Minera Los Pelambres, operated by Antofagasta Minerals in Chile, has been recognised by Michelin NFU for recycling and recovering end-of-life ultra-class mining tyres at 240% above the target set by Chile’s Extended Producer Responsibility (REP) Law. The programme covers large off-the-road (OTR) tyres from haul trucks and auxiliary equipment, diverting them from on-site stockpiles to authorised processing facilities for material recovery. For mine operators, the case shows how formal producer–user agreements under REP-style regulations can de-risk tyre legacy liabilities and tighten compliance on waste tracking.

Cement and concrete producers are urging the UK government to accelerate support for emissions-cutting technologies after a new sector report tracked progress towards a 2050 net-zero target. Industry bodies are pushing for capital support and market mechanisms to scale up carbon capture and storage on kilns, switch to low-clinker cements, and expand use of alternative fuels in existing plants. For civil engineers and contractors, the shift implies earlier adoption of lower-CO₂ concretes and closer engagement with evolving cement specifications and supply-chain constraints.

Levels of two per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in England’s rivers have fallen by about 30% over the past decade, according to new Environment Agency monitoring data. The assessment points to improved control at industrial discharge points and some wastewater treatment works, but also identifies gaps where conventional plants lack advanced PFAS removal processes such as activated carbon or high-pressure membrane treatment. For civil and environmental engineers, the findings signal likely future upgrades to sewage works, tighter discharge consents and more stringent design criteria for treatment infrastructure.

Europe’s RESourceEU plan to stockpile critical raw materials risks filling warehouses with concentrates and scrap that EU industry cannot directly use, such as tungsten concentrate instead of ammonium paratungstate or magnet-grade rare earth alloys. Nicholas Vafeas argues that the Critical Raw Materials Act’s 2030 target for 40% EU processing capacity will be undermined if procurement is judged only on tonnes, price and delivery speed, favouring refined imports over domestic plants. He calls for stockpile design that underpins European and partner-country processing (e.g. Zambia, Namibia), integrates recycling flows, and uses EU purchasing power to lock in diversified, end-to-end processing routes rather than just raw material supply.

Brisbane City Council has replaced 100 per cent of its conventional A15E asphalt binder with SAMIGreen across its network, aiming to cut embodied carbon while maintaining performance under heavy urban traffic. The council, which already holds certified carbon-neutral status through offsets, is shifting focus to direct emissions reductions in pavement materials as part of its ‘Clean, Green City’ strategy. For pavement designers and asset managers, the move signals growing acceptance of alternative binders that can drop into existing A15E specifications without major changes to mix design or construction practice.

Western Australia has opened public consultation on eight proposed amendments to the Mining Rehabilitation Fund Act 2012 following a 10‑year independent statutory review of the scheme. The discussion paper covers changes to how annual environmental disturbance is reported and levies are calculated for tenement holders contributing to the pooled MRF, which currently replaces traditional unconditional performance bonds for most sites. Geotechs and mine planners should expect potential shifts in closure liability estimation, disturbance mapping requirements and compliance reporting workflows if the amendments proceed.

Delivery and installation of batteries and key components for the Afon Wysg 1 battery energy storage system at the Uskmouth Sustainable Energy Park has been completed by lead contractor Jones Bros, marking a key construction milestone for the site’s grid-scale storage. The project converts part of the former Uskmouth coal-fired power station into a BESS facility, supporting higher penetration of intermittent renewables on the local transmission network. Civil and electrical teams can now move from heavy installation to commissioning, grid integration works and performance testing.

LHC Procurement Group has appointed 155 contractors, 75% of them SMEs, to its £2.34bn Public Buildings Construction and Infrastructure (PB4) framework covering new build, refurbishment, civil infrastructure and facilities management across England, Scotland and Wales until 2 November 2030. Major national contractors including Kier, Willmott Dixon and Galliford Try join regional firms, with a new dedicated FM workstream giving public bodies pre-qualified suppliers for ongoing asset maintenance, safety and compliance. PB4 is verified under Constructing Excellence’s Constructing the Gold Standard scheme and is structured to embed social value via LHCPG’s Community Benefit Fund and partner charities.

