Source · Select Committees · Environmental Audit Committee
Recommendation 55
55
Paragraph: 275
Tyre, motor vehicle and fashion manufacturers, among many others, must take greater responsibility for the...
Recommendation
Tyre, motor vehicle and fashion manufacturers, among many others, must take greater responsibility for the contribution their products make to microplastic pollution in waterways. We recommend that Ministers examine how the proposed Extended Producer Responsibility scheme for tyre manufacturers could contribute to the swifter implementation of mitigation measures across the road network. We repeat our call for the Textiles 2030 scheme to incorporate the reduction of microplastic pollution in its targets.
Paragraph Reference:
275
Government Response
Acknowledged
HM Government
Acknowledged
. proposals (including the retrofit of sustainable drainage systems (SuDS)) when they are submitted in company business plans. Companies are encouraged to put forward retrofit proposals for SuDS where evidence indicates they are the best solution. As part of the Green Recovery process, Ofwat allowed Severn Trent Water £75.675 million to protect homes from flooding through nature-based solutions. This included its proposal to build an urban catchment-scale flood resilience programme utilising a suite of blue-green interventions. This scheme is a trial of blue-green infrastructure, which will provide learnings across the sector to inform future schemes of a similar nature. In their development of the next price review, Ofwat is looking at how they can provide incentives for SuDS to encourage the extra benefits that they provide (carbon and biodiversity benefits), alongside working to address regulatory barriers to their implementation and delivery. Ofwat expect companies to increase their use of nature-based solutions, as these can be effective ways to provide resilient solutions that also increase biodiversity and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Ofwat is considering how nature-based solutions can be promoted and incorporated into their approach to cost assessment at the next price review (PR24). Ofwat are also considering the introduction of new performance commitments to increase biodiversity and help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This would be in addition to the incentives provided by existing performance commitments, such as sewer flooding. Where companies receive significant funding for investment in SuDS, Ofwat propose to specify the reduction of surface water in the sewerage system that is to be delivered to hold companies to account to deliver the benefits of the investment.