Brexit and environmental law in England: where are we now?

Abstract

Maintaining strong standards of environmental protection was used as arguments by both leave and remain campaigns during the Brexit referendum. Some argued that Brexit would lead to the decimation of environmental protection in the UK, whereas others argued that it would be an excellent opportunity to improve upon the environmental standards upheld in the European Union. This commentary focusses on the progress made in England surrounding environmental principles, the introduction of the Office for Environmental Protection, and plans to remove retained EU environmental law, with the aim of answering whether environmental protection has improved in the UK since Brexit.