What is Environmental Policy?

Environmental policy is inherently a difficult term to define due to the multiple interconnecting factors which it involves, such as the scale, focus and implementing actor. One definition is posed by Park (2007) which states: “the official rules and regulations relating to the environment that are adopted, implemented and enforced by a government agency”. Despite its vagueness, this definition attempts to encompass the breadth of environmental policy, which includes focuses such as biodiversity, climate change, air pollution, soil pollution and so many more.  

Across the last 60 years public awareness of issues surrounding the condition and use of the environment has increased. One of the most groundbreaking reports published on this topic has been Our Common Future, known as the ‘Brundtland Report’ (Brundtland, 1987). It provided the concept and definition of sustainable development as “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. This idea of preservation and thoughtful use of the environment provides a strong foundation on which environmental policies are built upon. 

 Scientists have argued that the rate and scale of human-induced environmental change is unprecedented and warrants the naming of a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene (anthropo = human, cene = new) (Steffen et al., 2011). In order to combat these changes to our environment there are many avenues which can be explored, from the local to international scales, from technology to holistic interventions, from treaties to policies. 

Since the Brundtland Report there have been a number of international pledges (Kyoto Protocol, the Paris Agreement and more) as well as UK national policies (Environment Act, Control of Pollution Act, Wildlife and Countryside Act and more). But are they enough? Is meaningful action being taken? Will these efforts create positive change? These are difficult questions to answer. If there is no concrete answer, why should we care?

As university students we are the generation which will be growing up and combatting the environmental ills of the future, created by the actions of the present and past. We should care because these decisions will directly affect our lives and this is why it is so important that we understand what environmental policy is, what is in place now and what needs to happen.

Presently, COP16 on Biological Diversity is taking place in Cali, Colombia. This will be the first biodiversity COP since the widespread adoption of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework from COP15 in 2022. It is expected that parties will show the alignment of their National Biodiversity Strategies and Action Plans to the framework, as well as work towards the development of an effective monitoring and resource mobilisation system. 

The maintenance and enhancement of biodiversity is essential for the continuing support of life on Earth (The Royal Society, n.d.). One such widespread example is the maintenance of the bee population to support pollination of agriculture. Several countries have already committed to protecting 30% of their land and sea by 2030, including the UK and the EU with its 2024 Nature Restoration Law. However, there is still progress to be made across a number of the other 23 framework targets from COP15.

Having been coined the ‘Implementation COP’ (IEEP, 2024), the outcomes of this COP will define future treaties, targets and policies on biodiversity across the world. The final publications and negotiations are unknown until the conference comes to a close in November, and is something we will address in future instalments. 

By the end of this series, we hope that readers will have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation for the complexities of environmental policy, and discover that once you dig below the surface the picture becomes clearer. Environmental issues and policy can be overwhelming to tackle due to the negativity presented in the media. However, this should not mean we shy away from the challenge, if anything it is more of a reason to combat injustice and fight for our future.