Engineers have launched the Association for Consultancy and Engineering’s Delivering Infrastructure 2050 manifesto, calling for long-term reform of Welsh transport, energy and water networks ahead of the 7 May Senedd elections. The document presses for a stable 25-year infrastructure pipeline, faster planning and consenting for major schemes, and clearer funding models for projects such as strategic road upgrades and grid reinforcement. For geotechnical and civil practitioners, the proposals signal potential continuity of workload but also tighter scrutiny on whole-life carbon, asset resilience and value-based procurement.

The BNG Federation accuses the UK government of breaking its promise to set a clear timetable for applying biodiversity net gain (BNG) rules to nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs), leaving major schemes in a “regulatory vacuum”. Developers of large highways, energy and rail projects currently lack certainty on when and how the statutory 10% BNG requirement will apply, complicating land acquisition, habitat design and long-term management plans. The federation warns that without a defined start date and guidance, DCO applications and environmental impact assessments risk delay and redesign.

Greenland’s government has issued a draft decision not to renew Energy Transition Minerals’ Kvanefjeld exploration licence, effectively blocking development of the planned mine–concentrator–refinery rare earths complex under the 2021 Uranium Act that bans uranium prospecting, exploration and exploitation. ETM argues the move is inconsistent with previous licence extensions granted after the Act and during ongoing legal challenges, warning it may deter critical minerals investment in Greenland amid US‑EU efforts to diversify away from Chinese supply. Despite securing Spanish foreign direct investment approval for acquiring the Penouta tin‑tantalum mine, ETM’s shares fell 7.4% to A$0.050, halving year‑to‑date.