How and why we regulate your business
We work with businesses to reduce the effect their work has on the environment. The response of businesses to environmental laws has meant that our air and water are cleaner and safer now than at any time in the last 200 years.
Regulation is vital to control pollution and environmental damage and make sure that these gains aren’t wasted.
- Directives
European Directives require member states to achieve specific environmental objectives. Each directive is translated into UK law through a set of regulations. Find out more about directives, the way they are implemented and our guidance. - Permits and licences
We regulate business and industry, from implementing European (EU) level directives nationally to issuing permits and running trading schemes, such as the Landfill Allowances Trading Scheme (LATS) and the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). - Compliance - monitoring and assessment
Find out about monitoring your emissions to air, land and water (MCERTS), compliance and Operator Pollution Risk Appraisal (OPRA) - Enforcement and prosecution policy and guidance
The principles on which we make our enforcement and prosecution decisions. - Our principles and approaches
Find out about our new approach to regulating called Delivering for the environment and the different ways in which we regulate. - Methods of Regulation
Methods used to regulate: Direct regulation, Trading Schemes, Education & advice, Environmental taxes, Voluntary agreements.
