Draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill 2018
The draft Environment Bill sets out how we will maintain environmental standards and build on the 25 Year Environment Plan. We've published a July 2019 update.
The draft Environment (Principles and Governance) Bill sets out how the government will maintain environmental standards as we leave the EU. It also details how we will build on the vision of the 25 Year Environment Plan.
This includes creating an independent body - the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) – which will:
- scrutinise environmental law and the government’s environmental improvement plan (EIP)
- investigate complaints on environmental law
- take enforcement action on environmental law
The broader Environment Bill will also include measures on air quality, nature recovery, waste and resource efficiency and water management.
July 2019 update
The July 2019 policy statement sets out where we are with the entire Environment Bill and the progress we’ve made since December 2018. It has been published as part of a package which includes a report on air quality and several consultation responses:
- Air quality: report assessing progress towards achieving WHO guideline levels in the UK
- Conservation covenants
- Improving our management of water in the environment
- Introducing a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for drinks containers (bottles and cans)
- Biodiversity net gain: updating planning requirements
- Packaging waste: changing the UK producer responsibility system for packaging waste
- Waste and recycling: making recycling collections consistent in England
Related links
Read the summary of responses to the developing environmental principles and accountability consultation.