Long awaited enactment of the UK’s Environment Bill announced

Yesterday (9 November), parliament passed the Environment Bill, making the legislation UK law

The Environment Bill, intended to clean up the country’s air, restore natural habitats and increase biodiversity, is the first major piece of UK environmental legislation for around 20 years and has been waiting to be passed by parliament since its announcement in 2019.

Click here for more details outlining the Environment Bill.

Opportune to the currently on going COP26 in Glasgow, the Environment Bill now has Royal Assent. This means that the government and public bodies will be held accountable for their environmental obligations, driven by new legally binding environmental targets and enforced by a new independent party - Office for Environmental Protection (OEP).

In addition to this, ministers now have the power to introduce a range of waste reforms, all of which are currently under consultation, such as, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), Consistent Collections and Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

Now the bill has been passed by parliament, the environment act will have the ability to deliver the most ambitious environmental programme of any country on earth.

For queries regarding the Environment Bill or anything policy and consultation related, please don’t hesitate to contact our dedicated policy team at consultation@complydirect.com