The International Environmental Protection Report, a statutory requirement for the government to produce under the Environment Act 2021, is intended to help the government, parliament and the public understand how environmental protection is advancing internationally and what it means for UK laws and policies.  

The first report, published in April 2025, was a useful overview of global developments, but its impact was limited by late publication, gaps in coverage and insufficient analysis of what international developments mean for UK policy.

In this briefing, we explain why the report matters for effective UK environmental leadership and make recommendations on how its content and scrutiny could be strengthened.  

For more information, contact
Emily Carr, policy adviser