Essential Environment: Policy round-up and analysis
In 2023, Environmental Protection UK joined the IES family, becoming the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC). Since then, EPIC has brought together members from across the environmental sciences to share their experiences and call for ambitious and deliverable policy, as well as providing members with the knowledge, insights and tools to help them deliver on the ground.
One of Environmental Protection UK’s most popular publications was Essential Environment, a Handbook outlining UK environmental regulations, which was supported by a regular bulletin updating subscribers on the latest policy and regulatory developments. Now, the IES has relaunched the Essential Environment bulletin as a free service to all IES professional members and members of the Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC).
Each month, the Essential Environment newsletter will include a short list of links to recent developments in environmental policy and regulation, along with one or two articles digging into deeper insights on recent policy issues and their implications for environmental science professionals.
Recent feature articles
More ways to get started with policy
- To learn where environmental science and policy interact, check out our recommendations for the UK Government across 11 environmental topics, which signposts to additional resources and includes insights on the gap between current policy and the recommendations of our Communities.
- If you want to develop your own skills in environmental policy, we provide short courses, case studies, and briefings on key skills and the latest developments on our dedicated policy skills and training page.
- For all the latest reports, briefings, analysis, and updates on our work in environmental policy, you can visit our main policy page.
- If you want to learn more about environmental policy or the training we offer for members, please contact Joseph Lewis, Head of Policy (joseph@the-ies.org).
If you want to support the work of the IES to stand up for science and nature, become an affiliate, or if you’re an environmental professional, join the IES.
Past articles from Essential Environment
- Back to school reading: Four briefings to read before COP17 (September 2026)
- Why we need a vision for a sustainable future (September 2026)
- Essential insights: The latest NPPF changes (September 2026)
- Will the Government’s 30by30 plan deliver for nature? (August 2026)
- Connected environmental policy: Are things together or are they apart? (August 2026)
- Values beyond value: A more nuanced take on nature (August 2026)
- What will a Burnham premiership mean for water? (July 2026)
- Essential Insights: What does the new Cabinet mean for the environment? (July 2026)
- Why are environmental targets failing? (July 2026)
- Essential Insights: Why experts need policy engagement skills (June 2026)
- Why do we keep failing to adapt? (June 2026)
- Transferable skills aren’t transferable: Why policy gets “soft skills” wrong (May 2026)
- Noise Action Week: A history of speaking up (May 2026)
- Santa Marta & the race for climate solutions (May 2026)
- Essential Insights: What’s next for the Land Use Framework? (April 2026)
- Is legislation on noise fit-for-purpose? (April 2026)
- Land Use Framework: It all comes down to delivery (March 2026)
- The future of Environmental Impact Assessment (March 2026)
- Planning policy: Next steps from the NPPF consultation (March 2026)
- IPBES recap: Every business has a choice to make on nature (February 2026)
- Water White Paper: An upstream glimmer of change? (February 2026)
- OEP progress report: The hunt for environmental improvement (January 2026)
- Essential insights: Four key messages from the OEP progress report (January 2026)
- The Planning Act: What do we do now? (January 2026)
- Environment Policy 2025: What have we heard on repeat this year? (December 2025)
- What happened at COP30? (November 2025)
- Climate change and the web of a clockwork spider (November 2025)
- Ghosted by government? Responses to the OEP reports (November 2025)
- Local action: community empowerment and environmental delivery (October 2025)
- Indivisible or invisible: 10 years of the SDGs (September 2025)
- Climate: Roads and roadmaps (September 2025)
- Government reshuffle: What does it mean? (September 2025)
- Water Commission: What next? (August 2025)
- Seven (and a half) policy papers for you summer reading (July 2025)
- Climate Week: And every other week of the year (July 2025)
- Is our approach to water about to get systemic? (June 2025)
- BNG: Big news for small sites (June 2025)
- BREEAM version7: where are we now? (May 2025)
- Analysis: The Corry Review (April 2025)
- Water, Water to be Everywhere (March 2025)
- Environmental Outcomes Reports: where are we now? (February 2025)
- Environmental Land Management Schemes: where are we now? (December 2024)
- The Wellbeing of Future Generations Act: A Success Story (November 2024)
- Environmental Improvement Plan for Northern Ireland 2024 (October 2024)
- Proposed Labour Planning Reforms and Economic Growth (August 2024)
- What does the DEFRA reshuffle mean for environmental scientists? (December 2023)
The Environmental Policy Implementation Community (EPIC) works together to understand environmental delivery challenges, share good practice and advocate for implementation-minded policy. It is free to join for all environmental professionals working in local authorities, as well as IES members. Contact EPIC Officer Ellie Savage (ellie@the-ies.org) for more information.
Image credit: © demerzel21 | Adobe Stock
