Environmental law concerns the rules and regulations which help protect the environment. Below we explore the key legislation which governs environmental law in the UK, explore if legislation needs to go further and discuss how budding environmental lawyers can break into the field.
Written by Grant Longstaff. Published 21 September 2026.
What is the aim of environmental law?
Environmental laws exist to protect the environment and help ensure that individuals, organisations and governments are behaving responsibly and ethically. Though environmental law can be complex, the ultimate goal is to protect the natural world and its impact can be felt almost everywhere. Everything from recycling at home to the commitments made by governments and corporations around the world are, in some way, guided by laws and legislation.
Main areas of environmental law in the UK
There are many facets to environmental law and as a result there are also a number of acts which help govern it. Each act and regulation established helps shape the landscape of environmental law. One of the most significant is the Environment Act 2021, which outlined long term targets to protect the natural environment. The Act prioritises air quality, water quality, biodiversity, resource efficiency and waste reduction and established (OEP) to “protect and improve the environment by holding government and other public authorities to account.”
Other acts include the Climate Change Act (2008), a legally binding framework to cut carbon emissions to Net Zero by 2050, the Environmental Protection Act 1990 which outlines waste management and controls emissions and The Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 which helps protect wildlife in Britain.
Does environmental law in the UK go far enough?
Environmental law is becoming increasingly important in our lives and affects everyone, both personally and professionally. However, does environmental law go far enough as it currently exists? Several organisations criticised the Environment Act 2021 for not doing enough to protect the environment and tackling climate change.
, a leading environmental organisation, raised concerns about several aspects of the act. They believe the act “still lets government tell the [OEP] what to do,” and sees it as a missed opportunity to address key concerns around recycling, plastic pollution and air quality. They concluded by saying: “For every positive commitment in this new law, there's a loophole that needs fixing…This is an environment law of two halves – with ambitious potential but weak accountability. It could have guaranteed a brighter future for nature in the UK and beyond, but instead it still contains the potential to let our environmental laws go backwards, and future governments weasel out of action.”
Water Pollution
When you consider the outrage in recent years about water companies across England and Wales illegally dumping raw sewage into waterways across the country it’s easy to see why many expect more from our legislators. A 2023 investigation by the BBC found water companies were dumping sewage more often than permitted and “reveals how water companies can cover up pollution incidents and how the Environment Agency fails to stop them… [Exposing] a regulatory system that rarely holds polluters to account and allows failing sites to continue dumping sewage.”
These breaches have resulted in huge fines for some water companies. However, the effects it can have on people and the environment are much greater. Polluted water becomes a breeding ground for bacteria such as e. coli and has an impact on public health, it can reduce the oxygen levels in water, kill animals and feeds blooms of algae.
In 2025 The Independent Water Commission presented its recommendations for reform to improve the water regulatory system in England and Wales, concluding “a fundamental reset of the water sector requires transformative change.”
Air pollution
Air pollution can have an impact on the climate, the environment and our health. The Environment Act 2021 set out guidance for measuring particulate matter, defined by the government as “everything in the air that is not a gas and therefore consists of a huge variety of chemical compounds and materials, some of which can be toxic.”
, an organisation dedicated to tackling air pollution, report poor air quality contributes to 40000 deaths in the UK and that “air pollution levels have regularly exceeded national legal limits and international guidelines set by the World Health Organization.”
Reduced air quality is also linked to climate change. Burning fossil fuels and biomass causes air pollution as well as producing greenhouse gasses. Climate change is a contributing factor to summers in the UK becoming hotter and drier, which in turn increases the number of wildfires which produce black carbon. The Clean Air Fund point out “Black carbon is particularly harmful to the climate and human health. Wildfires are one of the largest sources of black carbon, a super pollutant that intensifies heatwaves, alters weather patterns, and accelerates the melting of ice and snow, further perpetuating the cycle of climate change and extreme wildfires.”
These examples only scratch the surface of the scope and scale of the challenges faced. However, they do show the complex, intwined nature of environmental law and demonstrates the need for meaningful change.
How do I get involved in environmental law?
If you’re looking to become more involved with environmental law we have a number of postgraduate courses which could help, including:
- Master of Laws (LLM) in Environmental Law
- Master of Laws (LLM) in Law and Policy for Sustainability
- A Master of Laws (LLM) in ESG Law and Regulation
- Master of Laws (LLM) in International Energy Law
You could also take a look at the (UKELA) website. Established in 1987, the UKELA aims to make better law for the environment and to improve understanding and awareness of environmental law. There’s even a dedicated section for students looking to move into the sector.
Take a look at our full range of postgraduate law courses and launch your legal career today.
