New publiations this month: 

HM TREASURY

Factsheet: Carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM)

An overview is provided of the UK CBAM, which is due to be introduced on 1 January 2027.

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS (DEFRA)

Environmental permitting: groundwater activities in Wales

This guidance now only applies in Wales. Separate guidance now covers England.

Investigating a flood: guidance for lead local flood authorities

This new guidance, which is targeted towards local flood authorities, was published in April 2025.

DEFRA, ENVIRONMENT AGENCY AND NATURAL RESOURCES WALES

Recyclability assessment methodology: how to assess your packaging waste

The extended producer responsibility for packaging (pEPR) recyclability assessment methodology has been published.

DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY SECURITY AND NET ZERO

UK ETS: Register your installation as an ultra-small emitter

A revised ultra-small emitter verification report template is now available. Verifiers should use this template, but the earlier version will still be accepted.

UK ETS 2025 Baseline Data Collection and HSE/USE scheme status: how to meet the data submission requirements

Links are now provided to the UKETS15 FAR: Cross-boundary heat flows and UKETS18 FAR: Sector specific guidance. These guidance documents are relevant to the hospitals and smaller emitters scheme and ultra-small emitters scheme under the UK ETS. The application submission window to apply for these schemes is open between 1 April and 30 June 2025.

DEPARTMENT FOR ENERGY SECURITY AND NET ZERO & DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY AND INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY (BEIS)

Carbon emissions limits in the Capacity Market

Updated rules now apply to reporting and verification processes for carbon emissions limits. This reflects changes as a result of the Capacity Market (Amendment) Rules 2024.

Boiler Upgrade Scheme Regulations: approved standards, grant categories and grant levels

Applicable standards and certification scheme requirements for the Boiler Upgrade Scheme have been updated.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY

Using persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

The exemption concerning the use of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts, and related compounds in certain fire suppression installations will end on 4 July 2025. As a result, the use of these foams and contaminated systems will be banned from 5 July 2025.

Identify and classify waste containing persistent organic pollutants (POPs)

POP concentration limits within this guidance have been updated for the total of tetra-, penta-, hexa-, hepta- and deca- bromodiphenyl ether. Rows have been added for PFOA, its salts and PFOA-related compounds; perfluorohexane sulfonic acid (PFHxS), its salts, and PFHxS-related compounds; and pentachlorophenol and its salts and esters.

How the Environment Agency calculates its charges

This new guidance document states how Environment Agency charges will be determined and how the regulator’s costs will be recovered.

Request environmental permit coordination for major projects

The Environment Agency now offers additional support for projects in England requiring a complex range of environmental permits and licences. The service aims to provide early advice on permit and licence applications, when to apply and how to avoid delays, while providing a single point of contact for correspondence. This service is chargeable.

Reservoir safety reform programme

The Environment Agency’s work underway as part of this programme is set out. This includes an updated hazard classification and risk assessment approach, improved incident reporting and reducing the threshold that Reservoirs Act 1975 duties apply from 25,000 to 10,000 m3.

Offence response options: Environment Agency

The Waste Offences document has been updated to reflect changes to legislation.

SR2024 No 1: research and development at a Part A(1) installation

This new standard rules permit concerns research and development activities that support products and processes associated with permitted activities at Part A(1) installations. The accompanying Waste operations and A1 installations: carrying out research or trials guidance states when these standard rules should be used for time-limited, low-risk trials.

Managing sludge from non-mains systems

This guidance now reflects that an T21 waste management exemption or environmental permit must be in place to treat sewage sludges.

MCERTS examination syllabuses for manual stack emissions monitoring

Minor revisions have been undertaken to this guidance.

Surface water pollution risk assessment for your environmental permit

Permit applicants can no longer request river flow data from the Environment Agency.

Environment Agency (greenhouse gas emissions) charging scheme

Details of charges under the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026 are given.

Updated Flood Risk Assessment Guidance

Updated guidance has been provided for flood risk assessments with regard to the use of updated flood risk datasets and the assessment of the suitability of flood risk datasets:

• Preparing a flood risk assessment: standing advice
• Flood risk assessments: applying for planning permission
• National flood risk standing advice for local planning authorities

Regulatory Position Statements (RPSs)

The following RPSs were published or updated during April 2025:

• Burning or incinerating waste following an animal disease outbreak: RPS 251: updated, now covers incinerating straw, manure and litter from an animal disease outbreak (which was previously covered by RPS 34). The next review date was set as 1 March 2028.
• End of life vehicles used for training at educational establishments: RPS 328: This new RPS replaces the former Low Risk Waste Position 44. The next review date is set as 31 January 2028.
• Storing food waste in sealed containers: RPS 332: new, the next review date is set as 1 March 2028.

