Latest Legislation Updates

Updates from previous months

August 2024

• Agriculture (Wales) Act 2023 (Commencement No. 2) Order 2024
  Wales: Section 24 of the Act (Agricultural Holdings: dispute resolution relating to financial support) is brought into force on 15th July 2024 covering financial support available to agricultural tenants in the event of disputes. There is no direct relevance to environmental matters.
  
• Infrastructure (Wales) Act 2024
  Wales: A new consent process is established for significant onshore and offshore infrastructure projects in Wales.
• Waste Management (Food Waste) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 
  Republic of Ireland: Commercial premises are required to segregate their food waste from other types of waste (such as general waste and dry recyclables). Bio-waste must be separated and recycled at source, or collected separately from other types of waste.
  
• Road Traffic and Roads Act 2023 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2024 
  Republic of Ireland: From 1st October 2024, vehicle insurers have 10 working days to notify the Department of Transport when they become aware that a vehicle is a danger to the public when used, or when a vehicle is beyond repair. Prior to this date, insurers must report dangerous vehicles within 5 working days.

June 2024

• The Green Gas Support Scheme (Amendment) Regulations 2024
  Great Britain: The Green Gas Support Scheme (GGSS) is extended until 31st March 2028. A number of changes aiming to encourage the use of heat pumps in the production of biomethane will come into force on 4th June 2024.
  
• The Separation of Waste (England) Regulations 2024
  England: These Regulations describe the recyclable household waste and the recyclable relevant waste* that must be collected separately from households, relevant non-domestic premises** and businesses. The list of non-domestic properties that must arrange separate collections of their household waste is expanded.
  
• Gas (Amendment) and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2024
  Republic of Ireland: Powers and duties of the Irish Gas Board (BGÉ) are repealed, including requirements relating to: Capital stock and commitments, Subscriptions and gifts, Disclosures, Membership of either House of the Oireachtas and Annual reports.
• The Building (Amendment) (England) Regulations 2024 
  England: From 1st October 2024, there is a requirement to have male and female single-sex toilets in buildings other than dwellings. Universal toilets may be provided in addition to single-sex toilets or where space limits single-sex toilets.
  
• The Carbon Capture Revenue Support (Directions, Eligibility and Counterparty) Regulations 2024 
  United Kingdom: As part of the Industrial Carbon Capture Business Models, carbon capture entities (organisations who capture carbon dioxide) can receive revenue support through a private law contract with a carbon capture counterparty.
  
• Road Traffic Act 2024 (Commencement) (No. 2) Order 2024 
  Republic of Ireland: Part 4 of the Road Traffic Act 2024 comes into force on 31st May 2024.

May 2024

• ISO 45001:2018/Amd 1:2024 Occupational health and safety management systems — Requirements with guidance for use — Amendment 1: Climate action changes
  Global: Clause 4, Context of the organisation, is updated. Organisations are required to determine if climate change is a relevant issue for them and must be aware that interested parties might have requirements related to climate change.
  
• The Building Safety Act 2022 (Commencement No. 5 and Consequential Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2024
  Wales: Changes made to section 50 of the Building Act 1984 by the Building Safety Act 2022 in relation to plans certificates issued by a registered building control approver (RBCA) come into force on the 25th April 2024.
  
• The Climate Change (Reporting Bodies) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2024
  Northern Ireland: Under the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland) 2022, public reporting bodies* are required to prepare reports demonstrating how they are adapting to climate change in the carrying out of their duties.
• The Civil Aviation (Environmental Protection) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 
  United Kingdom: Technical changes are made to update references to the latest version of Annex 16 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation. There are no changes to duties to organisations.
  
• The Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 
  England & Wales: The keeper of the register (the Secretary of State), accreditation schemes and energy assessors are allowed to share assessment data* on the energy performance of a particular building with the owner, landlord or occupier of that building. Data on air conditioning systems can also be shared with anyone who has control of that system.
• The Phytosanitary Conditions (Amendment) Regulations 2024 
  Great Britain: pests are added to the list of GB quarantine pests.

April 2024

• Environment (Air Quality and Soundscapes) (Wales) Act 2024
  Wales: A framework is established allowing long-term emissions targets to be set in Wales. These targets are related to certain pollutants.
  
• The Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000
  England & Wales: Clarification is made to The Environmental Protection (Disposal of Polychlorinated Biphenyls and other Dangerous Substances) (England and Wales) Regulations 2000, making it clear that references to volumes of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCB) within the Regulation refer to the volume of a fluid that contains PCBs, rather than the volume of the PCB itself within the fluid. This is an important distinction for organisations who have to register that they hold PCBs. 
  
• The Packaging Waste (Data Reporting) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
  England: The responsibility for reporting packaging waste has been updated
• The Renewables Obligation (Scotland) Amendment Order 2024 
  Scotland: A framework is introduced, allowing the renewables obligation for the period beginning on the 1st April 2024 to be revised.
  
• The Electricity Supplier Obligations (Excluded Electricity) (Amendment) Regulations 2024 
  England, Wales & Scotland: Fixed fees, enabling full cost recovery, are updated & a minor technical change is made.
  
• Safety, Health and Welfare at Work (Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reprotoxic Substances) Regulations 2024. 
  Republic of Ireland: Employers are required to carry out an assessment of the risks associated with any use of a carcinogen, mutagen, or reprotoxic substance in the workplace, and take steps to control such risks by eliminating or minimising exposure. Exposure must not exceed the set limit value of a carcinogen, mutagen or reprotoxic substance, or the biological limit value as set out in the Code of Practice.
  

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