Eco Chamber

Should a waste business really have to choose between going out of business or working outside of the law as it waits for an environmental permit? And why does the Office for Environmental Protection think DEFRA's been dishing out illegal advice? Listen to the Eco Chamber podcast to find out. 

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week’s episode the team takes a deep-dive into the shadowy world of water abstraction looking at who's taking our H20.

For this week's big green news the team finds out:

• The impact EA permitting delays are having on waste businesses.
• Why DEFRA's rules for farmers on water pollution aren't holding water with the regulator.
• And finding out the true extent of why Natural England is missing responses to planning applications. 

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Why on earth would EA staff be directed to stop inspecting waste sites? Is the OEP going to start legal proceedings against DEFRA? What on earth is the Dutch Nitrogen Case? 

Listen to the Eco Chamber podcast to find out. 

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week’s episode the team takes a deep-dive with Tracey Lovejoy, a senior associate at law firm Irwin Mitchell LLP.

For this week's big green news the team finds out:

• The Environment Agency's secret strategy to ease compliance failures. 
• The OEP's brutal review of the government's 2023 Environment Improvement Plan.

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How many homes are really held up by nutrients pollution in England? When is Chris Stark stepping down and why have his contemporaries not been replaced? Listen to the Eco Chamber podcast to find out. 

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

For this week's big green news the team finds out:

• The real impact of the nutrients crisis on development in England.
• Why Wales' rivers are failing on key health indicators. 
• And find out who will be taking up the helm at the Climate Change Committee - the official climate advisers of the government. 

For the deep-dive the ENDS Report looks at the environmental policy ahead for 2024 so you don't have to. 

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Which Conservative politician stepped down on climate issues? Why is the New Forest cool for mustelids? And how is Gove looking to change the planning system? Listen to the Eco Chamber’s Christmas special podcast to find out.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

For this week's big green news the team finds out:

• Why pine martens are on the agenda.
• Make sense of the enviornment secretary's latest attempt to make friends with farmers.  
• And learn why net zero MP Chris Skidmore resigned the Conservative party whip earlier this month. 

We'll also take a deep-dive looking at the environmental policy Micheal Gove has in store for the planning system. 

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Which politician was behind the biggest green gaffe in 2023? Who was the year’s worst villain? And which of the water companies was top of the poops? Listen to the Eco Chamber’s Christmas special podcast to find out.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week’s episode - the final episode of 2023 - the team takes a look back at the environmental policy highs and lows of the year, including:

• The biggest green gaffes of 2023
• The year’s worst villains
• Who’s top of the poops
• And the team’s highlights of the year

We'll see you again in early January!

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What could a re-vamped civil sanction scheme mean for waste water companies? Why has a suite of new draft net gain texts left campaigners worried about the future of the policy’s delivery next month? And the government has ignored official advice when scrapping key air quality regulations, why? Listen to the latest episode of the Eco Chamber podcast to find out.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week's episode we're covering:

• The updated civil sanction system dished out for environmental crimes and environmental permits.
• The draft biodiversity net gain text, which could introduce a new biodiversity gain hierarchy that campaigners say weakens the policy’s delivery.
• And the new minister for animal health and welfare at DEFRA that has raised eyebrows with his links to the game shooting fraternity.

Finally, for this week’s deep dive, we’ll be discussing ENDS’ investigatory revelations that the government ignored official advice when scrapping key air quality regulations.

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Are our bathing waters in England getting worse? Why does it matter that Suez has won a legal win against the Environment Agency? And the government has pledged to create a new national park but what does this mean in practice? Listen to the latest episode of the Eco Chamber podcast to find out.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week's episode we're covering:

• The increase in bathing waters rated poor across England’s murky coastlines.
• Why a waste win in court against the Environment Agency by Suez could mean big money changes for the industry.
• And the government has pledged to create a new national park, which could come out of the ashes of areas of outstanding natural beauty, but are they worth the paper they're written on?

Finally, for this week’s deep dive, we’ll be indulging you with the net gain offerings at ENDS Report, a conference extraordinaire next week and a new film out for practitioners grappling with the policy.

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How is the Environment Agency planning to reorganise its regulatory functions? Why did the UAE COP28 lead know about the UK prime minister’s net zero roll-backs before the public did? And what are nurdles and why should we be having nightmares about them? Listen to the latest episode of the Eco Chamber podcast to find out.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week's episode we:

* Give you the lowdown on an Environment Agency regulatory shake-up that was described to ENDS as “rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic”

* Look at the Autumn statement bits that impact environmental policy

* Bring you the headlines from leaked document that revealed that the UAE COP28 lead knew about the prime minister’s net zero roll-backs before the public did 

For the Deep Dive, we talk to Scottish-based environmental charity Fidra’s senior project manager, Heather McFarlane, who has just come back from the UN plastics treaty summit. She shares some nightmarish facts about the plastic pellets used in production called nurdles, and gives some alarming insights on the state of chemical regulation in the UK. 

If you’ve already listened and you want to know more about the stories referred to in the podcast you can find them here:

• ‘Worst changes ever done’: Environment Agency to centralise regulatory teams in ‘major reorganisation’
• Autumn Statement: the policy developments you need to know about
• Autumn Statement: Plastic Packaging Tax to increase from April next year
• UAE planned to use COP28 to make energy deals, documents show
• ‘Mystery of the missing work programme’: Plan for 2023 chemical regulation still not published

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Why is the government making plans to tackle the zombie grid apocalypse? And what happens now anglers have caught DEFRA and the EA in the courts? Listen to the ENDS Report team discuss these issues and much more.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week's episode we:

- Look at a big court win for anglers against DEFRA and the Environment Agency 

- The biodiversity indicator update that saw bats flying high but protected site conditions slump

- And government plans to tackle the zombie apocalypse… in terms of national grid connections.

For our deep dive we speak to Plantlife expert Jo Riggall on biodiversity net gain and the future of rare grassland habitats. 

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This week's cabinet reshuffle posed plenty of big questions. What are the implications of Therese Coffey's departure from DEFRA? Who exactly is Steve Barclay? How many housing ministers have we had since 2010? Listen to the ENDS Report team discuss these issues - and much more - in this latest podcast episode.

Every week, the ENDS team enters the ECO Chamber to discuss the UK’s biggest green news stories, as well as taking a forensic look at one of the deep-rooted environmental issues facing us today.

In this week's episode we:

• Unpack the latest cabinet reshuffle, which saw environment secretary Thérèse Coffey out and Steve Barclay in
• Share news of former Environment Agency interim chief executive John Curtin’s abrupt departure
• And take a look at how Cardiff Council workers ended up in jail after a scandal involving a waste site

For the deep dive, we speak to ENDS Report news editor Pippa Neill who got the inside scoop on how the National Farmers Union lobbied DEFRA to lower its global air quality ambitions on a dangerous pollutant – ammonia.

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