On 2 October 2019, the Climate Change, Environment and Rural Affairs Committee of the National Assembly for Wales published a report on ‘Environmental principles and governance post-Brexit’, containing very important recommendations to the Welsh Government for the way in which environmental laws and principles should be enacted, applied and enforced in Wales post Brexit.

This report reflected (and quoted) much of the evidence given to the Committee by the UK Environmental Law Association Wales Working Party, whose work on this was led by Victoria Jenkins of Swansea University, with other evidence from environmental NGOs and William Wilson, Barrister, Wyeside Consulting.

This report shows the National Assembly for Wales using its devolved powers over environmental issues to propose a clearer and more robust endorsement of a high level of environmental protection and principles, more closely aligned to EU standards, than the proposals in the current Environment Bill before the UK Parliament.

It is an important reminder that progress in environmental protection, as in America, does not simply come from the central government, and that the UK government will have to work harder to consult and align its environmental laws in a coordinated way with those in Wales and Scotland in particular.

For further information, please contact William Wilson, Barrister at info@wyesideconsulting.com, tel, +44(0)1225-730-407