This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: analysis of the proposed ban on the manufacture, supply and sale of plastic wet wipes, the Supreme court decision in Bridgend v Davies relating to Japanese knotweed, and the landmark High Court decision finding the revised climate plan proposed by the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero to be unlawful. In addition this week, the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) published a list of large organisations who have used the Report Packaging Data (RPD) service, allowing users to determine who bears the responsibility for packaging reporting.

This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: analysis of the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ)’s package of documentation on its proposed Greenhouse Gas Removals (GGR) Business Model and related policy, a major soft drinks company commitment to correcting its recycling claims under EU law, and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA)'s expansion of its supervisory responsibilities into a raft of new areas in 2026, including sustainability ratings, green bond issuance and major information technology service providers. In addition this week, t Natural England has launched a call for ideas funding opportunity under the Species Recovery Programme, inviting proposals for targeted action and research and development activities to support the recovery of threatened species and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has launched ISO 17298: Biodiversity for organisations – Guidelines and Requirements, the first international standard to help organisations globally take action on biodiversity.

Environment Health and Safety Please provide the following: 1 Copies of all environmental reports relating to the Property or the business of the Company including any desktop reports, phase 1 compliance audits, intrusive phase 2 reports, geotechnical reports, validation reports, environmental management audits, flood risk assessments, regulatory compliance audits or assessments and any documentation demonstrating that the recommended actions contained in the disclosed reports have been completed adequately. 2 Copies of all environmental permits (including licences, consents, authorisations, approvals, registrations, notifications and exemptions) required under environmental or health & safety (EHS) law in relation to the Property or the business of the Company, including copies of any compliance assessment reports, details of any pending applications for new permits or variations to existing permits and any correspondence sent to or received from the relevant competent authority or regulator in connection with the permit(s). 3 Details of activities carried out (including details of any hazardous substances used or stored) and any (a) known contamination (b) pollution incidents or remediation works, at the Property or at any former property owned,

The Environmental Agency (EA) has reported the arrest of three men near Peterborough on 21 January 2025, in connection with an ongoing investigation into large-scale, organised waste deposits across Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire. The operation, conducted in collaboration with Cambridgeshire Police, uncovered bales of waste concealed in coloured plastic wrap, mimicking legitimate agricultural practices. Authorities are urging landowners, businesses, and the public to report suspicious plastic-wrapped bales in rural areas, as waste criminals have been known to exploit vacant properties and farmland for illegal dumping. The case highlights the ongoing challenge of waste crime and its environmental and economic impact on rural communities. It also serves as a reminder that a waste environmental permit is required for the deposit and storage of waste bales under the Environmental Permitting Regulations 2016.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has announced the appointment of the Environment Agency (EA) as the Lead Environmental Regulator for the Sizewell C nuclear power station and the Lighthouse Green Fuels refinery projects. Under this arrangement, the EA will act as a single point of contact, coordinating streamlined and regulatory advice to support and expedite the planning and approval processes for both projects. Defra states that this approach will reduce costs and minimise delays while maintaining environmental protection standards. The decision forms part of the the implementation of reforms recommended by the Nuclear Regulatory Taskforce.

The Environment Agency (EA) has published a report, outlining key recommendations for planning reforms aimed at supporting sustainable growth in England's industrial clusters, with a focus on the Humber, Teesside and HyNet (North West) regions. The report stresses the need for industrial clusters to be better recognised in future planning reforms. It further recommends that industrial clusters be proactively incorporated into local growth plans and developed with the necessary environmental infrastructure, such as an adequate water supply. The report also identifies significant challenges facing these clusters, including limited water resource availability and climate-related risks. To address these challenges, the EA proposes the implementation of strategic growth plans and cluster-scale planning tools. Additionally, the EA has published an associated collection of technical documents examining the environmental capacity for deploying carbon capture and hydrogen production technology within these clusters. This collection includes detailed evidence reviews covering water availability, air quality, flood risk assessments, and potential environmental impacts.

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee has launched an inquiry into climate adaptation and is seeking written evidence on the climate risks facing the UK, the resilience of key infrastructure and the support needed by farmers to adapt. The inquiry will also examine nature-based solutions, how adaptation progress should be measured, whether the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency have sufficient capacity to coordinate adaptation work and whether current funding is adequate. The inquiry is intended to assess how the UK should respond as climate change increasingly affects communities, public services and the economy. The closing date for submissions is 21 October 2026.

The Environmental Audit Committee has launched a call for evidence on the sustainability of data centres in the UK, examining their role in UK economic growth as critical national infrastructure (CNI) and concerns over electricity consumption expected to quadruple by 2030. The inquiry seeks views on environmental impacts including energy consumption, water usage and implications for net zero goals, as well as the impact of AI on demand, planning, grid connections and decarbonisation. Evidence is invited on technologies, renewable energy and international lessons. The call for evidence closes on 6 April 2026.

Planning analysis: In this article, Alexa Culver, legal counsel at RSK Wilding, highlights the key points for practitioners to consider as Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025 (PIA 2025) passed into law. PIA 2025, Pt 3 relates to development and nature recovery, and has implications across the full spectrum of planning and environmental law. RSK Wilding, is an arm of the multi-disciplinary consultancy RSK Biocensus. Alexa is a member of the College of Experts at the Office for Environmental Protection, listed as one of the most impactful environmental lawyers of 2022 and 2025 by the ENDS Report, with over 16 years post qualification experience in land, planning, and environmental law.

The Environmental Delivery Plans (Appropriate Prioritisation) Regulations 2026, SI 2026/655 were made on 16 June 2026, laid before Parliament on 18 June 2026 and come into force on 9 July 2026. The Regulations prescribe how Natural England must prioritise different types of conservation measures when preparing an Environmental Delivery Plan (EDP) or considering whether to request amendments to an EDP under Part 3 of the Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025.

Insurance policies written specifically to provide cover for environmental damage, which is generally excluded from most other liability insurance, such as public liability policies.

Environment analysis: New Environmental Improvement Plan: the Government have issued a new Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) under the Environment Act 2021 (EA 2021). The new plan seeks to address the deficiencies in the 2023 EIP but questions remain as to whether it has sufficient urgency, whether there is sufficient focus on how the plan is to be achieved and whether there are sufficient resources to put it in place. Written by Clare Parry, barrister at Cornerstone Barristers.