Environmental services
Our dedicated environmental law team is here to help protect your rights and the environment. We work with individuals, communities, and organisations to address environmental challenges and seek justice.
Our environmental services
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Environmental services FAQ's
Environmental law is one of the newest areas of domestic and international law that covers a diverse range of areas. These can include everything from community groups acting against businesses responsible for pollution, to corporate social responsibility, wildlife and planning concerns.
Everyone, from individuals to large companies, can be affected by environmental law. It could play an important part if you plan to extend your home, have experienced ill health due to environmental degradation or seen wildlife diminish when you work for an animal or environmental protection charity, for example.
Greater regulation, the introduction and updating of environmental laws and an increased focus on climate issues by governments around the world are expanding the importance of environmental and planning law.
The Environment Act passed into UK law in 2021. It provides the UK government with greater powers to legally set targets for:
- Air quality
- Biodiversity
- Natural habitat restoration
- Resource usage
- Waste reduction
The Environment Act aims to stop the decline in species by 2030, ensure new developments improve or create habitats for nature, and tackle deforestation abroad. For businesses, this may introduce new incentives and regulations around practices, such as recycling, sustainability and pollution.
The independent Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) will enforce the new environmental targets and hold government and public bodies to account.
As environmental law spans a wide area, it can affect a range of individuals, businesses, groups and government bodies – either to bring a claim or defend allegations.
Some of the main ways individuals, charities and community groups might use environmental law is for:
- Seeking environmental justice
- Challenging local planning authorities
- Preventing wildlife and habitat damage from major infrastructure.
If you want to use the law to help protect the environment and slow down the impact of climate change, our specialist lawyers can help. We routinely take on strategic and innovative challenges to proposals that threaten to damage and destroy the environment.
From working with campaigners wanting to legally challenge fossil fuel extraction, to helping charities and community groups protect wildlife under threat, at Leigh Day we can assist across all aspects of environment and planning law.
To find out if you may have a claim and how our specialist team might be able to help, contact our environment team. Speak to one of our solicitors or arrange a call back. They will listen to your case, assess whether you have grounds for a claim and advise on the next steps to take.
Our environmental work
Fighting Dirty granted High Court hearing to challenge Environment Agency over axing of pledge to test sewage sludge agricultural fertiliser for land contaminants
Environmental campaign group Fighting Dirty has been granted permission for a High Court hearing to challenge the Environment Agency (EA) over its decision to axe a commitment to have sewage sludge tested for microplastics and forever chemicals before it is spread on agricultural land as fertiliser.
Government concedes that former Environment Secretary unlawfully granted gamebird release licences for protected areas against Natural England advice
The Government has conceded a claim by environmental group Wild Justice alleging the unlawful grant of licences for the release of gamebirds in and around two protected habitats.
Brazilian quilombola communities sue UK mining company Brazil Iron for environmental damage
More than 100 residents from two quilombola communities (descendants of Afro-Brazilian slaves) in Bahia state in Brazil who filed proceedings in September 2023 against UK registered mining companies Brazil Iron Limited and Brazil Iron Trading Limited, have today filed details of their claim at the High Court in London.
Our lawyers have extensive experience in major environmental claims, including pollution, human rights, climate change, wildlife, fossil fuels, and planning.
Carol Day was featured in the 2022 ENDS Power List, recognizing the 100 UK environmental professionals with the greatest impact over the past two years
The Leigh Day environmental team
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Protecting the interests of the public
Fighting Dirty challenges Environment Agency over axing of pledge to test sewage sludge agricultural fertiliser for land contaminants
Environmental campaign group Fighting Dirty has launched a legal challenge to the Environment Agency (EA) over its decision to axe a commitment to bring the regulation of sewage sludge into the Environmental Permitting Regime by 2023.
Government concedes that former Environment Secretary unlawfully granted gamebird release licences for protected areas against Natural England advice
The Government has conceded a claim by environmental group Wild Justice alleging the unlawful grant of licences for the release of gamebirds in and around two protected habitats.
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Environmental group claims
River Wye claim
Residents of the Wye, Usk and Lugg River catchments are bringing a collective legal action against Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water and companies within the Cargill UK poultry group (including Avara Foods), for their alleged role in polluting the region.
Walleys Quarry landfill claim
If you have suffered as a result of pollution emitted from Walleys Quarry Landfill, you may have a claim
Exmouth Sewage Pollution: Potential Legal Action
We regularly liaise with public interest lawyers regarding cases outside England and Wales and have established links with international organisations working on human rights and environmental issues.
We have pursued legal action in the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), Regional Courts (such as the African Regional Courts) and international courts.
Our International environment work
Leigh Day's international team brought the first cases which defined the law for how multinational corporations based in the UK could be held accountable for pollution and massive environmental degradation