OpenLegislation

Environment Act 2021 in Scotland

2021 c. 30 · Enacted 9 November 2021 · Extends to United Kingdom

Up to date with all changes known to legislation.gov.uk, revised to 7 May 2026.

An Act to make provision about targets, plans and policies for improving the natural environment; for statements and reports about environmental protection; for the Office for Environmental Protection; about waste and resource efficiency; about air quality; for the recall of products that fail to meet environmental standards; about water; about nature and biodiversity; for conservation covenants; about the regulation of chemicals; and for connected purposes. [9th November 2021]

Be it enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons, in this present Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:—

Contents

  1. Part 1: Environmental governance
  2. Chapter 1: Improving the natural environment
  3. Policy statement on environmental principles
  4. 17Policy statement on environmental principles
  5. 18Policy statement on environmental principles: process
  6. 19Policy statement on environmental principles: effect
  7. Environmental protection: statements and reports
  8. 20Statements about Bills containing new environmental law
  9. Chapter 2: The Office for Environmental Protection
  10. The Office for Environmental Protection
  11. 22The Office for Environmental Protection
  12. 23Principal objective of the OEP and exercise of its functions
  13. 24The OEP’s strategy: process
  14. 25Guidance on the OEP’s enforcement policy and functions
  15. 25AGuidance on the OEP’s Northern Ireland enforcement policy and functions
  16. 26Memorandum of understanding
  17. 27Co-operation duties of public authorities and the OEP
  18. The OEP's scrutiny and advice functions
  19. 29Monitoring and reporting on environmental law
  20. 30Advising on changes to environmental law etc
  21. The OEP's enforcement functions
  22. 31Failure of public authorities to comply with environmental law
  23. 32Complaints
  24. 33Investigations
  25. 34Duty to keep complainants informed
  26. 35Information notices
  27. 36Decision notices
  28. 37Linked notices
  29. 38Environmental review
  30. 39Judicial review: powers to apply in urgent cases and to intervene
  31. 40Duty of the OEP to involve the relevant Minister
  32. 41Public statements
  33. Information
  34. 42Disclosures to the OEP
  35. 43Confidentiality of proceedings
  36. Chapter 3: Interpretation of Part 1
  37. 44Meaning of “natural environment”
  38. 45Meaning of “environmental protection”
  39. 46Meaning of “environmental law”
  40. 47Interpretation of Part 1: general
  41. Part 2: Environmental governance: Northern Ireland
  42. 49The Office for Environmental Protection: Northern Ireland
  43. Part 3: Waste and resource efficiency
  44. Producer responsibility
  45. 50Producer responsibility obligations
  46. 51Producer responsibility for disposal costs
  47. Resource efficiency
  48. 52Resource efficiency information
  49. 53Resource efficiency requirements
  50. 56Charges for carrier bags
  51. Managing waste
  52. 57Separation of waste
  53. 58Electronic waste tracking: Great Britain
  54. 59Electronic waste tracking: Northern Ireland
  55. 61Hazardous waste: Northern Ireland
  56. 62Transfrontier shipments of waste
  57. 63Regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990
  58. Waste enforcement and regulation
  59. 64Powers to make charging schemes
  60. 65Waste charging: Northern Ireland
  61. 67Enforcement powers: Northern Ireland
  62. 69Fixed penalty notices
  63. 70Regulation of polluting activities
  64. Part 4: Air quality and environmental recall
  65. Air quality
  66. 72Local air quality management framework
  67. Environmental recall of motor vehicles etc
  68. 74Environmental recall of motor vehicles etc
  69. 75Compulsory recall notices
  70. 76Further provision about regulations under section 74
  71. 77Interpretation of sections 74 to 76
  72. Part 5: Water
  73. Plans and proposals
  74. 78Water resources management plans, drought plans and joint proposals Not yet in force
  75. 79Drainage and sewerage management plans
  76. Storm overflows
  77. 80Storm overflows
  78. 81Reporting on discharges from storm overflows
  79. 82Monitoring quality of water potentially affected by discharges
  80. 83Reduction of adverse impacts of storm overflows Not yet in force
  81. Regulation of water and sewerage undertakers
  82. 85Authority’s power to require information
  83. 86Water and sewerage undertakers in England: modifying appointments
  84. 87Electronic service of documents
  85. Abstraction
  86. 88Water abstraction: no compensation for certain licence modifications
  87. Water quality
  88. 89Water quality: powers of Secretary of State
  89. 92Solway Tweed river basin district: power to transfer functions
  90. 93Water quality: interpretation
  91. Land drainage
  92. 94Valuation of other land in drainage district: England
  93. 95Valuation of other land in drainage district: Wales Not yet in force
  94. 96Valuation of agricultural land in drainage district: England and Wales
  95. 97Disclosure of Revenue and Customs information
  96. Part 6: Nature and biodiversity
  97. Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity
  98. 116Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity
  99. Part 8: Miscellaneous and general provisions
  100. Regulation of chemicals
