The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a letter from the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State to environmental non-governmental organisations (eNGOs). The letter contains information about the Planning and Infrastructure Bill and using the value gained from enabling development to support nature recovery.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a list of of large organisations who have reported their data using the report packaging data (RDP) service. The purpose of this list is to allow users to check whether they supply packaging to a large organisation, to determine who bears the responsibility for packaging reporting. The list will be updated once a week, and may help to determine who is responsible for reporting data for some packaging activities, as well as providing the records necessary for audits or environmental regulator questions. It is part of the extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging service and covers submissions up to 16 April 2024. The list does not cover large producers who are required to report their data but have not, or those who reported after the cut-off date.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the Environmental Protection (Single-use Vapes) (England) Direction 2025, outlining specific disposal requirements for local authorities. The direction, issued by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Mary Creagh CBE MP, requires local authorities to classify single-use vapes as waste and ensure they are sent to a waste management organisation for proper disposal. Authorities must also ensure that the designated waste management organisation uses the best available treatment, recovery, and recycling techniques, in line with regulation 31 of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Regulations, SI 2013/3113.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a ministerial direction to the Environment Agency (EA), titled ‘The Environmental Protection (England) (Medium Combustion Plant) (New Fuel) Direction 2024’. This direction, issued by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Steve Reed, requires the EA to set and apply emission limit values for new fuels used in stand-alone medium combustion plants. This seeks to provide consistent regulatory standards and reduce pollution from these fuels. This direction comes into force on 27 September 2024 and will remain in force until withdrawn.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a ministerial direction to the Environment Agency (EA) to pause the determination of environmental permits for certain types of new waste incineration facilities in England. The direction has been issued by the Minister of State, the Rt Hon Sir Mark Spencer MP, in exercise of powers conferred on him by regulation 62(1) and (2) of the Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2016, SI 2016/1154. The direction comes into force on 5 April 2024 and applies until 24 May 2024.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a national security assessment examining how global biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation may affect UK national security. The report states that ecosystems worldwide are experiencing declining function and that, without significant intervention, these trends are expected to continue to 2050 and beyond. It outlines a range of associated risks, including pressures on food production, more frequent natural disasters and infectious disease outbreaks, as well as broader implications such as geopolitical instability and greater competition for natural resources. The assessment identifies six ecosystem regions of relevance to UK national security, including the Amazon rainforest, Congo Basin, Southeast Asia’s coral reefs and mangroves, the Himalayas, and boreal forests in Russia and Canada.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), along with the devolved administrations  of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, has published a new UK national biodiversity strategy and action plan (NBSAP) for 2030. The NBSAP builds on the commitments made by the UK, its Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies to combat biodiversity loss. It commits the UK to meeting all 23 targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework within its domestic jurisdiction. The NBSAP details how the four countries will collaborate to achieve these targets, including commitments to expand protected areas to at least 30% of land and seas, reduce pollution to non-harmful levels for biodiversity, enhance biodiversity in agriculture, aquaculture, fisheries, and forestry, and ensure the sustainable and legal harvesting and trade of wild species.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a policy paper setting out a new approach to the UK Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) candidate list of substances of very high concern, replacing the interim principles applied since the UK’s exit from the EU in 2021. Effective from 24 February 2026, this revised approach follows a 2025 review conducted with the Scottish and Welsh governments and is intended to improve the speed and efficiency of regulatory action. The paper confirms that UK REACH continues to require businesses to ensure chemicals do not harm human health or the environment and to manage and communicate associated risks, with substances identified as substances of very high concern (SVHC) added to a candidate list that may lead to future authorisation requirements. The new strategy draws more extensively on regulatory decisions in other jurisdictions, particularly the EU, to increase alignment, reduce business complexity and support trade while maintaining public and environmental protection. Substances added to the EU REACH candidate list since 1 January 2021 will be reviewed and incorporated into the UK list where appropriate.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published its new flood and coastal erosion risk management funding policy, following its June 2025 consultation. The policy sets out how flood and coastal erosion projects will be funded and prioritised going forward. The policy replaces the existing funding formula with new rules that will apply to projects from April 2026, supported by £10.5bn in investment, aimed at protecting nearly 900,000 properties. Under the new rules, prioritised flood projects valued at £3m or less will be eligible for full government funding, while projects exceeding this threshold will receive the first £3m upfront, plus 90% of the remaining costs. At least 20% of future investment over the next decade will be allocated towards protecting the most deprived communities in England. New projects will be prioritised based on value for money, with contributions from partners such as businesses, wildlife groups or farm clusters receiving greater recognition, thereby increasing the chances of projects being approved. The policy also places the refurbishment of existing flood defences on an equal footing with new projects and commits to increased investment in natural flood management initiatives. Defra has also released a summary of consultation responses alongside the new policy.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published a notice indicating the designation of sensitive catchment areas as catchment permitting areas in terms of Chapter I, Part IV of the Water Industry Act 1991.

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the summary of responses and government response to its consultation on amendments to the persistent organic pollutants regulation. Defra has confirmed that, when parliamentary time allows, the government will proceed with many of the proposed amendments and that other potential amendments will continue to be reviewed.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the 'United Kingdom's International Action Plan for Plant Health 2026 to 2030', which sets out the UK's approach to working with international partners over the next five years to protect plants and trees from invasive pests and diseases. Defra says the plan responds to the increasing risk of plant pests spreading through global trade and climate change. It will be implemented by the UK Plant Health Service and reviewed annually until 2030.