United Kingdom: Environment

With the school holidays just around the corner every parent across the UK will this week no doubt mutter the words, “just watch, it will be raining constantly as soon as they stop school”, or words to that effect. That’s because as sure as night follows day, we can always rely on the sun to come out when “school’s in” and this year seems no different with temperatures on Monday and Tuesday in the high 20s and predicted to rise for the rest of the week- even in Manchester.

Sustainability is no longer a niche concern within the cosmetics and skincare sector. Increasingly, brands are being challenged by consumers, retailers and regulators to reduce waste and demonstrate meaningful environmental credentials.

The Environment Agency has released updated guidance for Phase 4 of the Energy Savings Opportunity Scheme (ESOS), introducing new reporting requirements and compliance changes. Organizations must now provide detailed information about implemented energy efficiency measures, including energy savings achieved and relevant categories, while Display Energy Certificates and Green Deal Assessments are no longer accepted as alternative compliance routes.

With the school holidays just around the corner every parent across the UK will this week no doubt mutter the words, “just watch, it will be raining constantly as soon as they stop school”, or words to that effect. That’s because as sure as night follows day, we can always rely on the sun to come out when “school’s in” and this year seems no different with temperatures on Monday and Tuesday in the high 20s and predicted to rise for the rest of the week- even in Manchester.

The Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, Gillian Martin MSP, has written to the Rural Affairs Committee, providing an update on the phased implementation of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2025 (“the Act") and setting out indicative timescales for the next stages of the process.

This comprehensive environmental law update examines significant regulatory changes across biodiversity net gain, waste tracking, carbon border adjustments, PFAS chemicals, water company enforcement, and infrastructure planning reforms. The analysis explores how new regulations will reshape environmental compliance obligations for businesses, landowners, and developers while examining the balance between regulatory protection and operational flexibility.

Periods of prolonged heat and dry weather are becoming an increasingly significant challenge for the agricultural sector. While the operational impacts are often immediate, the legal and regulatory risks can be just as important.

The ASA upheld the two complaints, one of which came from a chimney sweep, finding that the Council had failed to substantiate the direct causal link between the use of wood burners and open fires...

White Papers, consultations, reports, updates – all pointing towards increased accountability, along with guidance on the implementation of sanctions and their enforcement when environment...

This comprehensive environmental law update examines significant regulatory changes across biodiversity net gain, waste tracking, carbon border adjustments, PFAS chemicals, water company enforcement, and infrastructure planning reforms. The analysis explores how new regulations will reshape environmental compliance obligations for businesses, landowners, and developers while examining the balance between regulatory protection and operational flexibility.

Site remediation sits at the intersection of environmental law, corporate strategy, and land value. From heavy industry and manufacturing through to energy, retail, and logistics, legacy contamination and the obligations that come with it are important to recognise and understand. Multiple legal, commercial, and policy pressures are converging, and the businesses best placed to benefit are those that treat remediation as a strategic asset rather than a compliance cost.

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.