Environment, carbon and sustainability | Home

ClientEarth supporters gathered outside the Supreme Court following the first victory in 2015. Photograph: ClientEarth

Legal bill for air quality cases revealed

23 October 2017 12:27 BST

The government spent over £360,000 in an unsuccessful attempt to defend DEFRA’s air pollution policies when they were challenged in the courts by ClientEarth

Environmental Law

Latest Articles

Consultation opens on new mercury controls

23 October 2017 17:34 BST

DEFRA and the devolved administrations are seeking views on the enforcement of new EU and international rules on mercury and its compounds

Products & Chemicals
Environment Agency updates groundwater vulnerability maps

23 October 2017 15:34 BST

The Environment Agency has updated its groundwater vulnerability maps to include improved data and help regulators, planners and developers gauge the likely viability of projects

Water Management
Waste boss told ‘pay £2m or it’s eight years in jail’

20 October 2017 16:54 BST

A long-running investigation by the Environment Agency has concluded with a £1.99m confiscation order

Environmental Law
Waste criminal jailed twice and loses home for failure to pay up

20 October 2017 16:22 BST

A waste criminal who refused to pay court ordered costs, has served two prison sentences and lost his house after proceeds of crime order was enforced

Waste & Resources
UK 'nowhere near' meeting Chinese recyclate quality demands

19 October 2017 16:04 BST

“Extreme” Chinese recyclate restrictions would prevent the export of household plastic packaging and mixed paper for recycling from the UK, according to WRAP

Waste & Resources
Exclusive
Environment Agency set to reopen 'definition of waste panel'

18 October 2017 15:38 BST

The industry has welcomed the EA’s plan to reopen the panel, which rules on when materials have reached end of waste status

Waste & Resources
CGS: Domestic sector to make big gains from energy efficiency

19 October 2017 12:45 BST

Energy efficiency is now at the centre of Westminster’s green policies, signalling a clear direction for reducing carbon from housing

Energy
Gove to consult on Brexit changes to environmental law

18 October 2017 17:09 BST

DEFRA is looking at how best to consult on its programme of statutory instruments (SIs) needed to bring EU law onto the UK’s statute books

Environmental Politics
Half of all rivers in England and Wales polluted by wastewater

18 October 2017 15:04 BST

Some 55% of all rivers in England and Wales are failing to reach water quality standards because of wastewater pollution, according to the WWF

Water Management
Campaign launched ahead of London’s T-charge

18 October 2017 13:43 BST

The mayor of London has launched a vehicle emissions checking service and a ‘hard-hitting’ advertising campaign against pollution

Air Management
New challenge to air quality plan

18 October 2017 12:43 BST

The government’s third attempt at producing an air quality plan has failed to address the issues which doomed the two previous plans, claims ClientEarth

Environmental Law
MPs warn DEFRA to pick up the pace

17 October 2017 17:36 BST

The chair of the EFRA Committee has complained to the environment secretary that DEFRA is dragging its heels

Environmental Politics

More news & analysis

Big Issue

European and UK flags

Brexit Update

Featured articles

Shine or grime: government’s clean strategy revealed

The Clean Growth Strategy resurrects an enthusiasm for decarbonisation not seen since David Cameron’s 2010 pledge to be the greenest government ever, but will it live up to expectations?
Industry emissions continue steady decline

The eighth year of emissions data under the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register was released in September, showing continuing progress in reducing a wide range of air pollutants and greenhouse gases in 2015
Biomass fuels debate on sustainability

Bioenergy has dominated the EU’s agenda as a suitable renewable energy source for years with takers in the transport, heating and electricity generation sector, but is all this about to change for the UK? James Parsons investigates
Rise of the zombie pollutants

Climate change is stirring up historic contaminated sediments from England’s rivers and little is being done to clean them up, as Rachel Salvidge discovers
Green finance will make the system fit for purpose

Nick Robins: Investment funds that adhere to environmental, social and governance standards are starting to be recognised as the building blocks for a sustainable and prosperous economy
Courts will hesitate to push EU air quality boundaries

Richard Macrory: The legal system is ever ready to put pressure on government to meet air quality limits but it has yet to be seen how far the courts will go to exercise their powers to call-in plans
The political environment

What will Brexit mean for the enforcement of environmental law as the UK prepares to strike out on its own? Tom Reeve investigates what could replace the European Commission as the ultimate watchdog
A system that rewards law breakers is in need of reform

Nathan Richardson: We all want to reduce pollution but asking customers to pay water companies for breaking the law less often is not the way to go about it. Nor is hoping for less flood-inducing weather
CGS: Plan for greener growth launched

The long-awaited Clean Growth Strategy has been unveiled by the government, to mixed reviews from green campaigners

More from ENDS Report

Document Watch

CONCAWE report: Mineral oils are safe for human health?

23 October 2017 15:28 BST
DEFRA statistics: Fly-tipping in England, 2016/17

23 October 2017 15:26 BST
EFSA: Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance trifloxystrobin

23 October 2017 15:25 BST
The Lancet Commission report: Pollution and health

23 October 2017 15:25 BST
WWF report: Flushed Away: How sewage is still polluting the rivers of England and Wales

23 October 2017 15:24 BST
BEIS policy paper: Nuclear Safeguards Bill: summary factsheet

23 October 2017 15:22 BST
Joint regulatory report: Radioactivity in Food and the Environment, 2016

23 October 2017 15:22 BST
NRW Consultation: Charging scheme for 2018-19 (October 2017)

23 October 2017 15:21 BST
CEPS report: Improving the Market for Flexibility in the Electricity Sector

23 October 2017 15:20 BST

Find policy documents

Search the UK's most comprehensive environmental policy database

Special Reports

Environmental consultancy market review 2017

26 June 2017

Big infrastructure, Brexit and changes to regulations were some of the hot topics at this year’s ENDS Report roundtable of environmental consultants
ENDS Environmental Impact Awards 2017

4 May 2017

ENDS inaugural Environmental Impact Awards recognised the achievements of 11 winners and several highly commended projects and teams
UK environmental law on the way to Brexit

29 March 2017

A guide for environmental professionals on key issues in UK environmental law and compliance during the Brexit negotiations, highlighting four ways in which the legal relationship between UK and EU law could begin to loosen even before the final date of departure.
An environmental union?

26 April 2016

The EU has a big influence in British environmental policy and standards, making environmental professionals relatively well informed about its workings. Does the UK environmental profession respect the EU and want Britain to remain, or has familiarity bred contempt? In association with Society for the Environment ENDS surveyed the profession to find out.