Twilight Talks

The Green Register's early evening talks supported by Ecomerchant: together promoting ethical, healthy sustainable building materials.

On the second Monday of each month The Green Register brings you our Twilight Talks - a relaxed and informal string of events on sustainable building matters to complement our regular training topics. 

Each one-hour event is FREE of charge and features short talks from one or more speakers.  With Q&A and discussion sessions throughout, everyone is invited to be part of the conversation. We hold Twilight talks at 5-6pm, in the sweet spot between work and dinner – so join us to nourish the mind before replenishing the body!

Nothing Happens Without Water  

Water is essential to human life - and to the environment, economy and society. Nothing can happen without water! Nicci Russell, CEO of Waterwise, will set out how we are already running out of water in the UK.

Recent heatwaves and droughts make this clear, including in areas of the UK that might be considered very wet, such as Scotland, North West England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Report after report shows a huge gap between the amount of water available for supply, and demand, not only in coming decades but now. The UK also sees far more frequent droughts than was historically the case.  

Alongside this, the UK population is growing. It increased by approximately 11.1 million (19.8%) during the last fifty years and by approximately 3.7 million (5.9%) during the last decade.

And on average, in the UK we are each using more water than before as our water use behaviour changes - double per capita consumption 50 years ago, with moves to daily (and more) showering, garden sprinklers, hot tubs and huge paddling pools.  

Nicci will talk about how homes and buildings have an essential part to play in adapting to the climate emergency through water efficiency - as well as supporting net zero as water efficiency also cuts carbon use (and domestic and business energy and water bills).

Building on government, regulatory and sector progress to date, and Waterwise’s UK Water Efficiency Strategy to 2030, Nicci will set out the role the construction sector has to play in this crucial and existential issue - and how Waterwise can help. 

About the Speakers

Nicci Russell, CEO of Waterwise

Nicci has been CEO of Waterwise since March 2017. Waterwise is the leading independent voice in the UK for using water wisely, for the benefit of people and the planet - it is the UK’s conscience on water efficiency. 

As a Director at Ofwat, Nicci led work on resilience and independent regulation and Ofwat’s relationship with the UK and Welsh Governments. 

As Special Adviser at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Nicci was appointed by the Prime Minister to advise the Secretary of State on environmental issues. 

Nicci is a CIWEM Honorary Fellow and a long-time judge for the Institute of Water’s Innovation Awards and the Water Industry Awards. In 2022 she received the Future Water Association’s ‘People’ Award for her work on diversity and inclusion and water efficiency. In 2023 she received a British Water Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Water and Wastewater Industry, for championing water efficiency along with diversity and inclusion. 

Nicci is an active mentor in the water sector. She chaired Defra’s Senior Water Demand Reduction Group and sat on Defra’s Expert Group on water targets for the Environment Act and sits on ACEVO’s Climate Crisis Working Group. 

Nicci is Chair of national young people’s development charity Power2 and a school governor. 

Twilight Talks are supported by Ecomerchant.