Richard Delevan

People Want real Change - Sunak v Starmer: Green groups call on broadcasters to ensure climate change features in TV debates: https://lnkd.in/eqxDwp3N #elections #UK #UKelections #TVdebates #climatechange

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What actually is Biodiversity Net Gain? And why is it so important? At Gaia we have built the UK's largest natural exchange for BNG Units. Today I try to explain in a little more detail what this scheme is about. #BNG #biodiversity #biodiversitynetgain

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"Advertising is a potent tool and now is the time for us all to step up, recognising the urgency of the climate crisis and the need to get ahead of disinformation. When information is delivered in a way that resonates with the audience, it can drive positive change. We can do three things: safeguard the public against misinformation by reaching them with a positive message, reframe by communicating the benefits of climate policy, or rebut misinformation with the relevant facts. The elections and the climate crisis will not wait, and neither can we. It’s time to act now," says Harriet Kingaby at ACT Climate Labs. Excellent piece c/o Sustainability Beat looking at why it’s important for climate communicators to help combat misinformation during the upcoming political elections. Well worth a read... 👇🏻 🌱 🗳️ https://lnkd.in/ehiCNDHw

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If you are at #COMIT2024 and interested in cost and carbon reduction solutions then beeline to Josh Eadie's session on how to eliminate small power waste in buildings and site accommodation. His talk is scheduled for Thursday 23 May at 11am. (He might wear Crocs...) #CarbonReduction #Retrofit #Sustainability

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This is definitely a step in the right direction, but how will it work from a cradle-to-cradle perspective? 🔄 Straight from the horses mouth William McDonough: “Everything is a resource for something else. In nature, the “waste” of one system becomes food for another. Everything can be designed to be disassembled and safely returned to the soil as biological nutrients, or re-utilised as high quality materials for new products as technical nutrients without contamination” This is a decent move, but will drinks containers qualify as technical nutrients? Have they been manufactured in a way that will allows them to reenter the production cycle easily? I have no idea, but thats surely what we should be aiming for?

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In my latest Docs of the Month column (https://lnkd.in/ew-if2DF), I spotlighted two documents published in May by UK agencies seeking to stretch or revamp market access pathways for medtech in the country: > Statement of Policy Intent: International Recognition of Medical Devices ( Medicines and Healthcare products Regulation Agency) https://lnkd.in/eguM4B7m > Building an Integrated, Rules-Based Medical Technology (Medtech) Pathways: Engagement on Proposals (NHS England and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) https://lnkd.in/enkSF9sR Docs of the Month highlights items captured in Market Pathways Document Depot, our growing database of global medtech regulatory, reimbursement, and policy documents, including guidance, regulations, white papers, and more. https://lnkd.in/d35Y4_h #medtech #UK #regulations #NHS #marketaccess #harmonization

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The Reuters Institute Digital News Report is out today, which is always a key reference for me - https://lnkd.in/ek7APDHw It suggests more people are turning away from news because they're finding it depressing, relentless and boring, highlighting the role politics and politicians are playing in dragging it down. Interest in news has almost halved since 2015 in the UK. Lots of people say they feel increasingly overwhelmed and confused by the amount of news, and tired of how much focuses on politics. Women and younger people in particular say they feel worn out by it. Trust in the news is still lower than it was at the height of the pandemic. It improved slightly in the UK over the past year, but remains 15% lower than before the Brexit referendum 8 years ago. The BBC remains the most trusted news brand in the UK. Which is timely news, because you can get an insight behind the scenes at the BBC by joining our lunchtime event on Thursday next week, where we'll host by Julia Caesar, Senior Global Broadcast Editor at the BBC, to explore how businesses can leverage the power of broadcast news. Spaces will be limited, so register here - https://lnkd.in/eU-VqSED.

