ACE Group’s Environmental Industries Commission has issued a policy roadmap urging UK governments to classify nature-based solutions – such as wetlands, urban forests and green roofs – as core infrastructure on a par with roads, rail and engineered flood defences. The plan seeks multi‑year funding, integration into National Policy Statements and Treasury Green Book appraisal, and explicit performance metrics for biodiversity, flood attenuation and urban cooling. For designers and geotechnical teams, this signals stronger policy backing for hybrid schemes combining hard defences with soil‑ and vegetation‑based systems.

The UK Government has released a four‑year Cyber Security in the Energy Sector strategy to harden electricity, gas and downstream oil networks as they become more digital and decentralised. The plan targets operational technology such as SCADA and substation control systems, sets resilience expectations for network operators and generators, and aligns with Ofgem’s cyber resilience guidelines. For civil and energy engineers, this signals tighter requirements on cyber‑secure design of control rooms, grid‑connected assets and data interfaces on new low‑carbon and smart‑grid projects.

Publication of the UK’s proposed seventh carbon budget on 2 June has been welcomed by the Institution of Civil Engineers as a sign that government is maintaining focus on the statutory 2050 net zero target. ICE is likely to press for clearer pathways on embodied carbon in concrete and steel, whole-life assessments for major schemes, and integration with the National Infrastructure Commission’s recommendations. Civil and geotechnical engineers should expect tighter carbon reporting requirements on large projects and stronger scrutiny of design choices affecting operational emissions.