We were delighted to meet the RSPB again on the 26th May. We discussed several items of mutual interest, including: – Parliamentary Questions– Planning conditions for EnvCoWs– Construction / temporary assessments of EIAs & RSPBs responses to them – Drafting Industry Guiding Principles for EnvCoWs– Environmental Outcome Reports– Potential areas of research that both AECoW & RSPB…
As part of the post-Brexit arrangements, each nation within the UK set up a new non-ministerial environment agency in 2021 (Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS), The Office for Environmental Protection (England & N. Ireland), and the Interim Environmental Protection Assessor for Wales). Their main remit is to assess public body compliance with environmental law, and to…
AECoW was delighted to meet the IES on 15th March to discuss opportunities to support each others aims and objectives. A key area we discussed was Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA). The IES has an EIA Working Group and it has published a recent paper here on the future of EIA, which was central to our…
On 4th October 2022, one of our Management Committee represented AECOW at the Cross Party Group on Construction in the Scottish Parliament. There was an interesting presentation on Scottish Government standards for net zero in public buildings, using the Fife College Learning Campus as a case study. Of more relevance to our members was the…
We are delighted to have met the OEP on 23rd September as part of delivering our Strategy to define, and promote, the role of an EnvCoW. The purpose, and format, of the meeting was similar to other Government Agency meetings which we have hosted (such as Environmental Standards Scotland and the NIEA) whereby we highlighted…
As part of delivering our Action Plan, Defining & Promoting the Role of an EnvCoW, we met with Oxford Brookes Uni and the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) on 31st May to discuss potential research opportunities and joint guidance. A few key post-grad research topics that we highlighted included: The Role of an EnvCoW Auditing models /…
AECoW met with IEMA on 28th January 2022 to discuss collaboration, and partnership, under our new Strategy cycle for 2022 – 25. This was in relation to delivering objectives for two of our Action Plans: ‘Defining and Promoting the Role of an EnCoW’‘Developing Quality & Training in the EnCoW Role’. We discussed mutual areas of…
We attended this meeting along with with many other stakehodlers on 9th December 2021. We continue to shine a light on the issues in the planning sector and construction industry, which affect EnCoWs and environmental compliance. Key themes which were raised by us and discussed in relation to ‘natural capital impacts from construction’, were as…
We were delighted to attend the first Scottish Cross-Parliamentary Group on Construction in September. In line with our Strategy aims and objectives, we raised our key priorities, such as promoting the role of an EnCoW, and the value it can bring to construction projects. We also raised, and discussed, potential regulatory reform for environmental commitments…
AECoW met with NRW on 7th October 2021. In line with our Strategy, we discussed: The role of an EnCoW and how it can support environmental regulators; The issues around commissioning EnCoWs and the need for contracts to support the the delivery of the role; The importance of impartial, environmental auditing during construction to deliver…