The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 has received Royal Assent. The Act strengthens the Environment Agency’s enforcement powers, enabling it to prosecute water company executives who break the law, with penalties such as potential imprisonment for obstructing investigations. It also expands regulators’ cost recovery powers to ensure that water companies cover enforcement costs. Additionally, Ofwat will have the power to prohibit the payment of executive bonuses if companies do not meet environmental, consumer, and financial standards. Others measures include automatic penalties for various offences to expedite enforcement action, along with mandatory independent monitoring of emergency sewage outlets. Water companies will be required to publish real-time data on all emergency overflows, with discharges to be reported within an hour of the initial spill. Furthermore, water companies in England will be required to publish annual Pollution Incident Reduction Plans and report on their progress. Defra has also published an updated policy statement reflecting these measures.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced amendments to the Heather and Grass etc Burning (England) Regulations 2021, SI 2021/158, following its March 2025 consultation. The changes extend the ban on burning of deep peat to cover a larger area of upland peat and redefine deep peat from 40cm to 30cm depth. A refined licencing system will also be introduced, permitting prescribed burning in exceptional circumstances such as wildfire risk reduction. Once implemented, these changes will increase the total area of deep peat protected from 246,156 hectares to over 676,000 hectares. As a result, burning will be prohibited on all upland blanket bog habitats unless a licence is granted by the Secretary of State. The amendments, which take effect from 30 September 2025, aim to protect peatlands, improve air quality and reduce flood risk. Defra will also publish the Heather and Grass Management Code in autumn 2025.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the appointment of UK Packaging PRO as the Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) for the UK’s packaging extended producer responsibility (pEPR) scheme. It is a producer-led organisation established to support the delivery of the pEPR regime, which aims to encourage the use of more recyclable materials and to reduce packaging waste sent to landfill.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced the appointment of Ruth Davis as the UK’s first Special Representative for Nature. Davis will assume the role at the end of October 2024 and will attend COP16 in her current capacity as an advocate for nature, working alongside the UK delegation led by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed. This is a joint role between the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and Defra, with Davis set to report to both the Environment Secretary and Foreign Secretary.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that new provisions under the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 (W(SM)A 2025) have come into effect, banning bonus payments for senior executives at six water companies: Thames Water, Yorkshire Water, Anglian Water, Wessex Water, United Utilities and Southern Water. Under Ofwat’s new rules, bonuses are banned in certain circumstances, including where a water company fails to meet (1) core environmental standards and presides over serious pollution offences; (2) basic financial resilience standards and (3) core consumer standards, and where the company is convicted of a criminal offence. The ban applies retrospectively to bonuses relating to the financial year beginning in April 2024. If a company awards a bonus while the ban is in effect, Ofwat has the authority under W(SM)A 2025 to direct the company to recover the payment, with enforcement action in cases of non-compliance.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that a new bylaw has come into force, prohibiting the use of bottom towed fishing gear in specific areas within 13 English offshore marine protected areas (MPAs), which contain valuable reef and rocky habitats. The bylaw will help protect an area of almost 4000 square km of sea from damaging fishing activity. The implementation of the bylaw comes after a call for evidence and public consultation, confirmation from the government in early 2024 and a formal notification period which commenced on 1 February 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that the government is introducing measures to limit the amount of land that farmers can take out of food production under the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI). These changes aim to promote the sustainable production of food alongside environmental improvements. Defra has confirmed that the date of implementation will be released ‘in the coming weeks.’

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) announced the completion of 151 flood schemes in its first year, delivering enhanced protection for more than 24,000 homes and businesses. These schemes, part of the Plan for Change, are part of a £10.5bn investment programme running until 2036, which is projected to benefit over 890,000 properties. Defra has also redirected £108m for urgent maintenance works to address flood defences that were ‘inherited in their worst condition on record’. Defra anticipates that, by the end of the current two-year investment programme in April 2026, the total number of properties benefiting from the new defences will exceed 52,000.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced a consultation on the proposed changes to the Guaranteed Standards Scheme (GSS) aimed at improving customer service standards and protecting the water and sewerage sector. The consultation closes on 7 October 2024 at 11:59pm.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that new regulations under the Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/666, have come into force, requiring businesses to separate recycling from waste. Workplaces with ten or more employees are now required to arrange for the collection of dry recyclable materials, food waste, and residual (non-recyclable) waste. Paper and card must be separated from other dry recyclables unless collected together by a designated waste collector. Businesses can choose the size of their waste containers and collection frequency based on their waste volume. The Environment Agency has assumed the role of regulator for Simpler Recycling. By 31 March 2026, local authorities in England must collect core recyclable waste streams from all households. Additionally, by 31 March 2027, kerbside plastic film collections will be introduced for both workplaces and households. Workplaces with fewer than ten employees have until 31 March 2027 to organise the recycling of core waste streams.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced new measures to combat waste crime. Local authorities will receive powers to seize and destroy vehicles used in fly-tipping operations, supported by drone and CCTV surveillance capabilities. The measures include increased prison sentences of up to five years for illegal waste operations and cost recovery mechanisms for vehicle seizures. The Environment Agency will gain enhanced enforcement powers, including the ability to conduct identity checks, revoke permits and issue fines. A ministerial review aims to reduce administrative barriers to vehicle seizures and the government has allocated £69bn to council budgets across England to support implementation.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced reforms to environmental permitting intended to reduce construction delays. The Environment Agency will receive new powers to exempt low-risk activities from permit requirements, potentially saving builders up to 16 weeks and small businesses £360 per permit. Activities including site investigations, waste storage and drainage operations may proceed without permits where conditions are met. Solar and wind farm construction could avoid permitting requirements entirely in some cases. Safeguards will require consultation and risk assessment for exemptions. Legislation will be introduced when parliamentary time allows, applying to England only.