The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has launched a new development programme for wastewater monitoring to catch pandemic threats early.
The £1.3 million programme will evaluate how wastewater monitoring could be used to detect a wider range of dangerous pathogens. 
Over the coming months, UKHSA laboratories will assess the use of cutting-edge technologies to improve the UK’s ability to detect and identify the genetic material of various viruses in wastewater, tracking how the amount of virus detected changes over time.

The Digital Poverty Alliance (DPA) is launching a Tech4Communities initiative in Gateshead to tackle digital poverty and e-waste across the area.

The Government Office for Science has published a new report which sets out a ‘best estimate’ of the technology mix needed in key emitting sectors to reach net zero by 2050,

The scheme is currently testing innovative ways to identify young people most at risk of falling out of education, employment or training and matching them up to local training or job opportunities.

Science and technology projects in Northern Ireland are set to receive £30 million from the UK's modern Industrial Strategy.
The package will be allocated by local leaders and will build on successful pilots in other parts of the UK which have attracted more than £140 million of private investment and created hundreds of jobs so far. 
For example, the funding could go to support the cybersecurity sector, which is home to 100 businesses and 2,750.

More than £6 million of additional funding is being invested in Scottish nature projects.
Since 2021, the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF) has funded nearly 800 projects helping Scotland's species, woodlands, rivers and seas back on the road to recovery, including planting over 300,000 trees and restoring over 1,800 hectares of urban greenspace in towns and cities.
Research shows that the scheme has unlocked at least £7.1 million in match funding and in-kind contributions for organisations.

£10 million is being made available by the Welsh Government to help support Welsh business to reduce their carbon footprint and move towards net zero.
The Welsh Government’s Green Business Loan Scheme was first launched in March 2023 and is now being extended to £20 million with funding available until 2028. 
So far, more than 30 Welsh businesses have received support, with forecasted carbon savings of more than 28,000 tonnes over the lifetime of their projects.

The Welsh Government has launched a consultation looking at Delivering a Best for Wales Deposit Return Scheme.
Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, launched the consultation at the historic Corona Pop Factory site in Porth.
The 12-week consultation will run until 10 November and will inform Wales' approach to implementing a scheme that includes glass drink containers and prioritises reuse over traditional recycling methods.
Wales already has the world's second highest recycling rate.

The government has announced £500 million for environmental planning reforms, including for the government’s flagship Nature Restoration and Marine Recovery Fund schemes and funding to build capacity in the planning system.
It is hoped the money will help to process planning applications faster and help developers bring their projects to life, without compromising on environmental protections.

The government has approved a funding package worth £121.8 million for the transformation of Quayside West at Forth Yards in Newcastle.
The package will pay for remediation, groundworks and infrastructure activity, fixing complex land issues that have proved a barrier to investment at the site.
The land is set to become a new, sustainable mixed-use neighbourhood next to the city’s central station and Quayside.