IEEP UK's September 2025 Divergence Newsletter
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IEEP UK Divergence Newsletter
Issue #18 | 4 September 2025
Welcome to our September newsletter!
As everyone – including Parliament – returns to the drizzle of a new term, it’s time to remind ourselves how some of those key developments closest to our hearts have progressed since the summer.
On the state of the UK-EU reset, Nick Thomas-Symonds' speech last week confirmed that the likelihood of an SPS/veterinary agreement with the EU was low until 2027, with detailed negotiations starting this Autumn, followed by legislation being brought to Parliament. Whilst the reset paves the way for alignment of certain standards, the Government is threatening regression in others, with the Planning & Infrastructure Bill – which is set to weaken nature protections – continuing its passage through Parliament. Keep an eye out for our insight piece and new briefing on this, which are due out next week.
Here at IEEP UK, we’ve been anything but idle over the summer. In case you missed our new joint circular economy briefing with Aldersgate Group, you can check out the event recap and recording here. Our new state of play report on divergence in UK and EU environmental legislation made the cover of the Guardian, and was picked up by MPs calling for greater scrutiny on this issue. Do join our launch webinar for this report on 15 September, and if you haven’t seen our shiny new webpages mapping the state of divergence, please do check them out.
[Report] Divergence in UK/EU Environmental Policy: State of Play 2025
In August, IEEP UK launched its annual ‘Divergence in UK/EU Environmental Policy: State of Play’ report, which tracks legislative divergence across nine different thematic policy areas since the UK left the EU.
Our assessment looks at a wide variety of legislation in the EU and across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, and for the first time rates the level of divergence in environmental policy between the EU and the four UK nations.
The report points to a widening gap in ambition and action, with the UK falling behind the EU in several critical policy areas – often ‘diverging by default’ as the EU makes ambitious updates to what was once a ‘Common Rulebook’ shared by both parties.
[Report] Review of the UK and EU Circular Economy Legislation Landscapes and Implications for Businesses
Progress towards a circular economy is a priority in both the United Kingdom and the European Union, but policy and legislative change since Brexit has been evolving at different speeds and to greater depths.
This joint report by the Institute for European Environmental Policy UK and the Aldersgate Group provides a comprehensive overview of the evolving circular economy legislative landscapes in the UK and EU. It examines areas of convergence and divergence, and the practical implications for businesses operating across borders.
IEEP UK held a launch webinar for this report on 13 August, where we were joined by panellists from Buro Happold, Co-op, Suez and IEEP AISBL, our sister organisation in Brussels. If you missed the discussion, you can read the event recap and watch the full recording by following this link.
[News] Restrictions on use of PFAS in firefighting foam proposed in Great Britain
The Health and Safety Executive has launched a consultation to restrict the use of all PFAS chemicals in firefighting foam in Great Britain. The body is responsible for UK REACH, established separately to the EU REACH regulation when the UK left the EU, to ensure the safe use of chemicals while protecting human health and the environment.
[Event] Report Launch Webinar – Divergence in UK/EU Environmental Policy: State of Play 2025
On 15 September 2025 (11.00-12.30 UK time), IEEP UK will be hosting a webinar to launch our annual state of play report on the latest in UK/EU divergence in environmental policy.
Michael Nicholson, Head of Policy at IEEP UK, will be providing an overview of the latest developments across a range of key policy areas, as well as their significance, before the report’s findings are discussed by an expert panel chaired by Dr Viviane Gravey (IEEP UK and Queen's University Belfast) and featuring Helena Horton (The Guardian), Patrizia Heidegger (European Environmental Bureau), and Joël Reland (UK in a Changing Europe).
You can sign up by following the link below:
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