Environment Act 2021: Text, Guide and Analysis

Badger and Macrory’s Annotated Guide includes the full text of the Environment Act 2021 —the most wide-reaching and significant environmental Statute for many years—, accompanied by expert section-by-section commentary from two of the UK’s leading specialists in environmental law.

Key provisions of the Act that are analysed include

- A requirement on government to establish long-term environmental targets and improvement plans;
- Legal recognition of core environmental principles, including the precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle;
- Establishment of the Office for Environmental Protection;
- Substantial provisions on waste, including producer responsibility and resource efficiency;
- Provisions on water resource management, water abstraction, and drainage and sewerage;
- Stronger controls on air quality; and
- Provisions for the protection of nature and biodiversity.

The new edition reflects significant developments five years after the Act was passed. Important regulations have been made and policies have been published, including those on Extended Producer Responsibility, Biodiversity Net Gain, statutory environmental targets, the Government’s latest Environmental Improvement Plan, and the Office for Environmental Protection’s revised Strategy and Enforcement Policy. The Office for Environmental Protection has now taken enforcements actions and intervened in significant environmental cases. In 2025, the Court of Appeal ruled on a crucial provision concerning a minister’s duty under the Act to have regard to environmental principles.

This comprehensive, practical guide to the Act and subsequent developments is an invaluable resource to anyone involved in environmental law, whether in the private or public sector.