Environmental Principles Policy Statement EPPS
The Environmental Audit Committee. Environmental sustainability and housing growth: Sixth Report of Session 2024–26 HC 439 describes the five principles set out in the Environment Act 2021 and effective in law since November 2023. These are:
- "Integration: The principle that environmental protection should be integrated into the policy making.
- Prevention: Government policy should aim to prevent environmental harm.
- Rectification at Source: Environmental damage should be addressed at its source, thereby avoiding the need to remedy the impacts later.
- Polluter Pays: Where possible, the cost of pollution should be borne by those causing it, rather than those who are impacted by the effects of environmental damage.
- Precautionary Principle: Where there are threats of serious or irreversible environmental damage, a lack of full scientific certainty will not be used as a reason to postpone cost-effective measures to prevent environmental degradation."
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Areas of outstanding natural beauty.
- Biodiversity mitigation hierarchy.
- Biodiversity Net Gain BNG
- Biodiversity net gain (BNG) regulations and implementation; Government response.
- Biodiversity Net Gain: statutory must-haves, plus the delivery model that de-risks planning.
- Biodiversity net gain, tools, tips and terms for small sites.
- Biodiversity net gain and terminology explained.
- Built environment.
- Carbon.
- Competence.
- Conservation area.
- Designated sites.
- Environmental Development Plans EDP.
- Forests.
- Green belt.
- Guidance on tree specification, BNG and more.
- How nature can be used to improve wellbeing.
- Local Nature Reserve.
- Local Nature Recovery Strategy LNRS.
- Mitigation hierarchy.
- National nature reserve.
- National Parks.
- National Planning Practice Guidance.
- Natural England.
- Nature Restoration Fund NRF.
- Nature Recovery Network NRN.
- NPPF consultation briefing notes on terms.
- NPPF inquiry.
- NPPF.
- Nutrient Neutrality NN.
- NPPF.
- Outline planning permission.
- Planning and Infrastructure Bill PIB
- Planning legislation.
- Planning permission.
- Protected species.
- Resilience.
- Sustainability.
- Site of Nature Conservation Interest (SNCI).
- Sites of special scientific interest.
- What is the biodiversity metric?
- Wildlife corridor.
- Wildlife Trusts.
Featured articles
Check out some of the best features and news from Designing Buildings as well as key stories from around the web.
The heritage of nuclear and conventional power stations.
New measures to stop people being ripped off
Government to protect families from cowboy builders and aggressive bailiffs.
New Futurebuild showcase brings an innovation-first approach.
National Planning Policy Framework
Understanding the 2026 changes.
ECA's public affairs priorities
Member consultation opens to shape priorities for 2027 to 2030.
Dutyholder responsibilities from 1 July 2026.
Where performance meets practice
The Building Envelope Stage at UKCW Birmingham.
CIAT publishes briefing on planning reforms.
Leaders in Learning for Practice Network
Call for conservation leaders in learning to register interest in new network.
The importance of early engagement
Construction lessons from the Trillium HealthWorks Experience Centre.
Mayors are to be given planning call in powers
Mayors across England will be able to make the most important planning decisions.
The Master Builder: William Butterfield and his times. Book review.