| 1 | Climate change and renewable energy: EU and UK targets ... This note sets out the targets and key documents on the EU's and UK's climate change and renewable energy policies. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 2 | Emissions trading schemes: overview This practice note explains what emissions trading is, and how emissions trading schemes operate in general. It summarises the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), international trading under the Kyoto Protocol and other similar carbon trading schemes. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 3 | Energy efficiency in buildings: overview This note provides an overview of the various measures in place in the UK aimed at increasing energy efficiency in buildings (including commercial and residential buildings). | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 4 | Energy efficiency in products and appliances: overview This note provides an overview of the various measures in place in the EU and UK aimed at increasing energy efficiency in products and appliances. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 5 | Energy efficiency toolkit A guide to PLC Environment's materials on energy efficiency. (Free access.) | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 6 | EU Climate and Energy Package: summary This practice note summarises the key EU legislation that was adopted in 2009 to implement the EU's Energy Policy. The package of legislation (which is also known as the 20-20-20 package) includes the Renewable Energy Directive (2009/28/EC), the EU ETS Amending Directive (2009/29/EC), the Fuel Quality Directive (2009/30/EC), the Carbon Capture and Storage Directive (2009/31/EC) and the Effort Sharing Decision (406/2009/EC). This note also tracks the development of the EU’s new climate change and energy policies for the period 2020 to 2030. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 7 | EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) toolkit A guide to PLC Environment's materials on the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), which is now formally called the EU Emissions Trading System. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 8 | Feed-in tariffs (FITs) toolkit A guide to PLC Environment's materials on feed-in tariffs (FITs). FITs consist of guaranteed payments, for a fixed period of time, to generators of low-carbon electricity on a small scale. | Practice note: overview | Maintained |
| 9 | Air pollution: overview This note provides an overview of the air pollution regime. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 10 | Are you looking for EU law content on this topic? A practice note explaining where to find EU law content from a topic page. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 11 | Carbon Capture and Storage Directive 2009 This practice note provides a summary of the Carbon Capture and Storage Directive 2009, which sets out an EU-wide legal framework for the regulation of carbon capture and storage (CCS). The full title of the CCS Directive is Directive 2009/31/EC on the geological storage of carbon dioxide and amending Council Directive 85/337/EEC, European Parliament and Council Directives 2000/60/EC, 2001/80/EC, 2004/35/EC, 2006/12/EC, 2008/1/EC and Regulation (EC) No 1013/2006. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 12 | Carbon capture and storage: overview This note explains what carbon capture and storage (CCS) is and the various demonstration (pilot) projects currently underway in the UK and the EU to develop CCS on a commercial scale. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 13 | Carbon capture and storage: UK regulatory regime This practice note explains how carbon capture and storage (CCS) is regulated in the UK. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 14 | Carbon offsets This note explains what carbon offsets are. It also provides a very brief explanation of what carbon neutrality and carbon footprints are. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 15 | CDM and JI: Clean Development Mechanism and Joint ... This practice note provides a summary of Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and Joint Implementation (JI) projects under the Kyoto Protocol. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 16 | Changes to EPC regulations in January 2013 A summary of the changes to the energy performance certificate (EPC) and display energy certificate (DEC) regimes brought in by the Energy Performance of Buildings (England and Wales) Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/3118), which come into force on 9 January 2013. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 17 | CHP and EfW: combined heat and power, and energy from ... This practice note explains what combined heat and power (CHP, also known as cogeneration) and energy from waste (EfW) is. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 18 | Climate Change Act 2008 This note provides an overview of the Climate Change Act 2008 and its implications for business in the UK. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 19 | Climate change issues for companies A brief note explaining why climate change is important for companies, including an overview of the key climate change legislation that can impact on businesses. The note will be of particular interest to in-house counsel when briefing their boards. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 20 | Climate change issues for investors, shareholders and ... A practice note on climate change issues for institutional investors, shareholders and insurers. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 21 | Climate change levy (CCL) and climate change agreements ... This note provides a summary of the climate change levy (CCL) and climate change agreements (CCAs). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 22 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: charges and other costs This practice note explains the various charges and other costs that participants in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) may incur. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 23 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: enforcement and penalties This practice note sets out the enforcement regime and penalties under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 24 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: evidence packs and audits This practice note explains what records must be kept in evidence packs by participants in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) and how audits will be carried out by the administrator. