Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

Related legal acts

Key definition

Policy definition

What does Policy mean? In property practice, particularly in Scotland, policy (often policies) describes the grounds of a house—typically the garden, drives, parkland and other enclosed land associated with a dwelling, often within a boundary or policy wall. It is a descriptive conveyancing term rather than a defined statutory concept, but is well‑established in Scots property usage and title deeds. The term is used to identify what land is conveyed or retained with a house, to interpret real burdens and servitudes affecting the grounds (for example, maintenance of policy walls, tree controls or access routes), and to assess privacy and public access. In Scotland, guidance...

Environmental Policies in the UK: Legal Context, Reporting, Due Diligence, Drafting, Implementation and KPIs

Published by a LexisNexis Environment expert

Practice notes

What is an environmental Policy?

An environmental policy is a formal written declaration that sets out an organisation’s mission for handling the environmental risks and effects arising from its activities.

states the organisation’s environmental goals and targets and may underpin an environmental management system (EMS), where relevant
should be signed off and actively championed by top management and understood by all employees
enables management to convey its environmental goals and targets to staff and other stakeholders, including shareholders, customers and suppliers
ought to be embedded within overall business strategy

Why should lawyers be aware of environmental policies?

There is no statutory duty in the UK for companies to maintain an environmental (or Sustainability) policy. Nevertheless, under the Companies Act 2006 and related corporate reporting rules, certain companies must report and disclose their environmental impacts (including climate-related risks), together with key Performance indicators (KPIs). For further details, see Practice Note: Mandatory environmental reporting and Disclosure. An environmental policy helps frame these disclosures and gives the business a platform to consider and explain how it will manage its environmental risk...

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Colleen Theron

Ardea International

Colleen is a tri-qualified solicitor and founder of Ardea International ( previously CLT envirolaw), a niche company that provides sustainability, modern slavery, business and human rights consultancy and expertise to enable companies to meet both their legal obligations and develop voluntary best practice standards. Prior to establishing CLT envirolaw, she worked as an environmental lawyer in the City of London and was recognised by The Legal 500 and Chambers as a leading environmental law practitioner. Colleen’s indefatigable passion for combating human trafficking, particularly in business supply chains led her to found the not-for-profit organisation Finance Against Trafficking. She has spoken widely on the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, modern slavery and sustainable business emphasising the growing overlap between best practice sustainability and the law. She is also a member of the steering group of the British Association for...

Web page updated on 21/05/2026

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