask: how have we got here, and how could the next five years change the course of the water sector?

Notable acquirers in the environmental and sustainability advisory space in recent weeks include Anthesis, NV5, WSP and ERM, demonstrating interests in climate data management and reporting, social justice and GIS.

Environment Analyst delves into the latest crop of annual ESG and sustainability reports from professional service firms to assess progress in climate action and disclosure, as the march towards science-based net zero continues.

Multi-stakeholder initiative aims to influence the UK planning system ahead of the election, to help streamline delivery of energy projects that meet climate goals — without compromising local environments.