United Kingdom: Environmental Law

Microplastic contamination from synthetic textiles poses a growing environmental threat, with fibres from man-made fabrics entering water systems through washing machine effluent. As countries like France mandate microplastic filters in washing machines and the EU implements new wastewater treatment rules, innovative companies are developing filtration technologies and novel removal methods to combat this pervasive pollution problem.

On 17 July 2026, the European Commission proposed a revision of the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) (the Proposal) for Phases 5 and 6 of the EU ETS post-2030. The Proposal forms part of a broader package of measures under the EU Clean Industrial Deal aimed at strengthening the EU's competitiveness, and accelerating industrial decarbonisation, with further legislative proposals expected in the coming months.

The revised National Policy Statement for Ports (NPSP) has been laid before Parliament and is expected to become the key planning policy document for major port developments in England and Wales. This article looks at the main changes and what they could mean for port authorities, developers, investors and other stakeholders.

Climate change is reshaping Scotland's water landscape, making riparian rights—the legal rights of landowners over rivers flowing through their property—increasingly important for developers and property owners. This article explores the complex framework of Scottish water law, from ancient Roman origins to modern hydroelectric schemes, and examines how competing interests over this finite resource may lead to future legal reforms.

The UK Government has introduced a new framework for offsetting environmental harms from housing and infrastructure development through the Nature Restoration Fund and Nature Restoration Levy. This approach pools money from individual developments to fund strategic environmental interventions, replacing the previous site-by-site mitigation system that was criticized for failing to halt environmental decline while slowing housing schemes.

On 16 June 2026, the Law Commission published two consultation papers proposing far-reaching changes to commercial leasehold law in England and Wales.

The Court of Appeal has refused an extension of time to appeal the Luton Airport DCO judicial review, marking the first enforcement of the Government's new shorter appeal deadlines for NSIP challenges.

The European Commission's ambitious plan to simplify environmental product regulations is actually transforming them into a more digital, interconnected, and enforceable framework that could significantly impact investment decisions.

The UK's ambitious Clean Power 2030 strategy and Great Grid Upgrade face a critical planning challenge that threatens to derail progress. As National Grid races to build new transmission lines for renewable energy, local authorities continue granting planning permissions for developments directly on proposed cable routes, forcing costly redesigns and delays.