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 25 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: exclusions and exemptions This practice note explains the various exclusions and exemptions under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 26 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: how is electricity generation ... This practice note explains how electricity generation (using either fossil fuels or renewable sources) is treated under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 27 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: how to apply the Qualification ... This practice note considers certain issues that the sponsors of private equity funds should take into account in considering whether any fund must participate in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. For more on the CRC issues facing the private equity industry, see Practice note, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: issues for private equity. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 28 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: impact of changes to a ... This practice note explains the impact of changes to the structure of a private sector organisation under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 29 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: impact of changes to a public ... This practice note explains the impact of changes to the structure of a public sector organisation under the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 30 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: impact on corporate ... This practice note explains how the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) applies to different types of corporate structures. You should read this note if you need to determine whether, and if so how, your corporate group is affected by the CRC. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 31 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: impact on public sector ... This practice note explains how the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) applies to public sector organisations. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 32 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: impact on trust structures This practice note considers how the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) applies to trust structures and how trust assets will be treated under the CRC. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 33 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: impact on universities This practice note explains how the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) applies to universities, colleges and other institutions for higher education. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 34 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: in a nutshell This note provides a brief summary of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 35 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: issues for corporate lawyers The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme came into force on 1 April 2010. This note highlights key areas of the scheme upon which corporate lawyers may be called to advise. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 36 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: issues for finance ... A note on some of the issues that may arise in finance transactions where lenders and/or borrowers are required to participate in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 37 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: issues for private equity The CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) came into force on 1 April 2010 and requires private equity funds to consider whether they must participate. This note identifies the issues raised by the CRC which concern the private equity industry. It also provides links to materials designed to assist the sponsors of private equity funds to assess whether any of their funds must participate in the CRC. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 38 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: issues for the construction ... A note on the impact of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme on the construction and engineering industry. Note: we no longer maintain this note. For an overview of the CRC, see Practice note, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: overview. | Practice notes | 01-Apr-2010 |
| 39 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: links to primary sources This note provides links to the relevant primary sources (including legislation, guidance, and consultation and policy documents) on the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 40 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: overview This practice note provides a detailed overview of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC), which is a mandatory emissions trading scheme for large businesses and public sector organisations in the UK. The scheme came into force in April 2010. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 41 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: PLC glossary and ... This note contains a glossary of the terms defined in the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme Order 2010 (SI 2010/768), the CRC User Guide and other guidance published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) and the Environment Agency. It also contains a list of commonly used abbreviations relating to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 42 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: Provisional publishing ... This note explains what materials we have published recently on the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) and what additional materials we are planning to produce. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 43 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: restructuring and insolvency ... A guide to the implications of the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme for restructuring and insolvency practice. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 44 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: share purchases This practice note explains what issues should be considered in a share purchase in relation to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC). This note considers issues at all stages of a transaction, from the due diligence stage to post-completion matters. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 45 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: the impact on private equity ... This practice note considers whether the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, which came into force on 1 April 2010, will apply to a typical private equity fund. For more on the CRC issues facing the private equity industry, see Practice note, CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: issues for private equity. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 46 | CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme: what changes have been ... This practice note explains what changes have been made to the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) since it came into force in April 2010. