This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: analysis of the Court of Appeal decision in R v Chamdal clarifying liability and sentencing for serious breaches of tree preservation orders. Also this week, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) published its Carbon Budget and Growth Delivery Plan, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and PackUK have published guidance for organisations seeking to become a Producer Responsibility Organisation (PRO) under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging scheme, and the Environment Agency (EA) issued final guidance on demonstrating decarbonisation readiness for new or substantially refurbished electricity-generating combustion plants in England when applying for an environmental permit. In addition this week, Ofwat has blocked over £3.4m in potential bonuses by enforcing new performance-related pay (PRP) rules introduced under the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: news analyses on the Health and Safety Executive's consultation on chemicals legislative reform and the government's new and detailed guidance for sewerage undertakers in England and Wales on the preparation of Drainage and Wastewater Management Plans (DWMPs) under section 94A of the Water Industry Act 1991 (WIA 1991). In addition this week, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has has launched two parallel calls for evidence on carbon capture, usage, and storage (CCUS) infrastructure development and PackUK has published a letter detailing key policy updates on the Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging (pEPR) scheme. Further this week, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), in conjunction with Scottish and Welsh Governments, has published a policy paper setting out the rationale for prioritising substances for potential regulatory action under the UK REACH work programme for 2025–26 and the Environment Agency (EA) has published its response to the 'working together' consultation on river basin management plans.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: a News Analysis on the proposed EU corporate sustainability due-diligence law appearing to be on the brink of being scrapped or delayed, the Spring Budget, and the Department for Business and Trade’s (DBT) response to the Task and Finish Group’s report on industry resilience for critical minerals. In addition, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published the government’s response to the consultation on regulatory proposals relating to the carbon capture, usage and storage (CCUS) transport and storage Revenue Support Agreement counterparty direction and the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Repairs (Defra) has published its response to the consultation on the protection of hedgerows and wildlife in England. We have also published a new Practice Note this week: Packaging waste—extended producer responsibility regime.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes the publication of new draft regulations increasing the fees payable in relation to central air zones and the coming into force of provisions of the Environment Act 2021 in relation to Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs). In addition this week, the Environment Agency (EA) has issued new guidance for those in need of an ammonia screening assessment and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has published new marine licensing guidance in the wake of the Ports Sandbox. Further, there have been several developments in the water sector, with Ofwat issuing two new pieces of guidances on major water infrastructure projects and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) updating its regulatory guidance on water fittings.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: analysis of the decision in Lipton v BA Cityflyer concerning analysis of rights accrued under EU-law, publication of the government response to its 2023 consultation on its proposals for a new six-year climate change agreements (CCA) scheme, to follow the existing scheme, and IP rights and the new EU Packaging Regulation. It also covers the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)'s decision to close its investigation to assess whether Unilever UK Limited's ‘green’ claims breached consumer protection laws, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)’s publishing of a statement on the upcoming plastic pollution treaty negotiations, the National Energy System Operator (NESO)'s publishing of its Clean Power 2030 (CP2030) report providing advice to the government on achieving clean power by 2030, and the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)'s publishing of a series of reports on future projections of water resource and demand in the UK. In addition, this week we conclude our coverage of the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP16) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Transition Plan Taskforce (TPT) has issued its final report outlining its work and achievements, highlighting global consistency in transition planning and its use in decision-making by financial institutions, corporations, governments and regulators.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: news analysis on the decision in R (on the application of World Uyghur Congress) v National Crime Agency , the Environment Agency (EA)'s consultation on the development of new standard rules for permitted activities, and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) and the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)'s publication of a joint interoperability mapping resource. In addition this week, the European Commission put forward the EU's objectives for applying the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, and opened a consultation on the inclusion of offshore ships in the emissions monitoring system, and the Scottish Government published a position paper on the proposed Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill and its response to a consultation on the Circular Economy and Waste Route Map to 2030.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has published UK greenhouse gas emissions statistics between 1990 and 2022– with the UK being the first major economy to halve its emissions, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced a consultation on new ‘not for EU’ labelling requirements on agrifood products, and the Environment Agency (EA) has announced the launch of a new Economic Crime Unit, which will tackle serious financial offences in the waste sector. In addition, the European Parliament and Council of the EU have reached agreement on new rules conferring a ‘right to repair’ on manufacturers, and the the Council of the EU and European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on the Net-Zero Industry Act  .