BAM UK & Ireland has started construction on a consolidated single campus for Steyning Grammar School in West Sussex, comprising four new buildings, a multi-use games area and an all-weather pitch, with phased handover running through to 2030 to keep the existing school operational. In Kent, BAM will deliver a new two-storey SEND school for 444 pupils aged four to 19, including therapy, life-skills spaces and upgraded external access, parking and play areas. The two Department for Education schemes target £47m in Social, Local and Economic Value, including local hiring, new apprenticeships and over 800 hours of curriculum support via T-Level and work-experience placements.

Amogy and HD Construction Equipment have completed Houston trials pairing Amogy’s AMMDrive ammonia-cracking unit with HCE’s 22-litre HX22 hydrogen engine generator, rated up to 600 kW, in what they call the first US operation of an HCE hydrogen engine on ammonia-derived fuel. The exact configuration is planned for a distributed power project in Pohang, South Korea, starting with a 1 MW demonstration in Q2 2027. Capacity is intended to scale to 40 MW by 2029 via parallel reformer modules and generator sets, with a modular design aimed at future installations above 100 MW.

Fambition will showcase two new underground LHDs at BAUMA China in Shanghai on 23–27 November: the 22 t diesel FL225 and the 15 t battery-electric FL15B. The FL15B targets zero-emission operation in hard-rock headings, pairing a battery pack with an electric driveline to fit standard 15 t load profiles, while the FL225 extends Fambition’s diesel range into the 22 t class for high-productivity stopes. For mine planners, the pairing offers parallel diesel and BEV options in similar capacity bands, simplifying fleet transition strategies.

ReOre Technologies, an Altilium group company, has secured UK Government backing to lead the CASCADE project, developing hydrometallurgical processing to recover nickel, cobalt and copper from mining waste. The project targets domestic feedstocks such as legacy tailings and low-grade waste rock to produce battery-grade intermediates, aiming to cut reliance on imported critical minerals for the UK’s emerging gigafactory and EV supply chain. For process engineers, the work centres on optimising leach chemistry, impurity control and closed-loop reagent recovery for scalable commercial deployment.

At least 591 tonnes of illicit gold worth about $74 billion entered the UAE in 2024, including 453 tonnes from African producers and 137 tonnes from countries under international sanctions, accounting for 42% of the country’s total gold imports, SWISSAID reports. Despite 2023 regulations tightening due diligence, only 2 of 52 reviewed Emirati refineries fully apply the new rules, with most still relying on intermediaries and weak traceability. SWISSAID urges reinstating the UAE on the FATF grey list, tougher and public penalties, stronger customs controls, and full disclosure of mined-gold suppliers, warning Swiss refiners—importing 420 tonnes from the UAE in 2024—of elevated sourcing risks.

Armenia is courting international miners after the third Armenia Mining Forum in Yerevan drew nearly 400 executives and officials, with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan signalling a push for a “qualitatively new mining industry” built on copper, gold and molybdenum. Wood Mackenzie’s investment perception survey cited an experienced workforce and strong geology but flagged limited geological data and regulatory uncertainty, even as the long-delayed Amulsar gold mine finally entered production. Former Anglo American CEO Mark Cutifani urged Armenia to evolve from conventional extraction towards a broader “materials solutions industry” while aligning with biodiversity, nature-related disclosure and international ESG standards to secure public trust.

SGS has signed a definitive agreement with Carbonix Inc to pilot the company’s P180 direct reduction technology at the SGS Metallurgical Centre of Excellence in Lakefield, Ontario. The SGS‑Carbonix pilot plant, agreed in June 2026, will run extended operating campaigns to assess P180’s performance under continuous metallurgical conditions rather than short bench tests. Results will interest miners and steelmakers evaluating alternative direct reduction routes for ironmaking and other value chains seeking lower‑carbon, high‑efficiency reduction processes.

Kamoa-Kakula, Africa’s largest copper mine, has been running on solar baseload since 12 August, with the new plant displacing about 4 million litres of diesel in its first month, equivalent to roughly US$11 million in fuel savings. DHYBRID Power Systems GmbH engineered the battery energy storage system (BESS) and supplies its Universal control platform to stabilise the hybrid power system and manage dispatch. For mine operators, the project shows large-scale solar plus BESS can reliably offset high-cost diesel generation in remote, grid-constrained operations.

Lubrication Engineers, Inc has acquired BioBlend Renewable Resources, LLC, adding a comprehensive portfolio of bio-based and hybrid lubricants to its existing high-performance industrial lubrication and asset reliability offering. BioBlend supplies biodegradable and low-toxicity lubricants to mining, marine, drilling and industrial customers seeking to cut environmental impact while maintaining equipment performance. The deal signals growing commercial availability of drop-in, environmentally acceptable lubricants for mobile and fixed mining plant, potentially easing compliance with stricter discharge and spill regulations around pits, workshops and marine-linked export facilities.