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With the countdown on for the #UK general #election on 4th July, we’re pleased to present the latest edition of 'Let's Vote', where we explore the key battleground issues, Labour's economic plans, the latest opinion polls and much more: https://lnkd.in/esnnTb7P #Politics

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So pleased to hear that Wildfarmed, the regenerative food and farming challenger brand, has landed its first retail launch. Regenerative agriculture is the way forward to decarbonise the food system and make farming resilient to climate shocks, so we are a big champion of Wildfarmed as they provide solutions for the UK shopper to make a change for good. Five of their bread SKUs have already arrived in Waitrose & Partners stores, and baguettes & flour products are to come in the summer. What makes their bread different? They’re made from wheat grown to regenerative agriculture standards and sourced from farmers in the UK and France. All the products are free from  ❌ Palm oil  ❌ Fat ❌ Artificial preservatives ❌ Emulsifiers The brand has supplied their flour to over 500 brands including restaurant brands Ask Italian and Wahaca, but this is their first time creating products for grocery. They’ve landed in an aisle that is in much need of a shake up. Bread is a staple of UK economy, however volume in the last 12 weeks across the total market is declining by 2% YoY, demonstrating a category needing innovation and a fresh approach. However Flour is the growth area that Wildfarmed are taking advantage of, homebaking continuing to rise in popularity, growth of 7% in volume and 18% in value identifies as an opportunity. Huge congrats to Edd Lees and George Lamb on the launch – and for providing a new solution for the growing consumer base who care deeply about what their products are made from. And they aren’t the only ones growing in this category, there’s Signature Flatbreads, Wenzel's the Bakers Ltd., Crust & Crumb and The Village Bakery Group all making big moves. If you’re looking to get listed, stay listed or grow, North Star is here to help. Drop me a DM to find out more!

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An impressive and convivial debate expertly chaired by Tim Heatley on the elctricfication of transport. Key take-home messages for me: ⚡️As a country, we are constrained by regulatory process. DNO’s need reform and the powers to act quicker. ⚠️Prioritisation at a national level is required, along with a conjoined planning policy. 🚎For placemaking, the priority is public transport. Build it and they will come. 🧱Aligned to this, we need a place based approach to infrastructure. 🏗️There is an immediate skills shortages in green construction, which remains a barrier, but the resources exist to address this. 🤝Bi-laterally working together is the way forward. Mayors Burnham and Steve Rotherham were optimistic about progress in the next Parliament, and gave a sneak peek at a call for private sector investment in Liverpool / Manchester rail, to be announced tomorrow. 👀 Thanks to Bibis #Leeds for hosting. #infrastructure #environment #cleanenergy #transport #UKREiiF

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Really grateful to two market-leading Editors of subscription-led businesses and terrific ex-colleagues of mine, Catrin Griffiths and Alastair McLellan, for spending time with me last week on B2B content strategy. If you want to watch on-demand there is a link below. Highlights for me included: Impact on content strategy of the move to a paid subscription business model 17min46 Building a high value B2B content proposition 14min02, 23min05, & 31min29 How to motivate editors & editorial teams 29min42 & 50min47 Removing Print as a platform 45min02: https://lnkd.in/gbwftfwR

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Gates Foundation's 2025 Open Access Policy introduces a preprint mandate alongside changes in funding support, triggering discussions. The policy, building upon the 2021 framework, now requires both preprint and accepted manuscript availability, with exemptions available for ethical concerns. While maintaining alignment with Plan S, the policy discontinues financial support for publication fees, raising concerns among grantees. Implications span from author publication choices to reader access and publisher strategies, with potential shifts in scholarly communication workflows on the horizon. The move prompts speculation about future policy evolution and the Foundation's role in shaping publishing infrastructure.

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I am thrilled to announce our recent investment in My Emissions, a pioneering startup in the food carbon tracking industry. Led by the impressive talents of Matthew Isaacs, Nathan Bottomley, and their team, MyEmissions has developed a platform that not only calculates and reduces carbon emissions but also provides carbon labelling for food products, solving a major problem for the food industry. This solution has already garnered trust among major global food brands, marking a significant step towards sustainable food production. At Raspberry Ventures, we are committed to supporting ventures that lead their categories in addressing climate challenges. We believe MyEmissions is set to make a substantial impact in achieving a net-zero future in the food sector. #CarbonTracking #NetZero #FoodTech #Sustainability #Innovation Rainmaking

