In this post, we'll provide updates on the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and the resources you need to prepare. Alongside the date from which we'll start accepting applications, we also include details of an accelerated payment to help with cashflow. Updated 19 October
Today we are looking at coverage of a consultation launched on Saturday on banning wet wipes that contain plastic.
An article in the Telegraph (14 October) picks up on comments made by Natural England chair Tony Juniper on X (formally Twitter) regarding media reports about the role of housebuilding on scrubland. The Telegraph also includes criticism from some quarters that Tony is opposed to housebuilding.
An article in the Telegraph (14 October) picks up on comments made by Natural England chair Tony Juniper on X (formally Twitter) regarding media reports about the role of housebuilding on scrubland. The article suggests Tony is criticising housebuilding policy set out by Labour at its recent party conference. The Telegraph also includes criticism from some quarters that Tony is opposed to housebuilding.
We need dynamic and diverse leaders now more than ever. Worsening storms, more frequent floods and heatwaves, longer droughts, faster coastal change, significant species loss and greater pressures on water, land and air - climate change is happening now. We ...
An article published in The Times today covering Environment Agency inspections has said checks on water companies and individuals are drawing too much water from English rivers and aquifers have fallen over the last four years. At the same time, ...
After spending almost 20 years collecting data in the West Midlands to respond to climate change challenges, like flooding and drought, I still love the job I do as much as when I first got called to interview for the Environment Agency.
We've published our new corporate strategy setting out how we will deliver, for the environment, for the economy and for society, Richard Stanford, Chief Executive of the Forestry Commission, explains more.
In this film, we return to Aqualate Mere in Staffordshire to learn more about the tests and trials experience of Aqualate Castle Holdings. Farmers in the catchment share what they learned about blending public and private finance for greater environmental good. They focused on commercial agreements between private organisations and local farmers.
The Consumer Council for Water has today published a report on the complaints made to water companies in England and Wales by households in 2022-23 and several media outlets including the Independent, Mirror, Sun, Telegraph and Guardian have covered it. ...
October is Black History Month, and across the Defra Group we are celebrating the twin themes of 'Eliminating prejudice is everyone's business' and 'Saluting Our Sisters'- honouring the achievements of Black women. Black History Month is a time to celebrate ...
Earlier this year, I shared an update on the New Entrant Support scheme pilots. In the post, I included portraits of our participants. Since the pilots finished in May, we have been busy evaluating them using participant surveys, interviews and reports from the pilot leaders. With close to 200 pilot participants, there was a lot of valuable feedback to analyse, and we continue to learn from it. In this post, I'd like to share our initial findings so far.
Jonathan Larwood, Natural England Principal Geodiversity Adviser, celebrates the second ever International Geodiversity Day and its theme of 'Geodiversity is for everyone'. International Geodiversity Day is an annual global celebration, supported by UNESCO, of all aspects of geodiversity. This year's ...
An article published in the Guardian today covering road pollution has said there is no monitoring by regulators of thousands of outfalls and soakaways on the country's road network, and that the scale of the impact for the wildlife the ...
In our increasingly fast-paced and urbanised world, the need to reconnect with nature has never been more pressing. Recognising this, Natural England and Libraries Connected have joined forces to launch the Culture Nature project, a ground-breaking initiative aimed at bridging ...
Our mission is to stop crime in the waste sector altogether. One of the ways we can do this is through working with Government to improve the regulatory system to make it harder for crime to be possible. Reforming waste ...
Ian Tubby, Head of Policy and Advice, introduces the 5th edition of the UK Forestry Standard, highlighting some of the changes, and outlining the next steps for transitioning to the new UK Forestry Standard.
Answer: They all graduated from a Zoology degree at the University of Exeter in 2016! With the start of a new academic year, this time often comes with big decisions and a lot of uncertainty. Perhaps you're making decisions on ...
Today we are looking at coverage following the introduction of restrictions on commonly-littered single-use plastic items on Sunday.
Our new Woodland Ambassador programme has launched. Find out more about what they will be doing.
By Mike Burke, Director of Sustainable Development, Natural England. Government confirmed recently that the Nutrient Mitigation Scheme is still open for business. We hope this is welcome news for developers and Local Planning Authorities (LPAs) as it will provide the ...
Today water companies are publishing draft business plans which set out their proposed spending from 2025 to 2030.
If you are a farmer or landowner in England, you can apply for woodland creation grants to support tree planting projects of all shapes and sizes. In this post, we'll explain how planting the right trees in the right place can diversify your business, boost income, support food production, and enhance the environment. We'll also share links for you to find out about the grants on offer.
Dr. Pete Brotherton, Director of Science Yesterday saw the publication of the fourth State of Nature (SON) Report, the product of a collaboration of environmental NGOs, academic institutions and government agencies, including Natural England. The report provides the most comprehensive ...
Julie Foley, Director of Flood Risk Strategy & National Adaptation It is essential that we make homes and businesses resilient to flooding and when the worst happens build back better to limit any future damages and speed up recovery. Property ...