IMechE is urging the UK government to introduce policies that make large‑scale industrial material reuse commercially viable, moving beyond downcycling towards a circular economy for steel, concrete and other construction inputs. Proposals centre on fiscal incentives and procurement rules that favour secondary materials, alongside clearer standards for reusing structural components and process by‑products from heavy industry. For civil and geotechnical projects, this could shift design practice towards deconstruction‑ready detailing, traceable material passports and more rigorous assessment of reused elements’ mechanical and durability performance.

Substantial investment now flowing into the UK’s infrastructure pipeline is colliding with tight public budgets, labour constraints and net zero targets, making delivery efficiency a core design and construction requirement rather than a discretionary add-on. Project teams are being pushed towards standardised components, digital design workflows (BIM and common data environments) and offsite manufacture to cut programme durations and whole-life costs without compromising asset performance. For geotechnical and civil engineers, this means earlier contractor involvement, more rigorous value engineering of ground solutions, and closer integration of carbon, cost and schedule modelling at concept stage.

Bobcat’s RogueX3 concept loader has secured a Red Dot: Design Concept award for its fully electric, autonomous, modular platform featuring a patent-pending rear-mounted linear actuator tilt system that cuts mechanical components by over 50% versus a standard compact loader. The prototype uses a chassis-integrated battery and electric drivetrain for zero-emission operation, lowering centre of gravity and enabling tracked or wheeled undercarriages, cabbed or cabless layouts, multiple lift-arm geometries, and configurable power systems. Autonomous control uses RTK positioning, GPS, sensors, cameras and iOS-based MaxControl, with AI-enabled lighting under test to communicate machine status to nearby workers.

Octopus Energy has launched a dedicated fund targeting $600M (£550M) to finance utility-scale renewable projects in Asia, starting with a combined solar and battery installation in the Philippines. The initial scheme is expected to pair large ground-mounted PV arrays with grid-scale energy storage, aimed at stabilising a rapidly growing, islanded power system heavily exposed to typhoon-related outages. For civil and geotechnical teams, the programme signals upcoming demand for foundations, grid connections and resilience design on coastal and seismically active sites across multiple Asian markets.

Below-average water levels in England’s strategic reservoirs are prompting industry bodies to push for easier planning and permitting of on-farm reservoirs to secure irrigation supplies. Proposals focus on small to medium earth-bunded storage ponds drawing winter high flows from local rivers or boreholes, with lined embankments and controlled abstraction to protect low summer flows. For civil and geotechnical engineers, this signals rising demand for costed designs, slope stability assessments and leakage control for numerous dispersed reservoirs on agricultural land.

BHP has reported a record $1.1 billion in community expenditure across Western Australia for FY2026, including $627 million in procurement from Indigenous and Traditional Owner businesses. The miner’s 2026 Western Australia Community Development Report also details more than $850 million in payments to local suppliers, councils and community partners, signalling a heavy regional spend alongside its iron ore and nickel operations. For contractors and service providers, the scale of Indigenous and local sourcing points to strong demand for WA-based capability and joint ventures.

Chinese OEM Inner Mongolia North Hauler (NHL) has launched the NTE240E, a 240‑tonne payload battery-electric haul truck using a 3,100–4,100kWh pack aimed at large open-pit operations. The truck combines megawatt-level liquid‑cooled DC fast charging with side or top-mounted overhead line current collection, with a dual-gun system designed to take charge from 20% to 90% within a few hours and a brake energy recovery algorithm claimed to be 15% more efficient than industry norms. NHL estimates each unit cuts CO₂ emissions by about 2,000 tonnes per year and is planning hydrogen fuel cell, hybrid and autonomous-ready variants integrated with solar-powered charging and smart dispatch.

The Northern Territory Government has released a 10‑year workforce development strategy to support 29,000 projected new jobs driven by mining, energy and infrastructure investment between 2026 and 2036. The “Building a Bigger, Better Workforce: Northern Territory Workforce Development Strategy 2026–2036” focuses on coordinated attraction, training and retention measures to supply operators, trades, engineers and technical specialists for expanding resources projects. For mine owners and contractors, the plan signals sustained competition for skilled labour and the need to align site-based training and apprenticeship pipelines with Territory programmes.