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes analysis of the Environmental Improvement Plan 2025 and the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025. In addition, we cover publication by the Environment Agency (EA) of its 2026 monitoring plan for packaging producer responsibility in England, the outcome of the Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (Defra)’s consultation on extending UK REACH transitional registration dossier submission deadlines and aligning the Health and Safety Executive’s compliance check timelines, and the publication by Defra, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and Natural England of an implementation plan for the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF).

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: news analysis on Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs v Pickering Fishery Association clarifying state duties regarding environmental management plans for water bodies, and whether if UK banks don’t meet climate-risk expectations, binding rules could follow. In addition this week, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)has published its response to the sandeel Arbitration Tribunal's final ruling in the UK-Sandeel case (the European Union v the United Kingdom), Case No 2024-45), which concerned the decisions by the UK and Scottish governments to close North Sea waters to sandeel fishing in March 2024 and the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) has submitted advice to the UK government on strengthening environmental protections in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill. Defra has also published guidance on conservation translocation in England, providing information on the responsible reintroduction or relocation of species including plants, animals, and fungi into the wild and the Climate Change Committee has published their 'Progress in adapting to climate change: 2025 report to Parliament'. Further, the Environment Agency (EA) has published a new framework document, outlining how it will work with Defra.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: the government response and final stage impact assessment for introducing Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards (MEES) in the social rented sector in England and the launch of an Environment Audit Committee inquiry on the sustainability of data centres. In addition this week, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has published the consultation outcome for the UK Marine Strategy Part One consultation and responses to the consultation on the implementation of Part IV of the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Agreement, and the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has published new guidance on the use of marine plans. Further, Defra has announced £90 million in funding for threatened species recovery across England, the Environment Agency (EA) has updated its guidance on water resource planning, and the Welsh government has published new guidance on waste collection and revised its species and habitats list under section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: the Environment team at LexisNexis® looking back at some of the key environmental law developments and cases in 2024, analysis on the Court of Appeal's decision that the English Court was clearly and distinctly the appropriate forum to hear a number of claims against Dyson, relating to trafficking and forced labour, the Court of Appeal's guidance on guidance on class actions, lead claims, global claims and disclosure in Alame v Shell and the overturning of the original 2021 judgment ordering Royal Dutch Shell to reduce emissions by 45% in the Hague Court of Appeal . In addition, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has issued the first UK Biennial Transparency Report to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) under the Paris Agreement, the Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a consultation, seeking views on proposals supporting the UK's transition to zero emission vehicles (ZEVs) and the Environment Agency (EA) has launched a consultation on an updated enforcement and sanctions policy. Further, the Department for Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced plans to end neonicotinoid pesticide use in England, it has also published new guidance on extended producer responsibility (EPR) for packaging, the EA has published the Packaging Producer Responsibility Monitoring Plan for 2025 and the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee has launched a new long-term inquiry titled ‘Reforming the Water Sector’.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: analysis of the decision in Lanchester Properties v Forestry Commission, where the High Court dismissed a judicial review challenge to the Forestry Commission’s negative screening opinion of an afforestation project in County Durham under the Environmental Impact Assessment (Forestry) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999, SI 1999/2228. In addition this week, Defra and Environment Agency have announced a civil standard penalties framework for water companies, the European Commission has adopted revised European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS),, the government has responded the Environment Audit Committee (EAC)’s inquiry into perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) and the Commercial Organisations and Public Authorities Duty (Human Rights and Environment) Bill, which would increase companies’ responsibilities to prevent human rights and environmental abuses through due diligence has been introduced to the House of Lords. This week we have also published a new Practice Note on the Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026.