Claire Petricca-Riding
Partner
Environmental Law for Businesses
Get support spanning the full range of environmental and regulatory matters, from due diligence and risk assessments through to defending prosecutions, handling authorisation breaches, or planning new developments.
Legal advice on environmental regulation for businesses
Act decisively when environmental responsibilities arise with sector-specific legal partners at your side
UK environmental obligations for businesses are under increasing scrutiny. Authorities, investors, and the public expect businesses to cut their impact, and failures can lead to regulatory action and significant costs.
Get environmental regulation support on:
- Responding to regulatory action and legal proceedings
- Environmental due diligence in corporate and property transactions
- Managing contaminated land and brownfield regeneration
- Applying for, varying, and appealing environmental authorisations
- Disagreements over statutory nuisance, pollution, and flooding
- Judicial review of regulatory decisions
- Advice on packaging waste, wildlife crime, and conservation.
Meeting carbon reporting standards
Carbon reporting is becoming a central part of real estate strategy, as organisations increasingly recognise that buildings play a decisive role in delivering credible net‑zero commitments.
Investors, occupiers, and regulators are demanding clearer, more consistent emissions data, spanning operational energy use, embodied carbon in development, and whole‑life performance. This makes carbon transparency a driver of asset value and portfolio planning.
Expectations are rising across the sector. Strengthening disclosure regimes, investor‑led reporting requirements, and emerging global standards mean landlords and developers must not only understand their own emissions, but also those arising through tenants, contractors and supply chains. This is prompting improvements in metering, more rigorous design choices, and a greater focus on lifecycle modelling to demonstrate meaningful reductions over time.
Carbon reporting is also influencing commercial decisions. Leasing strategies increasingly factor in energy performance and the ability to track emissions improvements, while development teams are reassessing materials and procurement routes in light of rising carbon scrutiny. Accurate data supports retrofit planning, risk management, and long-term investment decisions across living, industrial, and mixed‑use portfolios.
Our property lawyers help by clarifying your reporting obligations, advising on data‑sharing, and metering provisions in leases. We support compliant low‑carbon development strategies, while ensuring your carbon reporting processes are legally robust and aligned with emerging regulatory expectations.
Why choose Irwin Mitchell for environmental law advice?
Access combined regulatory expertise with commercial awareness. We help businesses defend against sanctions, manage risks, and build adherence strategies that align with wider sustainability goals.
Speak to a member of our team
Our team support you to navigate complexity, seize opportunity and move forward with legal clarity.
Contact our specialists
Get strategic advice from a team that knows how to protect and grow your business. Please complete our enquiry form and one of our experts will contact you by the next working day.
Alternatively, you can call us now.
Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm (Excluding Public Holidays).
03308226108
Making an enquiry
We have several ways you can contact us, either by completing our online contact form, by phone, or using our live chat. If you start your journey online, here are the first steps to working together.
Complete our online formWe need a few details to understand your situation and the kind of support you need.
We’ll contact you by phoneOn the call our experts will ask you a few more questions to make sure we connect you with the right legal advice from our team.
We arrange a full appointmentIf we’re able to support you further, the next step is an appointment with one of our specialists so we can discuss everything in more detail.
Accessing green finance options
Green finance is becoming a defining influence on the office market, with both landlords and tenants now expected to demonstrate credible environmental performance when seeking funding.
The UK’s sustainable finance market has expanded, rapidly driving a wider shift toward funding models that reward environmental improvements.
A growing mix of products are available:
- Green loans that fund building upgrades
- Sustainability‑linked loans (SLLs) that adjust their pricing based on ESG results
- Green bonds for large‑scale decarbonisation programmes.
Our real estate finance lawyers help landlords and tenants to navigate this fast‑changing landscape by shaping funding structures that are both compliant and commercially effective. They advise on selecting the right financing model – whether a green loan, SLL or bond – then draft the sustainability KPIs, reporting frameworks, and covenant packages necessary to align with recognised market standards.
Our lawyers also support retrofit financing, negotiate green lease terms that allocate ESG duties clearly, and help clients manage risk as environmental requirements evolve.
With sustainability now influencing valuation, cost of capital and occupier choices, specialist legal guidance ensures green finance delivers measurable environmental progress while protecting long‑term commercial outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Environmental law affects businesses across every sector. Here are answers to some of the most common questions:Our commitment to you
Our experts always start by listening, so we understand what matters most from day one.- 01Clear legal guidance
You will always get straightforward, honest advice, with regular updates to keep you clear on the way forward.
- 02Specialist knowledge
A wide-ranging team of trusted specialists who understand what it takes to protect your future, your family or your business.
- 03Your needs first
Whether you’re navigating complex personal situations or business decisions, we take the time to understand your world and what’s at stake.