Former Australian prime minister and International Hydropower Association president Malcolm Turnbull is urging the UK Government and Ofgem to create dedicated funding mechanisms to unlock investment in large-scale pumped energy storage schemes. He is targeting long-duration storage projects that can shift surplus offshore wind and solar over multi-hour to multi-day periods, rather than short-duration lithium-ion batteries. For civil and geotechnical teams, this signals potential demand for new high-head reservoirs, underground caverns, pressure tunnels and large-diameter penstocks if bankable revenue models are put in place.

Costain has become the first tier one infrastructure contractor to partner with the Rebuilding Futures Alliance (RFA) to create structured employment pathways for care leavers and people with past convictions across its UK project portfolio. The collaboration will channel candidates into roles on major highways, rail and water schemes, backed by RFA’s pre-employment training and wraparound support to meet clients’ social value and Section 106 commitments. For engineers and project managers, this signals more diverse site labour pipelines and potential contractual requirements to evidence inclusive recruitment on large frameworks.

American West Metals and Aston Bay plan to use a combination of dry sensor-based ore sorting and wet jigging at the Storm copper project on Somerset Island, Nunavut, to shrink the planned concentrator footprint and throughput requirements. By rejecting waste before milling, the partners aim to cut capital for grinding and flotation circuits and simplify logistics for the remote Arctic site, where power, construction windows and shipping capacity are constrained. For geometallurgy and plant design teams, the move signals growing interest in integrated pre-concentration flowsheets for small, high-grade copper systems.

NHL has unveiled the 240 t-class NTE240E battery electric rigid mining truck at the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, extending its electrification push beyond the already deployed NTE130E pure electric fleet. The NTE240E is designed around high-capacity onboard batteries, fixed dual-gun fast charging and dynamic charging capability, targeting large open-pit operations where trolley or in-pit charging infrastructure can be installed. For mine planners, the 240 t rating positions the truck directly against diesel ultra-class fleets, enabling zero-tailpipe haulage on primary production routes.

Sandvik’s 18 t Toro LH518iB battery-electric loader has met key performance indicators over nearly 10 months at Codelco’s El Teniente mine, running on the same transfer level and duty cycle as six automated diesel Sandvik loaders. Operating under AutoMine®, the BEV unit matched the diesel fleet in production while using battery swap rather than refuelling, validating compatibility with existing automated loading and haulage patterns. The trial signals practical readiness of high-capacity BEVs for large-scale block cave operations without major changes to mine layout or control systems.

Pakistan’s Chagai district is being positioned as a potential low‑carbon battery minerals hub by leveraging the Reko Diq porphyry complex (18 systems, planned 80 Mt/y ore throughput) alongside Saindak and multiple copper prospects such as Siah Diq and Dasht‑e‑Kain. Lithium targets span salar-style systems at Hamun‑e‑Mashkel and Hamun‑i‑Lora to geothermal and brine prospects at Koh‑i‑Sultan, Chiken Diq and Dasht‑e‑Talab, but all require systematic drilling and compliant resource estimates. Realising integrated mining, smelting and refining will hinge on exploiting a 10,000 sq. km wind corridor (up to 9.5 m/s), 120–150°C geothermal springs, TIR‑enabled road/rail links and credible tailings, water and security frameworks.

Hitachi Energy, LKAB and Scania are developing an autonomous downward pantograph charging system for battery-electric haul trucks at LKAB’s Malmberget iron ore mine in northern Sweden. The solution will integrate Scania’s electric heavy-duty mining trucks with Hitachi Energy’s high-power charging infrastructure to allow automatic connection to overhead conductors without driver intervention. For mine planners and electrical engineers, this points to trolley-like, on-route charging concepts that could cut diesel use on ramp hauls and shift significant load onto grid-supplied power.

Schneider Electric is promoting a three-layer AI architecture for mines, combining connected devices, edge control and cloud-level applications to create “software-defined” operations that tightly link power and process. Intelligent field devices feed high-frequency data into automation systems, where edge controllers run real-time optimisation and protection, while cloud analytics coordinate fleet, plant and energy use across entire sites. The approach targets integrated control of electrified assets such as haulage, crushers and ventilation, with AI models adjusting load profiles and process setpoints to stabilise grids and reduce energy intensity.

