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
A round-up of the latest environmental enforcement, including a £15.7m enforcement package secured by Ofwat from a wastewater company following an...
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) have announced that the...
The European Commission has adopted the European Ocean Pact, a comprehensive strategy designed to protect marine ecosystems, boost the competitiveness...
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has published the consultation outcome, and joint government response from DHSC and NHS England,...
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has announced that new provisions under the Water (Special Measures) Act 2025 (W(SM)A...
Latest Environment Practice Notes
Sustainable finance—recent newsThis Practice Note links to news on sustainable finance, including green loans and green bonds, that has been published...
Biodiversity net gain in EnglandWhat is biodiversity net gain?Biodiversity net gain (BNG) is a principle which aims to leave the natural environment...
Water industry regulation—OfwatThis Practice Note sets out the key legal issues pertaining to the Water Services Regulation Authority (Ofwat) and...
Flood management and drainage—lead local flood authorityFlood and Water Management Act 2010The Flood and Water Management Act 2010 (FWMA 2010) was...
Land Drainage Act 1991—snapshotTitleLand Drainage Act 1991Entry into Force1 December 1991Transposition DeadlineN/AAmendmentsEnvironment (Wales) Act...
Latest Environment Precedents
Pie crust lease of a unit on an estateHM Land Registry Prescribed ClausesLR1. Date of the lease[date]LR2. Title number(s)LR2.1 Landlord's title...
Transfer of environmental permits1DefinitionsContamination•means the presence at any time of any Hazardous Substances in the soil and water at or...
Sustainable Soil Management Obligations (The Chancery Lane Project)This Precedent on Sustainable Soil Management Obligations is a set of sustainable...
Commercial Lease: Alterations (improve environmental performance)—(The Chancery Lane Project)These precedent green clauses are for insertion into a...
Green Residential Lease Clauses (The Chancery Lane Project)These Precedent green clauses are for insertion into a long residential lease to require...
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
Environment
The environment includes all or any of the following media; air, water and land and any living organisms (including humans) or ecosystems supported by those media.
Environmental statement
The information which is put forward by an applicant as part of a planning application for a development project that requires an Environmental Impact Assessment.
List of wastes
The pan-European classification system of wastes, formerly known as the European Waste Catalogue.
CONTACT US
