What to expect from environmental law in 2026

For those who avidly follow our environmental blogs, you will know that at the start of each year we do a short review of the key changes in environmental regulation over the previous year and a look ahead to what to expect in the upcoming year.  This year is no different!

As predicted in our 2025 lookahead, 2025 was a very busy year for environmental law.  From the Springtime announcement of the outcome of the long-awaited Corry Review of DEFRA’s regulatory landscape; to publication of the Independent Water Commission’s report into the water sector which was released during the height of summer; to the wintertime release of the updated Environmental Improvement Plan (EIP) – the breadth and depth of change across the environmental legal landscape over the last 12 months has been significant.

Given the number of upcoming developments in the environment sector in 2026, we have split our update this year into five sections; Regulation and Governance, Water, Natural Capital and Air Emissions, Chemicals, and Waste and Circular Economy.  We will be publishing these updates on successive days next week.  We will also publish further updates as the year progresses. 

As will be clear in our updates, if the planned developments are brought forward, then almost every area of the environment sector is likely to be affected.  In any event, it is clear that environmental issues will remain on the political agenda for the foreseeable future. 

Burges Salmon advises on a wide range of environmental law, including the topics outlined above.  To reflect the growth in the need for advice in this area, we are delighted to welcome back Simon Tilling as a partner in our team following a spell at a US firm and then in-house.  This significantly increases our capacity to assist clients in this area.  Before Christmas we also welcomed back Sarah Sackville Hamilton from maternity leave and new recruit Lucinda Huntsman to join our busy team.

As ever, if you have any questions on environmental law, please contact a member of the Environment Team.  In the meantime, as a scene-setter, it is informative to reflect on the following quote from the Corry Review:

“…If we truly want to protect nature and drive growth, we must deliver [the recommended] changes to provide a more coherent, consistent and practical system, whilst changing our perspective on environmental regulations and targets, viewing them as building blocks, not roadblocks, to economic growth. …”