The first 2.5‑kilometre section of the Kennedy Developmental Road upgrade between Winton and Boulia is now complete in western Queensland, advancing works on the 2720‑kilometre Outback Way freight corridor. The sealed link provides an inland alternative to the Bruce Highway during flood events, improving heavy vehicle access and supply chain resilience for regional towns. For designers and contractors, the project signals continued investment in all‑weather pavements and drainage on long, low‑volume freight routes across arid and flood‑prone terrain.

Ammann’s eABG 4820 battery-electric asphalt paver, driven by a 270 kWh Volvo Penta electric driveline, delivers up to 500 tonnes per hour over a maximum 6.5‑metre paving width with zero direct exhaust emissions. Three modular Volvo Group battery packs power electric track motors that provide instantaneous torque, removing diesel lag and enabling tighter speed control for continuous mat placement. Reported 10‑hour shift operation with significantly lower machine noise improves operator situational awareness around lorries and rollers without compromising screed responsiveness or output.

The Construction Plant-hire Association and the Chartered Institute of Building have formed the Construction Growth Coalition with other trade bodies to coordinate a single industry voice to UK government. The coalition is targeting policy influence on infrastructure pipelines, planning and skills, with a particular focus on small and medium-sized contractors and plant-hire firms that dominate the supply chain. For geotechnical and civil contractors, this could affect visibility of future groundworks demand, investment in specialist plant, and workforce training priorities.

Codelco and Pucobre have secured an Environmental Qualification Resolution for the $870 million Tovaku open-pit copper project in Chile’s Antofagasta region, clearing the way for a 46,000 t/y cathode SX/EW operation over a 21-year mine life, moving on average 47.5 Mt/y of material. The mine plan relies on conventional drilling, blasting and truck haulage, supported by a 193 MW photovoltaic park with 336,600 panels over 340 ha and a 72.5 km seawater pipeline delivering up to 425 L/s to two reverse-osmosis plants. Construction is slated to start in H2 2027, last three years and peak at 984 workers, with steady-state operations requiring about 700.

IGO Limited has ceased mining and processing at the Nova Nickel Operation in Western Australia, nearly 10 years after first ore, with final reconciliation showing nickel output of 21,340 t, 7% above the top end of life-of-mine guidance. Copper and cobalt production also exceeded guidance, confirming stronger-than-planned metal recovery and orebody performance over the mine’s life. Closure planning, residual processing of stockpiles and potential underground infrastructure reuse will now be key technical considerations for operators and nearby explorers in the Fraser Range.

Metso has secured an order to supply its Metso Loesche VRM dry grinding technology and auxiliary equipment to First Majestic Silver’s Jerritt Canyon Gold Mine restart project in Nevada, marking one of the first mining applications of this vertical roller mill system. The dry VRM setup is expected to replace or reduce conventional wet ball milling and associated dewatering, cutting water use and potentially lowering energy consumption per tonne. Process engineers and plant designers will be watching performance data closely as Jerritt Canyon ramps up under the new flowsheet.

Vivox AI, known for explainable AI agents in financial crime compliance, has partnered with beSirius, which builds AI tools for assurance and certification readiness in metals and minerals, to automate supplier and counterparty reviews for mining companies, traders and manufacturers. The combined system is aimed at checking evidence for ESG, sanctions, KYC/AML and certification requirements that are currently verified manually via questionnaires and document exchanges. For mine operators, this could materially shorten vendor onboarding cycles and reduce compliance overheads in complex multi-tier supply chains.

British Antarctic Survey, with BAM as construction partner and Ramboll as technical advisor, is entering the Antarctic summer season completing commissioning of the new Discovery Building at Rothera, including CHP heat‑recovery upgrades, improved ventilation, new door mechanisms and an enhanced fire‑mist system. Parallel works will resurface Rothera’s wharf, construct a new access road, and relocate runway lighting to enable future aircraft hangar redevelopment with minimal disruption to air operations. Design for a 2027/28 renewable energy installation is advancing, combining building‑mounted PV, battery energy storage and a station smart grid, with structural strengthening and recladding required before panel installation.

Bargate has lodged outline plans with Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council for up to 100 one- and two-storey homes north of Salisbury Road in Burton, with 50% designated as affordable housing and development concentrated on the southern field. The western Winkton Fields parcel is retained as playing fields and the eastern parcel is proposed as green space, forming part of a landscape strategy that includes Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG) and formal and informal play areas. Masterplanner Mosaic and planning consultancy tor&co have set flexible design parameters to respect Winkton Conservation Area and manage the village–countryside transition.

