Scotland Implements Uniform Environmental Authorisation Regime from November

Australia's mineral industry supports the government's proposed overhaul of national environmental laws aimed at improving environmental, social, and economic outcomes while addressing concerns about broadly defined legal tests and the need for procedural certainty and state accreditation to reduce duplication. In Scotland, environmental regulation is being consolidated under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018, effective November 1, which replaces multiple regulations with a uniform authorisation system for various activities, including new ones related to waste recovery and carbon capture, requiring businesses to review and potentially update their environmental consents. Meanwhile, in Brazil, legislative efforts are underway to modify environmental licensing rules, with recent proposals aiming to allow states to assume licensing authority during federal agency strikes and generally streamline the process, stirring fears among environmentalists of potential rollbacks just ahead of the COP30 climate conference. These developments reflect a broader trend of governments balancing economic growth and infrastructure ambitions with environmental protection, amid calls for practical, clear, and efficient regulatory frameworks that avoid unnecessary duplication or overly broad restrictions.