During the last 18 months or so, the global focus for governments, businesses and society as a whole has been negotiating our way through the coronavirus pandemic. Quite rightly we have looked to keep economies functioning and people safe. However, as we move beyond the current situation, the environmental and sustainability agenda is again at the forefront of international discussions.
This sounds like a complex subject, and it is. Each element on the periodic table tells a geopolitical story. The rare earth elements, individually and as a whole group, are the quintessential symbol for the emerging, shifting global order. China and the United States engage in both a trade war that may soon be resolved and a tech war that will continue for decades.
As part of the Institute of Quarrying Spotlight on Excellence #spotexcellence campaign, Aggregate Industries told us about their recent success in rehoming bats. This is their story.
While the coronavirus pandemic is presenting numerous challenges for conservation efforts and improved biodiversity across the UK, one success story is Aggregate Industries recent work on its Westleigh Quarry in Devon. The leading construction materials supplier helped to protect two rare bat specifies as part of its plans to develop the site. Here, Simon Wiltshire, Biodiversity and Restoration Advisor, tells you all you need to know.
This year will see some significant events taking place in the UK that will help shape the key environmental challenge of climate change.