The environmental challengeThe environmental challenge

Barbara YoungChief Executive

Pressures on the environmentPressures on the environment

• Discharges from sewage treatment works

• Air emissions from waste incineration and landfill

• Air emissions from major industry

• Energy use and CO2 emissions

• Diffuse water pollution

• Resource use (including water)

• Waste

State of the environmentState of the environment

• Urban air quality

• Critical loads of acidity and nitrogen

• River quality and otter populations

• State of soils and associated pollution

• Salmon and marine fisheries

• Farmland and woodland birds

• Climate change

Emissions to airEmissions to air

0.0

0.2

0.4

0.6

0.8

1.0

Pro

port

ion

of 1

990

rele

ases

Agency regulated Other sources Road transport

benzene 1,3butadiene

Carbonmonoxide

lead Nitrogenoxides

VOCs1 PM10 Sulphurdioxide

Greenhousegases3

dioxins2

Bars are in 1990, 1995, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 order1Agency regulated emissions expressed as carbon2Emissions expressed as toxic equivalents3Emissions expressed as carbon equivalents

Message??Message??

Sewage treatment works dischargesSewage treatment works discharges

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

140

160

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000

Year

Load

(th

ousa

nd t

onne

s/ye

ar)

AmmoniaBODPhosphateSuspended solids

Proposed improvements by the Proposed improvements by the water industrywater industry

0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000

Eutrophication

European targets

National targets

Local

International conservation

National conservation

River length (km)

Water quality

Water resources

Contaminated landContaminated land

Jubilee River floodJubilee River floodbypass channel nearbypass channel nearMaidenhead, BerkshireMaidenhead, Berkshire

Modern and alternative approaches to regulationModern and alternative approaches to regulation

ConclusionsConclusions

The environmental challengeThe environmental challenge

Barbara YoungChief Executive