Month: June 2025

Satellites, Robots, Drones and AI win Ofwat’s fifth Water Breakthrough Challenge

Stuart Mitchell

A ‘drone- and lab-in-a-box’ that provides near-real-time, on-site results and lab-grade analysis of coastal bathing water quality is one of the winners receiving funding from the Ofwat Innovation Fund. This project is one of 16 solutions being awarded a share of £42 million today in the water regulator’s latest innovation competition – the fifth Water Breakthrough Challenge . Each solution is committed to fostering innovative approaches to water and waste management. The Smart Skies, Healthy Waters project is using automated drones, robotics and cutting-edge sampling techniques to significantly improve coastal…

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Phoenix Group report calls on Office for Investment and National Wealth Fund to drive net zero transition

Stuart Mitchell

Phoenix Group, one of the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement businesses, today launches its policy white paper, Unlocking Investment to Support the Net Zero Transition, calling for barriers to investments to be overcome by outlining a set of practical and fiscally neutral policy reform recommendations in four key areas. Institutional investors currently face a range of barriers that limit their ability to deploy capital at scale. These include regulatory constraints, competition with bank financing, an insufficient pipeline of projects, a lack of investment-grade assets, and market uncertainty driven by…

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The Crown Estate and Lendlease sign transformational partnership for six major development projects

Stuart Mitchell

The Crown Estate and Lendlease have entered into a conditional agreement to create a new joint venture partnership focused on Lendlease’s undeveloped UK land management portfolio.   The Crown Estate’s investment in the new 50/50 joint venture aligns with two of its core areas of strategic focus; supporting the development of science, innovation and technology space, and unlocking housing in the UK. The partnership should progress Lendlease’s existing masterplanning across the developments, thereby providing vital infrastructure, stimulating growth, creating jobs and benefitting communities.  About the Joint Venture  The joint venture has…

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UKGBC launches new initiative to scale sustainable solutions for the built environment

Stuart Mitchell

‘Scaling Sustainable Solutions for the Built Environment’ is seeking to build on UKGBC’s existing work on solutions an innovation to accelerate the uptake of sustainable solutions in the built environment. Many solutions currently struggle with issues of “pilotisation” in the built environment, where they go through many trials, but struggle to scale across assets, projects and portfolios. In other words, they fall victim to the infamous “valley of death” (the gap between R&D and widespread deployment).   Backed by a growing network of partners and informed by UKGBC’s engagement with industry,…

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Bruichladdich Distillery featured in new film series on B Corps making an impact on global society and the environment

Stuart Mitchell

A SCOTCH whisky and gin distillery based on the remote Hebridean island of Islay has been selected as the only spirits producer to appear in a new global film series presented by B Lab Global and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions highlighting some of the world’s most impactful businesses.  Bruichladdich Distillery, known for its pioneering sustainability efforts and commitment to the local community, is one of a select group of certified B Corporations featured in the series presented by B Lab Global and produced by BBC StoryWorks Commercial Productions.…

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