Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Environment definition

What does Environment mean? In legal practice, environment refers to the natural media and the living systems potentially affected by a project, operation or emission. UK environmental legislation commonly defines it as including air, water and land, and any living organisms (including humans) and ecosystems supported by those media. Similar formulations are used across England & Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and in Irish environmental legislation; exact wording varies by statute and context, but usage is broadly consistent. Where a regime provides a definition, courts apply that text; where it does not, the term carries its ordinary meaning. The concept sets the scope of regulatory...

Environmental civil sanctions in England and Wales: regulators, sanctions types, climate scheme penalties, VMP cap removal (England), cost recovery, appeals, and criminal prosecution interface

Published by a LexisNexis Environment expert

Practice notes

Enforcement bodies

Reviewed by Professor Richard Macrory

From 4 January 2011, the Environment agency (EA) has exercised powers conferred by the Environmental Civil Sanctions (England) Order 2010, SI 2010/1157, and the Environmental Sanctions (Wales) Order 2010, SI 2010/1821. Natural England (NE) began applying these powers on 3 January 2012. In England, the EA and NE are the authorities charged with enforcing environmental civil sanctions. From 1 April 2013, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has taken on the role of enforcing environmental civil sanctions in Wales. Civil sanctions were created by the Regulatory Sanctions and Enforcement Act 2008 (RESA 2008), which supplies the principal framework. Orders made under RESA 2008 concerning environmental civil sanctions commenced in England on 6 April 2010 and in Wales on 15 July 2010. Their purpose was to render the enforcement of environmental law more adaptable and efficient for regulators and for businesses. The civil sanctions system is intentionally connected to criminal offences identified in the Orders. Regulators retain discretion over how to address any breach of regulation, and may still bring prosecutions before the criminal courts...

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Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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