Skip to main content
Articles

Introducing: Environmental law in practice

As industries worldwide embrace sustainable practices, understanding and adhering to environmental regulations has become essential. To shed light on some of the most common environmental issues faced by our clients, we have put together a series of short training videos.

The Topline

“Environmental law can be a bit of a minefield for companies, whether their business involves well known and significant risks to the environment or not.  Clients routinely come to us when something has gone wrong on site or they have discovered that they are not compliant with one of the myriad of regulations that are out there to protect the environment.  This series is not designed to cover every possible issue you may encounter, but what we hope it will do is give you an insight into the most common issues we come across, how to prevent those issues arising in your business and how best to react in the event that something does go wrong.”

Rachel Turnbull, Director, Regulatory and Compliance

An image of a set of diggers on a worksite at sunset. A visual metaphor for the topic of the piece, an introduction to environmental law in practice.

Environmental law in practice

The “Environmental law in practice” video series is an introduction to the variety of environmental issues that might affect your business, whatever that may be. Led by industry experts Rachel Turnbull and Josh Kitson and featuring insights from a range of practitioners across our cross-disciplinary teams, this series aims to provide you with information on the types of issues that may arise, what you can do to ensure your business is operating in a responsible and compliant way, and what you can do when things go wrong.

Why environmental compliance matters

In recent years, environmental responsibility and compliance has become a key feature of many businesses.

Not only can environmental credentials play a part in winning (and losing) key contracts but failure to comply with environmental legislation can have huge costs for a business, both financially and reputationally.

Series highlights

Waste management

Uncover the complexities of waste management in large-scale projects. Understand waste types, disposal methods, and compliance obligations. Learn the importance of considering waste management at the project planning stage to help prevent issues and to navigate regulatory demands.

Water management

Learn about effective water management, from trade effluent to surface water. Understand the common causes of pollution and how to work with regulators to avoid unnecessary incidents, whilst ensuring you don’t incur costly delays or damage relationships with local residents.

Habitat and biodiversity management

Understand the challenges of preserving habitats and biodiversity, particularly when developing greenfield sites. Discover how to plan for protected species, address common challenges, and ensure compliance with legal requirements whilst avoiding costly delays to your projects.  Learn how to avoid common pitfalls with real life examples of when things have gone wrong.

Air management

Explore the intricacies of air quality management. Some key tips on what you need to think about when it comes to controlling emissions, dust, and odours particularly during construction and development operations.  Discover techniques to mitigate risks, comply with permits and avoid incurring the wrath of the regulator should things go wrong.

Managing a regulatory inspection

Navigate regulatory inspections with confidence. Explore the powers of regulators, practical strategies during inspections, and how to cooperate effectively without prejudicing your position. Gain insights into how you can control an unexpected regulatory visit and actions to take post-inspection.

Managing the follow-up to a regulatory inspection

Understand potential outcomes after an inspection, from warnings to sanctions. Learn to mitigate financial exposure and engage in cooperative measures. Discover how to make informed decisions and manage the aftermath of regulatory visits.

Are you ready?

The “Environmental law in practice” series is designed to help you understand your environmental responsibilities and how to address the risks your business might be facing.  Whether you’re a developer, site manager, or EHS practitioner, these videos provide introductory insights to help you navigate the complexities of environmental regulations and protect your business and the environment.

We hope that some or all of these videos will prove useful to you, whether you’re regularly responsible for managing environmental issues or you simply want additional information “just in case”.  Each video will provide expert insights, practical recommendations, and real-world examples.

However, if you need further support or advice on the topics in the series or any other environmental concerns you may have, please contact our Environment team.

Visit our Environmental law in practice hub to see new content as it goes live.

Rachel
Turnbull

Director

Regulatory & Compliance

CONTACT DETAILS
Rachel's contact details

Email me

CLOSE DETAILS

Josh
Kitson

Director

Planning & Environment

CONTACT DETAILS
Josh's contact details

Email me

CLOSE DETAILS

Stuart
Ponting

Partner

Regulatory & Compliance

CONTACT DETAILS
Stuart's contact details

Email me

CLOSE DETAILS

Richard
Sagar

Partner

Head of Planning & Environment

CONTACT DETAILS
Richard's contact details

Email me

CLOSE DETAILS

Ben
Sheppard

Partner

Infrastructure & Energy

CONTACT DETAILS
Ben's contact details

Email me

CLOSE DETAILS

Adam
Bertram

Senior Associate

Infrastructure & Energy

CONTACT DETAILS
Adam's contact details

Email me

CLOSE DETAILS