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Continuing from yesterday's post assessing The Conservatives' manifesto pledges... The Liberal Democrats key pledges that could impact the UK's #pharmaceutical and #biotech sectors: 👉 The manifesto pledges to "Work towards a fairer and more sustainable long-term funding model for pharmacies, and build on the Pharmacy First approach to give patients more accessible routine services and ease the pressure on GPs." suggesting support for expanding the role of pharmacies in healthcare delivery. 👉 It states the Lib Dems will "Halve the time for new treatments to reach patients by expanding the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's capacity." Increasing MHRA capacity could potentially speed up approval of new drugs and treatments. 👉 Promises to "Improve faster access to new and novel medicines and medical devices by seeking a comprehensive mutual recognition agreement with the European Medicines Agency." aligning with the EMA could facilitate quicker access to EU-approved medicines post-Brexit. 👉 Supporting science, research and innovation in universities is mentioned several times, including "continuing to participate in Horizon Europe". Maintaining access to EU research funding and collaboration could benefit UK life sciences research. 👉 On #clinicaltrials specifically, the only mention is a pledge to pass a "Cancer Survival Research Act requiring the Government to coordinate and ensure funding for research into the cancers with the lowest survival rates." .... compared to The Conservative manifesto, there are fewer specific policies targeted at the biotech/pharma industries and clinical research.

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The latest edition of my newsletter, Data Communication Chronicles, has just landed in the inbox of 295 subscribers - hoping to break the 300 mark with this issue! In this issue: 💩 What the LibDems sewage splash in The Times teaches us about insight  📝Free webinar on Residents' Surveys 🗳️ Why new MPs might be called Chris (HT 56˚ North) 📊 Auditing accessibility of your social posts ⚠️ Data mining to hold Zuck et al to account 🎤 The Orlo Tour Let me know what you think - and do send comms related data stories my way for future inclusion. #datainsights #datainformed #datacommunication

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Another election means another business manifesto from Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce - published today! It has been a real privilege to advise on the development of this prospectus for the next UK Government in conjunction with many of the fantastic businesses that make up AGCC's 1,300-strong membership and some great input and insight on the challenges and solutions from a range of sectors represented on AGCC's Policy Chamber. This edition covers how we can build a more conducive environment for doing business, ensure a successful transition to net zero, build a city and region we can proud of and put the right infrastructure is in place to support development, economic growth and high-quality jobs. Hopefully it provides some food for thought for all candidates from all parties as as they set out their stall over the coming weeks. #GeneralElection #policy #manifesto #economicgrowth

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After a couple of years of research and consultation, the new CAP guidelines on podcast advertising are here... https://lnkd.in/eak3XU_a Set to fully take effect from 16th August, all advertising communications within a podcast must now feature clear signposting to make them obviously identifiable as such. The ASA suggests the use of terms such as 'This is an advertisement for...' or 'our sponsor today is...', although it's not an exhaustive list and they will take into account the full context of an ad when considering if it has breached the code. Sound effects and clearly marked breaks from the main content are also suggested as ways to clearly distinguish commercial content from editorial. Interestingly, for video podcasters, it highlights the need to ensure that host reads included within the video version of a podcast should adhere to the relevant CAP guidelines for that medium. How have you been handling commercial signposting until now? Does this actually change anything?

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New research from Gallup shows how confidence in public institutions has increased since 2006 in all G7 nations apart from the UK and US. The study looks at public views towards the government, military, judiciary and electoral system. 🇺🇲 Ahead of the US elections, it is notable that it has fallen from having the highest confidence in public institutions across the G7 in 2006 to the lowest confidence in 2023. Confidence has declined across a range of measures for the US - including a sharp drop for the military - highlighting the challenge facing Joe Biden. 🇬🇧 Looking at the UK score in more detail, the 'steady' overall position masks a notable drop in confidence in the government that has been offset by growing confidence in the judiciary and democratic process. Further bad news for the Conservatives comes from looking at the UK's position relative to peers, where the healthy lead it held over several nations has now been mostly eroded. #politics #publicconfidence #elections

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