Bloor Homes has completed a new spine road at its Lillebonne Place development west of Nynehead Road, providing access to a planned Wellington railway station that will replace the Beeching-closed facility more than 60 years after its closure. The road links directly to the future station, a dedicated car park, a transport interchange and a “station square” public open space, integrating with 178 two, three and four bedroom energy-efficient homes. Vegetation clearance on the station site has finished ahead of schedule, with rail services targeted to start by late 2028 following Somerset Council’s unanimous planning approval in February 2026.

Liebherr’s new MK 88-4.2E electric mobile tower crane cuts axle loads to under 9.2 tonnes and total weight below 36.3 tonnes, using wider 445/75 R22.5 tyres on aluminium rims to meet stricter road limits in markets such as Australia, Denmark and the USA. A redesigned chassis and segmented, removable counterweight with integrated ballast cylinders allow optional self-ballasting in two or three lifts without an auxiliary crane. The crane can now run electro-hydraulically from 16A, 32A or 63A on-site power or external battery packs, enabling zero‑diesel set-up and lifting where grid capacity is constrained.

Brazil has approved a 27‑mineral critical list, with nine high‑priority commodities – including rare earths, graphite, lithium, nickel, cobalt, copper, manganese, silicon and uranium – guiding which projects qualify for federal backing. A new risk‑reduction fund, FGAM, can receive up to R$2 billion, while the Federal Program for Critical and Strategic Minerals will provide up to R$1 billion per year from 2030–2034 for mining development and transformation. Only listed minerals in nationally registered projects will be eligible, with classifications reviewed every four years.

Australian mining leaders are warning that federal plans to replace the 50% capital gains tax discount with cost base indexation and a 30% minimum tax on gains from 1 July 2027 will choke risk capital for greenfields exploration. Evolution Mining founder Jake Klein and Westgold Resources managing director Wayne Bramwell told IMARC the exclusion of explorers from exemptions granted to tech start-ups is already drying up funding in Western Australia, Australia’s largest exploration jurisdiction. The Minerals Council of Australia and AMEC argue the policy conflicts with Canberra’s stated critical minerals ambitions and could damage the exploration ecosystem for years.

Liebherr has started multi-year field trials of its prototype L 566 H hydrogen-powered wheel loader at Bremerhaven fishing harbour, where Georg Grube GmbH is using it for bulk handling of sand, gravel and rock, feeding conveyors and loading lorries in place of diesel machines. The loader is refuelled from a mobile storage station at the Fraunhofer IWES Hydrogen Lab, using green hydrogen generated by regional wind-powered electrolysis. Engineers are tracking whether the hydrogen combustion powertrain matches diesel units on productivity, cycle times and availability, as part of the EU-funded H2B:IMPACT programme.

Germany’s finance ministry has approved an additional €100M (£83M) for Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, taking total German support this autumn to €350M (£291M) as the country prepares for winter under intensified Russian strikes. Funding is expected to prioritise rapid repair and hardening of power grids, district heating networks and water supply systems, where damage to substations, transmission lines and pumping stations risks prolonged outages in sub-zero conditions. For engineers, the focus will be on fast-deployable modular equipment, redundancy in critical nodes and cold-weather resilience of temporary works.

MPs on a parliamentary committee are pressing the government to publish by December a detailed plan to overhaul water sector regulation, with a specific focus on tightening Environment Agency and Ofwat oversight of water company pollution. The call centres on more frequent and robust inspections of storm overflows and wastewater treatment works, alongside tougher enforcement for sewage discharges into rivers and coastal waters. For civil and water engineers, this signals likely changes to design standards, permitting conditions and asset monitoring requirements for combined sewer systems and treatment infrastructure.

UK net zero delivery, large-scale battery storage and AI data centre build-out are at risk because UK supply chains for lithium, rare earth elements and other critical minerals remain heavily dependent on Chinese processing capacity, a parliamentary committee warns. MPs call for a coherent critical minerals strategy covering domestic exploration, recycling and allied-country offtake agreements, rather than relying on spot-market imports. For infrastructure and defence contractors, the report signals potential cost, schedule and specification risk for EV fleets, grid-scale storage, offshore wind and advanced electronics unless sourcing is diversified.