Brexit and environmental protection in the United Kingdom: governance, accountability and law making

The European Union has been a central actor in the protection of the United Kingdom's environment for over four decades. Much environmental law and policy is established at the EU rather than UK level. As the UK prepares to leave the EU, we need to consider the ways in which the UK will develop domestic environmental standards and policies. Equally importantly, we need to replace the dense and extensive governance and legal framework that ensures the accountability of the government for its environmental commitments. This paper explores the gaps that will arise upon Brexit, and outlines some possible responses.