UK Rolls Back Environmental Protections, Falls Behind EU Standards Post-Brexit

Since Brexit, the UK government, including the current Labour administration under Keir Starmer, has diverged from and weakened key environmental protections previously upheld under EU law. Despite promises to become world leaders on environmental standards, the UK has failed to adopt 28 new or updated EU environmental laws and actively weakened four, including those protecting rare species habitats, air quality, water pollution, and chemical regulations. Notably, the UK’s planning and infrastructure bill allows developers to pay into a general nature fund rather than preserving habitats locally, putting species such as red squirrels, dormice, and nightingales at risk. The Office for Environmental Protection warns that England is likely to miss critical water quality targets, with only about 21% of surface waters expected to reach good ecological status by 2027, far below the 77% target. Meanwhile, the EU is advancing stricter regulations on wastewater treatment, air pollution, toxic chemicals, and recycling standards, which the UK has chosen not to follow, raising concerns that the country may become a dumping ground for substandard products and increased pollution. Experts warn that this regulatory backslide threatens public health, biodiversity, and the UK’s natural heritage, urging the government to close legal gaps and strengthen environmental protections.