The Environment Agency (EA) has published its EA2030 strategy document, setting out its priorities and operational approach for the period 2025–30 and beyond. The strategy establishes three long-term goals for England: improving the quality of air, land and water to support nature's recovery; promoting sustainable economic growth; and strengthening national resilience to climate change. It also details six guiding principles for the EA's operations over the five-year period, along with its approach to performance measurement and evaluation.

The Environment Agency (EA) has released its monitoring plan for packaging producer responsibility in England for 2025. The plan outlines how the EA will oversee compliance with the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 and the amended 2007 regulations. It details monitoring activities for producers, compliance schemes, reprocessors, and exporters, including data validation, risk profiling, and potential site visits. The plan also addresses funding sources, non-compliance procedures, and the EA’s risk-based approach to identifying businesses posing the greatest risks to the packaging regime and environment. This strategy aims to ensure accurate data collection, proper recycling practices, and fulfilment of legal obligations across the packaging industry.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published regulatory position statement (RPS) 365 outlining monthly data reporting obligations for accredited packaging reprocessors and exporters under the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024. Due to delays in the new online reporting system, the RPS states that the EA will not normally take enforcement action for non-compliance with the monthly reporting requirements during February and March 2026, provided that entities meet the specified conditions detailed in the statement.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a regulatory position statement (RPS) regarding the collection and reporting nation of sale and self-managed organisational waste data for 2024 and 2025 under the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme. The RPS delays the implementation of these data collection and reporting requirements until 2026. While the legal requirements to report 2024 data and collect and report 2025 data remain unchanged, the EA states it will not normally take enforcement action against non-compliance with these specific requirements. The EA also clarifies that the RPS does not apply to other legal obligations under the Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) Regulations 2023, SI 2023/219 or the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024, SI 2024/1332. The RPS remains in force until 31 December 2026, unless withdrawn or amended earlier.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published guidance setting out how maritime operators must comply with the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS), including the roles of the devolved regulators and the legal framework under the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading Scheme Order 2020. The guidance explains that the UK ETS applies to operators of ships of 5,000 gross tonnage or more undertaking voyages between UK ports or in‑port activities, unless excluded. A maritime operator is either the registered owner or an  International Safety Management (ISM) company that has assumed operational control, ISM Code compliance and UK ETS obligations through a legally binding agreement; otherwise, the registered owner remains responsible. Operators are subject to obligations only in scheme years where they meet the criteria and may delegate responsibilities subject to formal requirements and notification.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published its annual pollution incident report for 2016 to 2024, along with supporting data annexes. It presents data and analysis of sector and company-specific pollution incident performance across the nine water and sewerage companies operating in England. The report sets out the persistently poor pollution incident performance of the sector. It notes that, at a time of growing public interest in the health of rivers, lakes and seas, the water industry must do more to prevent pollution and respond rapidly when it occurs. The EA’s expectations for 2020 to 2025, set out in the Water Industry Strategic Environmental Requirements (WISER), include a trend to zero serious pollution incidents, a reduction in all pollution incidents and high levels of self-reporting. The report shows that serious pollution incidents (categories 1 and 2) increased by 60% in 2024, from 47 in 2023 to 75—the highest number recorded during the reporting period. All pollution incidents (categories 1 to 3) rose by 29% to 2,801 in 2024, a 47% increase compared to 2016.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published the outcome of Standard Rules Permit Consultation No. 29 on a proposed new standard rules environmental permit for the use of unbound incinerator bottom ash aggregate (IBAA) in specified construction activities in England as a waste recovery operation. The EA will revise the draft permit and generic risk assessment and publish final versions in the first quarter of 2026. A new candidate waste exemption Regulatory Position Statement for activities up to 25,000 tons will be introduced at the same time, and RPS 247 will be withdrawn. The Agency will broaden the scope to allow IBAA use as sub-base beyond roads, including pavements, car parks and building platforms, and as bedding for all buried services. It will not include use as general fill or capping material because these uses were not assessed in the original groundwater modelling and would require a bespoke permit. It will clarify that the limits apply to 100% IBAA and to blends with non-waste aggregates, including hydraulically bound IBAA, and confirmed that the limits are based on risk.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published consultation responses for its Standard Rules Consultation 32, which concluded on 12 November 2025. The consultation addressed three proposed standard rules permits for small sewage discharge activities that are currently regulated by bespoke permits.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published the outcome of its consultation on proposed charges for regulating compliance with simpler recycling requirements in England. It has confirmed the introduction of an hourly charge of £118 for regulatory activity where businesses or occupiers of relevant non-domestic premises are found to be non-compliant, effective from 3 February 2026. The EA concluded that no changes were required to the proposed time and materials charging model. The model is intended to recover the full cost of compliance and enforcement activity in line with the polluter pays principle. Most respondents supported or partially supported the proposal, citing the need for effective enforcement and fair cost recovery. Concerns focused on the impact on smaller businesses, the level of the charge and the clarity of what activities would be charged for. In response, the EA confirmed that the charge will apply only where non-compliance is identified. Compliant businesses will not incur any charge. The hourly rate reflects cost recovery without profit and is based on the time and complexity of regulatory work rather than business size.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published the consultation outcome to the consultation on the development of new standard rules that would allow operators of existing installations to apply for a bespoke permit variation to permitted activities. The consultation received 16 responses, with most supporting the new approach. The EA has reviewed the responses, finalised the standard rules and generic risk assessment, and plans to publish them by April 2025. Guidance will be provided to help operators notify research and development (R&D) operations under the standard rules.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published the outcome of its consultation on updating standard rules permit SR2008 No 9 for the storage of asbestos waste and confirmed that the revised standard rules have been updated to provide greater clarity. Following the consultation, the EA retained the proposed control measures requiring asbestos waste to be stored for no more than six months, prohibiting the transfer of asbestos between bulk containers, the storage of loose asbestos or in bays, the stacking of bulk containers, and the use of mechanical equipment to move asbestos waste. It also revised the condition on point source emissions to clarify the discharge of surface water and require any surface water that has come into contact with asbestos waste to be filtered before discharge. The EA said that most respondents supported the proposals, with the final rules incorporating clarifications on the definition of bulk containers, waste transfers, surface water management and groundwater risks.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published its response to the consultation on the proposed best available techniques (BAT) implementation guidance for mid-merit gas generators. The consultation, which received four responses, proposed allowing gas generators to operate for up to 4,000 hours annually under new mid-merit criteria. However, industry respondents raised concerns about applying uniform efficiency and emissions thresholds across different technologies, arguing that such standards would disadvantage open cycle gas turbines compared to engines. In its response, the EA acknowledged these concerns and indicated the possibility of developing technology-specific criteria, in line with existing BAT reference documents, rather than imposing uniform standards. The EA also mentioned that it would engage with government departments to ensure proper policy alignment.