Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry plans to rebuild between two and five nuclear reactors in the 2040s, rising to a total of 11–14 units by the 2050s as part of its long-term power mix strategy. The programme will focus on replacing ageing plants built mainly in the 1970s–80s with new-generation reactors designed for higher seismic resistance and improved passive safety systems. Civil and geotechnical teams can expect major foundation upgrades, tsunami and flood defences, and extensive seismic retrofitting at existing coastal sites.

Tyrecycle Chief Executive Officer Jim Fairweather is urging stronger government procurement of recycled rubber products and market-based regulation in evidence to the federal parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s tyre industry. Fairweather wants policy settings that favour domestic processing of end-of-life tyres into crumb rubber and tyre-derived fuel rather than landfilling or export, stating the company’s goal is that “not a single tyre” is dumped in Australia. For road authorities and civil contractors, any mandated uptake could expand supply of rubber-modified asphalt and engineered fill using tyre-derived aggregates.

The Regulators' Alliance for Progressing Infrastructure Development (Rapid) has opened a consultation on expanding its remit in planning and consenting major water infrastructure in England. Proposals would extend Rapid’s current focus on strategic water resource schemes to a wider range of large-scale assets, potentially including new reservoirs, inter-regional transfer pipelines and associated treatment works. For engineers, a broader Rapid role could change programme risk profiles, front‑end design timelines and regulatory interfaces for multi‑billion‑pound water projects in AMP9 and beyond.