Jurisdiction(s):
United Kingdom

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...

Stockholm 1972: UN Conference on the Human Environment—Declaration, Action Plan, UNEP institutions, negotiation themes and legacy for international and European environmental law

Published by a LexisNexis Environment expert

Practice notes

Background

The United Nations Conference on the Human environment (the Stockholm Conference) stands as a landmark in the shaping of modern environmental law. Held in Stockholm, Sweden, from 5–16 June 1972, it gathered delegates from 113 nations together with over 400 intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations. As the first intergovernmental forum devoted to environmental matters, it acknowledged that protecting the environment is a fundamental concern affecting both human well-being and global economic progress. Instead of imposing precise obligations, it set out broad environmental policy aims and objectives. By recognising the need to renew the bond between humanity and nature, the conference prompted the creation of a range of environmental institutions within the United Nations (UN). Notably, it also paved the way for significant national and international environmental instruments, including:

1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
1985 Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer
2001 Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants

At its mid-1968 session, the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) decided to place on its agenda the convening of an ‘International Conference on the Problems of the Human Environment’, following a proposal...

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Web page updated on 22/05/2026

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