About Environment Law
Have you been instructed at short notice to advise on transactions or new environmental legislation outside your comfort zone? Are you up-to-date with the latest changes in environmental regulation – and have a sense of what’s on the horizon?
Current awareness, horizon scanning and trackers
Our curated daily news alerts, environmental law podcast and dedicated environmental law trackers, split according to topic and covering consultations and legislation, alongside our cases tracker, will save you time.
Air emissions and climate change
We show where climate change targets come from at national, European and international levels, plus we detail climate reporting and disclosure frameworks, track litigation and provide practical guidance for your business
Brexit and divergence
We detail the environmental law regimes that have been impacted by Brexit and track EU/UK/GB divergence.
Transactional support
We’ll give you transactional support guides and precedents for the environmental and health and safety (EHS) issues that environmental lawyers need to consider when supporting corporate and property deals.
Topics We Cover
Latest Environment News
Ofwat has published its initial regulatory approach to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in the water sector during the transition to new...
The Irish Presidency of the Council of the EU has published its programme for 1 July 2026 to 31 December 2026, outlining its priorities and direction....
The Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) has published Version 2.0 of its Corporate Net-Zero Standard, establishing an updated framework for...
This week's edition of Environment weekly highlights includes: new consultations from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) on a...
The Council of the EU and European Parliament have announced a provisional agreement on the amendment to the market stability reserve (MSR) for the...
Latest Environment Practice Notes
LegislationThe:•Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981•the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations 2017, SI 2017/1012 (Habitats...
The freedom of information (FOI) case tracker records and summarises key decisions and case law rulings relating to the enforcement of the Freedom of...
This tracker tool tracks and summarises key new legislation and consultations in England and Wales linked to water and marine.The tracker is divided...
This Practice Note is a horizon scanner tracking key future developments in the field of Environmental law in England and Wales. It provides details...
This tracker tool tracks and summarises key new legislation in England and Wales and consultations linked to climate action and emissions reduction...
Latest Environment Precedents
These precedent green clauses are for insertion into a lease of commercial property to encourage alterations/improvements that improve the...
[Insert name of public authority][Insert public authority's address, including postcode][Insert public authority’s email address or email address of...
[Insert address of applicant][Insert name of public authority][Insert address of public authority][Insert date of application]Dear [insert...
These Precedent sustainability definitions, produced by The Chancery Lane Project (TCLP) as part of its climate change glossary, provide definitions...
Memorandum prepared by [Name of Firm]For the directors of[insert company name] (the Company)advising on annual environmental reporting1ScopeThis...
Latest Environment Q&As
Featured Environment content
Private nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher—common law liability for environmental harm
Nuisance and the rule in Rylands v Fletcher—common law liability for pollutionPrivate nuisancePrivate nuisance is an unlawful interference with a...
Public nuisance—general principles
Public nuisance—general principlesPublic nuisanceThe common law offence of public nuisance was abolished by section 78 of the Police, Crime,...
Meaning of waste—definition of waste
Meaning of waste—definition of wasteDefinition of Waste'Waste' is defined in the Waste Framework Directive, Directive 2008/98/EC (WFD) as any...
Environment Agency (EA)—powers of entry
Environment Agency (EA)—powers of entryThe Environment Agency (EA), Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have...
Commercial Property Standard Enquiries (CPSE)—environmental and health and safety considerations and additional enquiries
Commercial Property Standard Enquiries (CPSE)—environmental and health and safety enquiriesCommercial Property Standard Enquiries (CPSEs) are industry...
Highway drains and culverts
Highway drains and culvertsFor the purposes of s 100 of the Highways Act 1980, a ‘highway drain’ is defined as including a ditch, gutter, watercourse,...
Environmental insurance—when is it needed?
Environmental insurance—when is it needed?What is environmental insurance?Environmental insurance is a risk transfer solution to indemnify the insured...
Riparian ownership—rights and responsibilities
Riparian ownership—rights and responsibilitiesWhat does riparian ownership mean and who does it affect?‘If you own land or property next to a river,...
Control of asbestos—asbestos surveys
Control of asbestos—asbestos surveysLegal requirementsThere is a legal presumption that any non-domestic buildings (and the common parts of domestic...
Environmental management—environmental management systems (EMS)
Environmental management—environmental management systems (EMS)What is an environmental management system (EMS)?An environmental management system...
Water pollution—legislation
Water pollution—legislation This Practice Note looks at the key legislation in England and Wales for controlling and preventing water pollution and...
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—snapshot
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)—snapshotTitleUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)Parties168Adopted10...
Judicial review—sufficient interest (standing) in environmental matters
Judicial review—sufficient interest (standing) in environmental mattersOriginally produced in partnership with Alistair Mills of Landmark Chambers and...
Contaminated land—remediation notices (service and appeal)
Contaminated land—remediation notices (service and appeal)What is a remediation notice?A remediation notice is a formal written notice that requires...
Energy performance certificates (EPCs)—issues for commercial landlords and tenants
Energy performance certificates (EPCs)—issues for commercial landlords and tenantsThis Practice Note looks at some of the key practical issues for...
Environmental management—environmental legal registers
Environmental management—environmental legal registersWhat is a legal register?A legal register is the documented output from a process where an...
Environmental liabilities—what are clean-up liabilities?
Environmental liabilities—what are clean-up liabilities?Clean-up liabilities are legal and financial obligations to remediate pollution or...
Contaminated land—meaning of remediation
Contaminated land—meaning of remediationMeaning of remediation'Remediation' is given a relatively wide definition in the Environmental Protection Act...
Associated legal terms
Anti-pollution works
Environmental measures that can be imposed by the Environment Agency through a works notice in order to protect controlled waters.
Compliance classification scheme
A national system used by the Environment Agency for categorising non-compliance with different regulatory permit conditions, based on the same approach as the Common Incident Classification Scheme (CICS).
Science-based or Paris-aligned
where a company’s target is aligned with the steps necessary to meet the goals of the agreement'>Paris Agreement—ie limiting global warming to less than 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with a target of 1.5°C
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