In focus

Will Thérèse Coffey be a good environment secretary?

Coffey is back at the helm at DEFRA and has a groaning in-tray to address. She supports ELMS and knows her way around the waste brief, but will she be an environmental champion? asks James Fair

Latest environmental politics news

Pow promises ‘gold standards’ on chemicals regulation as fears over impact of UK-REACH delays grow

EA denies taking decision to scale back water pollution inspections

‘Culture of delay’: 16 stalled DEFRA policies

DEFRA will take a ‘retain by default’ approach to mass scrap of EU-derived laws, says Coffey

‘Cautious optimism’: Water companies must start planning for drought now, say decision-makers

Green watchdog asked to investigate DEFRA’s environmental targets deadline breach

Natural Resources Wales ‘admits link between chicken farms and river Wye pollution’

EA in talks with government on increasing regulatory costs, says Sir James Bevan

Government moves forward with £700 million stake in Sizewell C

U-turn on the horizon for onshore wind as Sunak bends to pressure from Tory rebels

Environmental politics analysis

Environment Agency chief executive: What is Sir James Bevan’s legacy?

24 Nov 2022 by Catherine Early
Environment Agency staff have voted in favour of strike action, all rivers are failing to meet legal standards for health, and enforcement action has crashed. But can the chief executive be held responsible? asks Catherine Early

The lobbies, the economics, the environmental impact: UK oil and gas industry briefing

23 Nov 2022 by Thomas Perrett
The oil and gas industry takes centre stage in debates about the future of UK energy and the path to net zero. But who exactly are the major firms, how and who do they lobby, what is their economic, ecological, and climatic impact, and what is the future of these fossil fuels? Thomas Perrett unpacks the industry in the first of a new ENDS series

Does the UK need a dedicated Chemicals Agency?

17 Nov 2022 by Shosha Adie
Delays, distractions and missing details have, by many accounts, been the defining factors of chemical regulation during the UK post-Brexit transition. But could a dedicated UK chemicals agency help smooth the process? Shosha Adie reports

‘A moment of accountability’: The biggest talking points at COP27

02 Nov 2022 by Catherine Early
Government officials, campaign groups and businesses are preparing for this week's round of climate talks, but what will be on the table? Catherine Early takes a look

How many legal deadlines has DEFRA missed?

31 Oct 2022 by Tess Colley
DEFRA has missed the deadline set by the Environment Act to publish long-term environmental targets. But it’s not the only legal deadline the government has missed recently, as noted by the green watchdog last week. Here’s what you need to know

How realistic is the government's 30x30 land and sea protection target?

27 Oct 2022 by James Fair
Can the UK commit to a target of protecting and managing 30% of its land and sea territories for nature by 2030 – the so-called 30x30 target? asks James Fair

ECO Chamber podcast

ECO CHAMBER PODCAST: Peer pressure, tidal power, and the government's pilloried poo plan

Forever chemicals, Bevan's goodbye and net zero heroes

Phantom rules, tardy targets, and Thérèse Coffey’s comeback

Lord Heseltine interview, EA strikes and Labour's lacklustre green policies

Jemima Clusterduck, Tory conference gossip and the Environment Agency's dirty secret

ECO CHAMBER PODCAST SPECIAL – SEVERN: The poisoning of Britain's Amazon
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AN ENDS REPORT WEBINAR

The UK's emerging
green governance
landscape

Available on demand

Hear speakers from the Office for Environmental Protection and Environmental Standards Scotland discuss the UK's emerging green governance arrangements at this free to view webinar. We discuss what’s happened so far, the early priorities for the UK’s new green watchdogs, and what environmental professionals can expect to come.

Interviews

Interview: ClientEarth’s new boss on the next chapter in environmental litigation

Watchdog unleashed: Natalie Prosser on how the OEP is already having an impact

Interview: NFU president Minette Batters on why we’re all complicit in farm pollution

Interview: The chair of Scotland’s new green watchdog talks about plans for investigations and maintaining independence

Interview: Delivering a huge road-building programme in the face of the climate crisis

Interview: Rebecca Pow on the great British sewage scandal

Interview: Professor Sir Partha Dasgupta on why we need to place a value on nature

Interview: What’s next in the global fight against chemicals and waste pollution

Interview: Rebecca Pow on the latest amendments to the Environment Bill

Interview: Professor Shanna Swan on why man-made chemicals threaten the future of the human race

Legal comment

Legal comment: Why a quashed appeal for wind farm planning permission will bring uncertainty for developers

09 Nov 2022 by Laura Tainsh
The court’s decision to uphold a ruling which refused planning permission for an offshore wind farm due to its impact on the landscape is likely to cause uncertainty for developers, as achievement of energy targets is not given decisive weight under the current Scottish planning system, writes Laura Tainsh

Legal comment: The practicalities of cases where property rights meet environmental regulations

13 Oct 2022 by Nina Pindham
When a minerals supplier took Natural England to the High Court this year the case produced some particularly practical advice for lawyers. Nina Pindham of No.5 Barrister’s Chambers explains

Legal comment: Nutrient neutrality in the courts - the limits of precaution

07 Sep 2022 by Ned Westaway
A judge’s dismissal of a legal challenge against Natural England’s nutrient neutrality advice is an important restatement of the reluctance of the courts to intervene in technical cases, writes Ned Westaway

Legal comment: Why the courts will not intervene when it comes to a water company’s duty to invest in sewage infrastructure

25 Aug 2022 by Simon Tilling
In June, judges rejected a private claim against a water company for illegal sewage discharges, reasoning that statutory oversight created by Parliament ousted the role of the court when ruling on cases where the only solution was capital investment in England’s sewerage infrastructure. The case shows why the courts will not step into this controversial fray, writes Simon Tilling

Legal comment: How the government’s defeat on its Net Zero Strategy shows the teeth of the Climate Change Act

27 Jul 2022 by Simon Tilling
The High Court judgment on the government’s Net Zero Strategy has confirmed just how much detail is needed to discharge legal duties and allow adequate scrutiny under the Climate Change Act, and will be of relevance to all environmental professions, writes Simon Tilling

Why environmental non-compliance can have legal consequences outside of fines and community service

15 Jul 2022 by Angus Evers
The Court of Appeal has dismissed an appeal by a former waste company director given a conditional discharge and a five-year disqualification order after being convicted of an environmental permitting offence. The case shows how non-compliance can have consequences outside of fines and community service, writes Angus Evers


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