Environment Matters podcast

PFAS continues to be a recurring issue for regulators and businesses alike. In this episode of Environment Matters, Michael Barlow is joined by Simon Tilling and Helena Sewell from Burges Salmon’s Environment team to unpack the UK’s evolving position. The discussion reflects on the Government’s PFAS Plan (published in February) and the Environmental Audit Committee’s recent report into PFAS. The team explore practical challenges for regulation and clean-up, including concerns about a “whack-a-mole” approach, questions around “essential use”, and what mechanisms could realistically support remediation of PFAS-contaminated sites in the UK.

In episode 2 of series 3 of the Environment Matters podcast, Michael Barlow is joined by Simon Tilling and Pippy Shepherd to unpack the Government’s proposed reform of the English water sector. The discussion focuses on DEFRA’s Water Sector Reform White Paper, exploring what the proposed regulatory reset means in practice for water companies, regulators, investors and customers.The episode examines the creation of a new integrated water regulator, the move towards more outcomes‑focused regulation, changes to monitoring and enforcement, and the challenges of rebuilding public trust while maintaining investor confidence.

Join Michael Barlow, Sarah Sackville Hamilton and Simon Tilling as they discuss issues of regulation and governance with a focus on what the Corry Review means for DEFRA.

In this episode, Michael Barlow and Gabi Gershuny are joined by David Desforges, Counsel for independent Paris-based law firm Almain Avocats to explore the evolving regulatory transition plan requirements both in the UK and EU.We will delve into the complexities for companies, especially multinationals, as they navigate divergence between different jurisdictions and uncertainty in a shifting landscape.

In this episode Michael Barlow, Victoria Barnes, and Helena Sewell explore the environmental impact and regulation of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." They discuss the persistence of PFAS in the environment, their widespread use in various products, and the fragmented regulatory landscape in the UK. They also cover the implications for water quality, land contamination, and potential legal challenges related to PFAS.

Welcome to this special episode of our Environment Matters podcast, hosted by the Environment team at Burges Salmon. In this episode, Michael Barlow, head of the Environment team, is joined by Victoria Barnes, and Helena Sewell, to discuss and their predictions for developments in environmental law in 2025. Key topics of discussion include changes to water sector regulation, circular economy developments, climate change liability and greenwashing.

Michael Barlow, Victoria Barnes and Greg Fearn conclude the first series of our Environment Matters podcast with a discussion on the future of waste and the move towards a circular economy.In this 20-minute episode, the team explain the importance of developing a circular economy, the expansion of the UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UKETS), the upcoming sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) mandate and other regulatory and enforcement changes in the waste sector.

 In this ESG-focused episode 'Climate change and sustainability in supply chains' you will hear leading environmental lawyers, Michael Barlow and Sarah Sackville Hamilton as they discuss topics including:  Why supply chain management is an important part of ESG  Corporate sustainability reporting: CSRD and CSDDD Our new interactive ESG disclosure tool and Pension Schemes ESG tool Climate change and sustainability clauses  Please click here to view an accessible version with subtitles. To view a transcript click here. 

In this special edition of Environment Matters, Michael Barlow, Ian Truman, Sarah Sackville Hamilton and Victoria Barnes look back at the key environmental law updates from 2023 and discuss their predictions for the upcoming year.    Policy delays and parliamentary retreats in 2023:  02:45: Retained EU Law Act 2023 05:40: Nutrient neutrality 08:10: Changes to variable monetary penalties 10:49: Biodiversity net gain requirements  Predictions for 2024:  14:15: UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism 20:25: Environmental Permitting Regulations 22:45: Environmental civil sanctions 27:25: Climate litigation and greenwashing 34:55: Products and chemicals  

In this episode you will hear leading environmental lawyers, Michael Barlow, Victoria Barnes and Philippa Shepherd discuss how businesses can prepare for changes to environmental enforcement, as well as the hot topic of Variable Monetary Penalties, with the Environment Agency now able to impose civil penalties without limit in England for certain environmental offences. 

In the second episode of Environment Matters, Michael Barlow, Ross Simpson and Sarah Sackville Hamilton discuss natural capital opportunities , covering what exactly nature-based solutions are, what activity is being seen in the market now, key things for landowners, corporate buyers and investors to consider what are the challenges lie ahead for the natural capital market ahead.

In the first episode of Environment Matters, Michael Barlow, Ian Truman and Victoria Barnes discuss greenwashing, the changing regulatory landscape and how businesses should be aware of the financial, reputational and litigation risks of misleading consumers and regulators on their green credentials.

The Burges Salmon Environment team is delighted to be launching our new monthly podcast series on 11 October. You will be able to listen to our leading environmental lawyers and special guests discussing topical environmental law themes, including: Greenwashing Nature-based solutions Civil sanctions and Variable Monetary Penalties for environmental offences Released every second Wednesday of the month, each bite-size episode will be available via our website and your favourite streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple and Deezer. To stay up to date with our latest episodes, do not forget to subscribe.