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 47 | Eco-towns The Government has chosen an initial "first wave" of sites in England for the construction of new eco-towns, which will help address the chronic shortage of affordable housing, as well as reduce greenhouse gas emissions from buildings.The new towns are to be designed and built to a high "green" specification to achieve target standards of sustainable living. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 48 | Electricity Market Reform (EMR) This note examines Electricity Market Reform (EMR) introduced by the EMR White Paper in 2011, including the draft Energy Bill 2012 published in May 2012. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 49 | Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) and its predecessors ... This note summarises the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) and its predecessors, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 50 | Environmental reporting for companies: mandatory A practice note setting out what companies must do to comply with mandatory environmental reporting requirements. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 51 | Environmental reporting for companies: voluntary A practice note setting out how companies can engage in voluntary environmental reporting. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 52 | EU Effort Sharing Decision 2009 This note summarises the EU's Effort Sharing Decision Decision (Decision 406/2009/EC on the effort of EU member states to reduce their greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to meet the EU's GHG emission reduction commitments up to 2020). The Effort Sharing Decision sets binding GHG emissions limits for certain categories of emissions that are not subject to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for the period from 2013-20 and sets different, burden sharing emission limits for each member state. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 53 | EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) Amending Directive ... This practice note summarises Directive 2009/29/EC, which amends the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), for example by increasing the amount of allowances that need to be auctioned. The full title of this Directive is Directive 2009/29/EC amending Directive 2003/87/EC so as to improve and extend the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme of the Community. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 54 | EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) in corporate ... A checklist of the key due diligence and contractual issues in corporate transactions arising from the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) (now formally known as the EU Emissions Trading System). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 55 | EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS): aviation This practice note directs subscribers to key PLC Environment materials about the inclusion of aviation in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS), including implementation of the scheme in England and Wales. This note also links to materials on other environmental developments for aircraft. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 56 | EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS): implementation in ... This practice note summarises how the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) is implemented in the UK, including by the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Trading System Regulations 2012 (SI 2012/3038). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 57 | EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS): overview This note describes the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) (now formally called the EU Emissions Trading System). It explains how the EU ETS operated in Phase I (2005-2007) and Phase II (2008-2012), and how it operates in Phase III (2013-2020), including allocation of EU allowances (EUAs) and auctioning. It also explains security issues in the EU ETS, the EU ETS registries and trading of allowances in the EU ETS. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 58 | EU Energy Efficiency Directive 2012 This note summarises the key provisions of the Energy Efficiency Directive 2012 (Directive 2012/27/EU on energy efficiency amending Directives 2009/125/EC and 2010/30/EU and repealing Directives 2004/8/EC and 2006/32/EC). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 59 | EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010 This note summarises the key provisions of the EPB Directive 2010 (Directive 2010/31/EU on the energy performance of buildings (recast)) and how these have been implemented in England and Wales. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 60 | EU Fuel Quality Directive 2009 This note summarises the Fuel Quality Directive 2009 (Directive 2009/30/EC amending Directive 98/70/EC as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC). The Fuel Quality Directive 2009 amends the Fuel Quality Directive 1998 to set targets to reduce life cycle greenhouse gas emissions from transport fuel and energy, allow higher levels of blending of biofuels with petrol, diesel and gas oils, and introduce sustainability criteria for biofuels. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 61 | EU Industrial Emissions Directive 2010 The Industrial Emissions Directive 2010 (IED) amends, consolidates and replaces seven Directives on pollution from industrial installations, covering the regimes for integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC), large combustion plants (LCPs), waste incineration, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and organic solvents, and production of titanium dioxide (Directive 2010/75/EU on industrial emissions (integrated pollution prevention and control) (Recast)). This practice note summarises the key provisions of the Industrial Emissions Directive, and explains the most important changes that it makes. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 62 | Feed-in tariffs (FITs): overview This note explains the feed-in tariffs (FITs) scheme, which provides financial incentives for the generation of electricity on a small-scale from renewable sources. The scheme came into force on 1 April 2010. For more PLC materials on FITs, see Feed-in tariffs (FITs): toolkit. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 63 | Forestry projects under the Kyoto Protocol and the voluntary ... A practice note on forestry carbon offset projects under the Kyoto Protocol and the voluntary standards. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 64 | King Review on low-carbon cars This practice note summarises the key findings and recommendations of the King Review on low-carbon cars, which was commissioned by the government. It also summarises, the government's detailed response to the King Review, which was published in November 2008. | Practice notes | 16-Dec-2008 |