NATURAL ENGLAND

Updated planning advice regarding wildlife, protected species and habitats:

The following guidance was updated in April 2025. This includes further details of offences and the how planning conditions may be used:

• Wild birds: advice for making planning decisions
• Protected wild plants, fungi and lichens: advice for making planning decisions
• Fish: advice for making planning decisions
• White-clawed crayfish: advice for making planning decisions
• Freshwater pearl mussels: advice for making planning decisions
• Invertebrates: advice for making planning decisions
• Bats: advice for making planning decisions
• Natterjack toads: advice for making planning decisions
• Reptiles: advice for making planning decisions
• Beavers: advice for making planning decisions
• Badgers: advice for making planning decisions
• Otters: advice for making planning decisions
• Water voles: advice for making planning decisions
• Great crested newts: advice for making planning decisions

NATURAL ENGLAND AND DEFRA

Protected species and development: advice for local planning authorities

Guidance for local planning authorities has been updated.

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, ENVIRONMENT AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Northern Ireland Blue Carbon Action Plan 2025 – 2030

This action plan intends to support the protection and restoration of blue carbon habitats in Northern Ireland.

Natural Resources Wales secures three prosecutions for illegal tree felling

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) has successfully prosecuted three individuals for illegally felling trees.

Case One

A company director pleaded guilty to felling about 140 trees at Coed Mawr Wood, Llandysul without a felling licence between 23 June and 18 July 2023. The site, designated as Ancient Semi-Natural Woodland (ASNW), has existed for more than 400 years.

The director was previously warned for similar offences.

Case Two

A man from Cardiff was convicted after bulldozing a riverside woodland the size of half a football pitch.

The site affected was an ancient woodland that is also a Site of Interest for Nature Conservation connected to the Cwm Cydfin Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) in Cardiff.

The felling destroyed over two and a half articulated lorry loads of timber. This constituted a volume more than five times the amount that could be felled without a felling licence.

Case Three

A man from the Gower was found guilty of illegally felling more than 8 hectares of native woodland within the Gower Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) near Swansea.

A confiscation order was made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 against the man. The confiscation order initially made was later increased as NRW became aware the man was about to come into additional assets through financial gain from selling a property.

Penalties

Case One:

The company director was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs and an £800 victim surcharge.

Case Two:

The man was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £9,530 in costs with a £2,000 victim surcharge.

Case Three:

A confiscation order was initially made for £11,280.77, based on the Court’s assessment of the man’s available assets at that time. The man was later ordered to pay an increased amount of £78,614.60. This figure represents the full extent of the man’s financial gain from his offending.

Environment Agency reports rising numbers of unlicensed wells and boreholes on West Country Farms

The Environment Agency has warned farmers with private springs, wells and boreholes to check if they are taking water legally.

Environment Agency farm inspectors have reported numerous unlicensed abstractions in Devon and Cornwall during routine inspections. The regulator has found that how much water is being taken is often unmonitored. This means that farmers could be unknowingly breaching the allowed limit for abstraction without a licence (20 m3 of water a day).

Anyone taking 20 m3 of water per day or over is required to have an abstraction licence. Environment Agency farm inspectors have issued 70 actions to farmers over the preceding two years to install a meter to monitor how much water is being taken and to apply for a licence where one is needed.

Abstraction licences include conditions to protect the environment and the rights of other abstractors. The Environment Agency regulates the use of water under existing licences and decides whether to grant new ones. Where abstraction is damaging the environment, the regulator also has the power to amend or revoke existing licences. 

Three drycleaning businesses in Glasgow fined for failing to obtain Pollution prevention and Control (PPC) permits

SEPA has issued civil penalties against three dry cleaners for operating without a PPC permit. All three businesses are owned and operated by the same sole director.

Dry cleaning businesses are regulated as a solvent emissions installation under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012.

On several occasions throughout the investigation, SEPA officers wrote to and visited all three companies stating the need for permits. SEPA even left copies of the application forms.

However, the companies and director repeatedly ignored SEPA’s advice. SEPA’s investigation established that the unauthorised dry cleaning occurred at the three premises over a period of seven years at Bothwell Kleen and five years at both Bearsden Cross and Newton Mearns.

Breaches

SEPA was satisfied that Bearsden Cross Drycleaners Ltd, Newton Mearns Drycleaners Ltd and Bothwell Kleen Ltd were in breach of Regulation 67(1)(a) of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012:

• Regulation 67(1)(a) makes it an offence to contravene Regulation 11.
• Regulation 11 prohibits persons from operating any installation or plant requiring a permit except under and in accordance with a permit.

Penalties

Variable monetary penalties were served against the three limited companies as follows:

1. Bothwell Kleen Ltd - £3,784.34
2. Bearsden Cross Drycleaners Ltd - £3,057
3. Newton Mearns Drycleaners Ltd - £3,057

SEPA also issued notices to the three companies totalling £2,969.50 to partially recover the costs associated with the investigation.