Following Brexit, thousands of environmental laws faced potential elimination because they originated from the EU. The previous government’s Retained EU Law Bill threatened sweeping deregulation through an arbitrary ‘sunset clause’ that would have automatically scrapped protections unless ministers actively saved them.

In this stocktake, we examine what happened to the bill and how the current government has followed a more sensible approach, showing little inclination to weaken these important environmental protections. However, with powers to amend these laws remaining until June 2026, continued vigilance is essential. We outline key recommendations to ensure environmental standards are upheld, including maintaining accountability systems and restating crucial interpretive effects that protect environmental rights derived from EU conventions.