Author: Michael Nicholson

This paper is designed as an introduction to environmental data and reporting frameworks in the UK after exiting the European Union. It asks: ‘What, if anything has changed with regard to data and reporting in the UK since leaving the EU?’

The paper identifies and discusses several key questions such as:

• What happens to all the data and information that the UK generates and used to share with the European Commission and technical agencies of the EU?
• Are current environmental data and reporting frameworks supporting the delivery of long-term environmental strategy?
• How is data and information quality controlled and checked and how is consistency and comparability within the UK and with international partners such as the European Union ensured?
• Is there a sufficient level of access to, and transparency of, data and information? And is this data and information being gathered, processed and reported on in ways that are informative and helpful for the public, Parliament and oversight/scrutiny bodies (like the Office for Environmental Protection), enabling them to understand the quality and state of the environment?

Photo by Rocco DiPoppa on Unsplash

Additional readings:

• Divergence in environmental policy post Brexit: Some initial reflections 
• UK/EU divergence in environmental regulation: The case of the EU Industrial Emissions Directive
• IEEP UK | A comparison of biodiversity targets emerging in the EU and UK post Brexit