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World Water Week: Valuing our natural environment

We all 'appreciate' a babbling brook and beautiful rivers and oceans, but what is the value of our natural environment? World Water Week provides us all with the perfect opportunity to reflect on the importance of water stewardship, which is not only about doing the right thing, it's also about generating real business benefits as a result.

Experts estimate that excessive amounts of nitrogen oxides or NOx in the air kill between 6,000 and 13,000 people in Germany every year

German court rules cities can ban diesel cars to tackle pollution

Millions of heavily polluting vehicles could eventually disappear from roads across Germany after its top administrative court ruled that cities have the right to ban diesel motors in an effort to improve deadly air quality levels.

Earlier this month, the Government announced plans to support the Woodland Trust’s Northern Forest project

Yorkshire Water backs Northern Forest to reduce flood risk and offset carbon emissions

Yorkshire Water has announced plans to plant one million trees as part of the creation of a Northern Forest, while also addressing flood risk and offsetting carbon emissions.

Autonomous systems for environmental monitoring

Autonomous systems are a key priority in governmental agendas. In 2013, David Willetts included them as one of the Eight Great Technologies that will propel the UK to future growth. In 2017, the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund was created that prioritised "robotics systems...that can be deployed in extreme environments."

Of the 17 hottest years ever recorded, 16 have now occurred since 2000, and scientists expect this pattern to continue

Sustainability megatrends: It's time for business to collaborate on climate change

Continuing edie's new megatrends series of thought-leadership articles on the global impact of megatrends, World Resources Institute's Eliot Metzger and Moushumi Chaudhury explore how businesses are dealing with the widespread effects of climate change.

Dealing with the new and the old: Bringing sustainable drainage to the fore

Earlier this month, we saw the Government launch its 'Fixing our broken housing market' white paper. With 250,000 new homes needed each year, the pressure to build, and build quickly, is on. We must ensure we leave a once-in-a-generation legacy - and the right one at that.

The Government has vowed to ensure that businesses and communities have the resources and information required to remain protected from risks related to flooding

Defra outlines five-year climate action plan in national risk assessment

On the same day that the Met Office confirmed that 2016 was the hottest year since records began, the UK Government has today (18 January) highlighted the need to ramp up national efforts on climate change over the next five years in a new report of its own.

Munich Re’s NatCatService recorded 750 medium and large scale loss events from natural causes in 2016 – significantly above the ten-year average of 590

Less than a third of $175bn natural catastrophe losses covered by insurance

Deadly storms and earthquakes across the globe led to the costliest twelve months for natural catastrophe losses since 2012, with insurers paying out around $50bn to cover just 30% of global losses.

Green Alliance wants regional catchment management boards to consolidate flood risk decision-making in a single local body

Green Alliance: Public spending on flood strategy 'perverse'

The UK Government's "perverse" flood strategy makes four times as much money available to actions that could increase flood risk instead of preventing flooding, according to new research from Green Alliance.

Will new Chancellor Philip Hammond dedicate any part of his first Autumn Statement to the green economy? Stay tuned to edie on Wednesday

Autumn Statement 2016: 10 green policy hopes for Philip Hammond's first budget announcement

From unveiling a low-carbon Industrial Strategy and confirming post-Brexit support for renewables through to enabling a smart, flexible energy system and providing more expenditure to prevent flooding - will new Chancellor Philip Hammond deliver on our green policy wishlist in his first Autumn Statement?

Despite government support for measures such as planting trees to stop floods, no funds have yet been been allocated

UK government not funding natural flood prevention methods

Natural ways of preventing flooding such as planting trees have no government funding despite ministers repeatedly backing the idea, according to a freedom of information request by Friends of the Earth.

Defra’s watchdog is proposing an extension to current water and sewerage companies’ roles to include drainage responsibilities held by local authorities

MPs call for 'radical' flood defence overhaul to protect businesses

MPs are urging the Government to overhaul its flood protection system to help reduce the long-term flood risks for UK businesses and communities.

In its latest review, the Government has considered more creative business-led solutions to deliver new flood defences this winter

National Flood Resilience Review: Government recruits business leaders to design new defences

Defra is looking to take a cross-sector approach to protecting critical infrastructure through closer collaboration between water, telecoms and power companies, as the Government releases its much-anticipated National Flood Resilience Review.

Join the conversation at the edie Leaders Club

The edie Leaders Club is an exclusive, member-only group for over 200 sustainability leaders, who come together to share knowledge, experience and best practice in the journey to make business more sustainable.

The Committee found that local authorities have not been receiving the support they need to prepare for and mitigate the impacts of flooding

Flooding: Government must change inefficient and reactive approach, say MPs

The UK Government is failing to protect communities and businesses at risk of flooding, according to a new report released today (9 June) by the cross-party Environmental Audit Committee.

The report calls on businesses to be resilient to extreme weather and to seek opportunities, where they can, from a changing climate

Environment Agency urges businesses to "seek opportunities" from climate change

A third of the climate risks identified by UK businesses are being managed within low-cost "business-as-usual" budgets, according to a new report from the Environment Agency which has addressed how businesses view the risks and opportunities presented by climate change and severe weather.

The scheme comes as a welcome announcement for homeowners in flood-stricken areas, especially in the aftermath of the extensive flood damage that devastated UK towns and villages last winter

Government offers flooding insurance to high-risk households

The UK Government has teamed up with the insurance industry to help lower the costs of insurance premiums for up to 350,000 homes in flood-hit areas across country.

Up to 8% of health care buildings in England are currently operating in flood risk zones

Government urged to prepare health systems against 'devastating' climate change effects

UK health services are currently unprepared for the potentially 'devastating' risks posed by climate change, a new coalition of leading health institutions has warned.

To help public sector organisations take more effective action on climate change, 72% wanted more support from central government and 64% wanted more budget or finance

Public sector still unprepared for floods and droughts, research reveals

Only a quarter of Britain's public sector organisations have plans in place to adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as more frequent flooding or higher temperatures, new research from the Carbon Trust has found.

Over 40,000 in Lancaster alone lost power due to the effects of Storm Desmond

Government offers financial aid for flood-hit areas

Communities Secretary Greg Clark has announced that financial assistance will be made available to areas of the UK affected by flooding in the wake of Storm Desmond.

Peatlands cover around 10% of the UK and store more than 20 times the amount of carbon as all the country's forests

Peatland protection code could cut UK emissions by 200 million tonnes

A new Government-backed code to protect and restore the UK's peatlands could reportedly cut national CO2 emissions by 200 million tonnes by 2050.

Mr Nosey weighs 30kg to prevent it from being swept away in fast-flowing water

Environment Agency reveals James Bond-esque flood-tackling gadgetry

The Environment Agency has unveiled an armoury of high-tech equipment it will use to fight the spectre of potential flooding this winter, including lasers, solar-powered cameras and a remote-controlled robot called Mr Nosey.

There are around 260,000 business units employing 3.2 million people located in flood risk areas in the UK

Environment Agency urges businesses to prepare for future floods

The Environment Agency has launched its annual Flood Action campaign, calling on businesses to prepare themselves for potentially extreme weather over the coming months.