  101. 140Amendment of REACH legislation
  102. Concurrent functions in Wales
  103. 141Amendments of Schedule 7B to the Government of Wales Act 2006
  104. General provisions
  105. 142Consequential provision
  106. 143Regulations
  107. 144Crown application
  108. 145Financial provisions
  109. 146Extent
  110. 147Commencement
  111. 148Transitional or saving provision
  112. 149Short title
  113. Schedule 1: The Office for Environmental Protection
  114. 1Membership
  115. 2Appointment of non-executive members
  116. 3Appointment of executive members
  117. 4Interim chief executive
  118. 5Terms of membership
  119. 6Remuneration of non-executive members
  120. 7Staffing and remuneration
  121. 8Powers
  122. 9Committees
  123. 10Delegation to members, committees and employees
  124. 11Procedure
  125. 12Funding
  126. 13Annual report
  127. 14Annual accounts
  128. 15Meaning of “financial year”
  129. 16Status
  130. 17Independence of the OEP
  131. 18Disqualification from membership of legislatures
  132. 19Paragraph 19
  133. 20Public records
  134. 21Freedom of Information
  135. 22Investigation by the Parliamentary Commissioner
  136. 23Public sector equality duty
  137. 24Meaning of “the Northern Ireland Department”
  138. Schedule 3: The Office for Environmental Protection: Northern Ireland
  139. Part 1: The OEP’s Northern Ireland functions
  140. 16Disclosures to the OEP
  141. 17Confidentiality of proceedings
  142. Schedule 4: Producer responsibility obligations
  143. Part 1: Requirements
  144. 1General power
  145. 2Examples of provision that may be made
  146. 3Registration of persons subject to producer responsibility obligations
  147. 4Compliance schemes
  148. 5Registration of compliance schemes
  149. 6Power to direct compliance scheme operators
  150. 7Certificates of compliance
  151. 8Consultation etc requirements
  152. 9Paragraph 9
  153. 10Paragraph 10
  154. 11Interpretation
  155. Part 2: Enforcement
  156. 12General power
  157. 13Powers to confer functions
  158. 14Monitoring compliance
  159. 15Records and information
  160. 16Powers of entry etc
  161. 17Sanctions
  162. 18Paragraph 18
  163. 19Charges and costs
  164. 20Consultation requirement
  165. Schedule 5: Producer responsibility for disposal costs
  166. Part 1: Requirements
  167. 1General power
  168. 2“Disposal costs” and “disposal”
  169. 3Calculation of sums payable
  170. 4Administration
  171. 5Registration
  172. 6Payment of sums
  173. 7Distribution of sums paid
  174. 8Repayment of sums paid
  175. 9Charges
  176. 10Consultation requirements
  177. Part 2: Enforcement
  178. 11General power
  179. 12Powers to confer functions
  180. 13Monitoring compliance
  181. 14Records and information
  182. 15Powers of entry etc
  183. 16Sanctions
  184. 17Charges and costs
  185. 18Consultation requirements
  186. Schedule 6: Resource efficiency information
  187. Part 1: Requirements
  188. 1General power
  189. 2Meaning of “information about resource efficiency”
  190. 3Persons on whom requirements may be imposed
  191. 4Examples of provision that may be made
  192. 5Consultation etc requirements
  193. 6Interpretation
  194. Part 2: Enforcement
  195. 7General power
  196. 8Powers to confer functions
  197. 9Monitoring compliance
  198. 10Records and information
  199. 11Powers of entry etc
  200. 12Sanctions
  201. 13Costs
  202. 14Consultation requirement
  203. Schedule 7: Resource efficiency requirements
  204. Part 1: Requirements
  205. 1General power
  206. 2Meaning of “resource efficiency requirements”
  207. 3Persons on whom requirements may be imposed
  208. 4Examples of provision that may be made
  209. 5Consultation etc requirements
  210. 6Interpretation
  211. Part 2: Enforcement
  212. 7General power
  213. 8Powers to confer functions
  214. 9Monitoring compliance
  215. 10Records and information
  216. 11Powers of entry etc
  217. 12Sanctions
  218. 13Costs
  219. 14Consultation requirement
  220. Schedule 11: Local air quality management framework
  221. 1Paragraph 1
  222. 2Paragraph 2
  223. 3Paragraph 3
  224. 4Paragraph 4
  225. 5Paragraph 5
  226. 6Paragraph 6
  227. 7Paragraph 7
  228. 8Paragraph 8
  229. 9Paragraph 9
  230. 10Paragraph 10
  231. 11Paragraph 11
  232. 12Paragraph 12
  233. 13Paragraph 13
  234. 14Paragraph 14
  235. Schedule 13: Modifying water and sewerage undertakers’ appointments: procedure for appeals
  236. Schedule 17: Use of forest risk commodities in commercial activity
  237. Part 1: Requirements
  238. 1Meaning of “forest risk commodity”
  239. 2Prohibition on using illegally produced commodities
  240. 3Due diligence system
  241. 4Annual report on due diligence system
  242. 5Exemption
  243. 6Guidance
  244. 7Meaning of “regulated person”
  245. Part 2: Enforcement
  246. 8General power
  247. 9Powers to confer functions
  248. 10Monitoring compliance
  249. 11Records and information
  250. 12Powers of entry etc
  251. 13Sanctions
  252. 14Sanctions
  253. 15Charges
  254. 16Consultation requirement
  255. Part 3: General provisions
  256. 17Review
  257. 18Interpretation
  258. Schedule 21: Amendment of REACH legislation
  259. 1Amendment of the REACH Regulation
  260. 2Amendment of the REACH Enforcement Regulations 2008
  261. 3Consent of the devolved administrations
  262. 4Requests by devolved administrations for exercise of powers under this Schedule
  263. 5Consultation
  264. 6The protected provisions
  265. 7Other interpretation