| 65 | Microgeneration This note summarises the main legal drivers for the development of microgeneration (the generation of electricity and heat on a small-scale) in the UK. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 66 | National Infrastructure Plans: construction, environment and ... The government's National Infrastructure Plans of 2010 and 2011 (NIP 2010 and NIP 2011) set out a vision for the ongoing delivery of infrastructure improvements in the UK. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 67 | Planning Act 2008: environmental implications This practice note explains the aspects of the Planning Act 2008 that are most relevant to environmental lawyers, including the system for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) and National Policy Statements (NPSs). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 68 | Planning Act 2008: Infrastructure Planning Commission A practice note on the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC) introduced by the Planning Act 2008. Note: On 1 April 2012, the IPC will be abolished. The relevant Secretary of State will be the decision maker on all nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). The Planning Inspectorate will take over the functions of the IPC and will be responsible for the examination of NSIP proposals. | Practice notes | 27-Mar-2012 |
| 69 | Planning Act 2008: planning applications for nationally ... A note on the regime introduced by the Planning Act 2008 for dealing with applications for development consent for nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 70 | Planning policy on renewable energy This note summarises the government's planning policy on renewable energy. It covers the: High-level policy in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). National Policy Statement (NPS) on Renewable Energy Infrastructure. Planning and Energy Act 2008. Merton and Merton-plus rules. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 71 | Regulated activities: bidding in emissions auctions A discussion about the regulated activity of bidding in emissions auctions, as well as the exclusions and exemptions that are applicable to it. It focuses on the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Regulated Activities) Order 2001 (SI 2001/544) (RAO). The main issues are also highlighted, in the form of questions, in a decision tree. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 72 | Renewable Energy Directive 2009 This note provides a summary of the Renewable Energy Directive 2009 and explains how the UK plans to meet the targets under the Directive. The full title of the Directive is Directive 2009/28/EC on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC. The Directive is also known as RED. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 73 | Renewable energy: overview This note provides an overview of renewable energy in the UK, including targets and what the UK is doing to promote renewables. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 74 | Renewable energy: types of technology This practice note provides a summary of the various types of renewable energy, including wind, solar, wave, tidal, biofuels and other biomass technologies. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 75 | Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) This note summarises the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 76 | Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) This practice note provides a summary of the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which came into operation in April 2008. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 77 | Renewables Obligation This note summarises the Renewables Obligation (RO), which provides financial incentives for large-scale renewables electricity generation. This note explains how the RO and Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) work, what legislation and guidance govern the scheme and what changes may be made to the scheme in the future by the Electricity Market Reform (EMR). | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 78 | Revised Eurovignette Directive: legislation tracker A practice note charting developments relating to the Eurovignette Directive in chronological order. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 79 | Shale gas in the UK: environmental issues This note explains what shale gas and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) are and the environmental concerns associated with these. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 80 | The Green Deal This note explains the Green Deal, which is the government's flagship initiative for improving the energy efficiency of buildings in Great Britain. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 81 | The London Plan This note provides an overview of the London Plan, which sets out strategic planning guidance for Greater London. It also looks at the Mayor of London's planning powers. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 82 | UK Emissions Trading Scheme This practice note summarises the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) and its interaction with the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The UK ETS came to an end in December 2006 and the UK ETS registry that had continued to operate to facilitate the trading of carbon credits to meet climate change agreement (CCA) targets, closed in December 2012. | Practice notes | 27-Mar-2013 |
| 83 | UN REDD+: a new mechanism for reducing carbon emissions ... This note explains how a new mechanism for reducing carbon emissions from forestry-related activities in developing countries, known as REDD+, is being developed under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). REDD+ stands for reducing emissions from deforestation and degradation of forests, sustainable management of forests, and conservation and enhancement of forest carbon stocks, in developing countries. This note analyses the framework for REDD+ that was agreed in Cancun in December 2010 and the challenges to be addressed in developing REDD+. It also summarises the REDD+ pilot projects, such as the UN-REDD Programme. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 84 | UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol This note explains what the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol are, and what the parties to these international agreements are required to do. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 85 | UNFCCC Conferences: from Bali to Warsaw This practice note brings together the materials PLC has on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conferences to discuss the future of the Kyoto Protocol post-2012. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 86 | Wales: devolution of powers for environmental legislation and ... This note sets out: An overview of the devolution of environmental legislative and executive competence to the National Assembly for Wales (NAW) and the Welsh Government (WG). The key areas where the NAW and the WG are developing separate environmental policies and legislation for Wales. | Practice notes | Maintained |
| 87 | Zero carbon buildings This note summarises the government's targets and proposals for zero carbon homes and other buildings in England and Wales. | Practice notes | Maintained |