Environmental considerations are increasingly becoming a core business requirement rather than an optional extra. This session explores how integrating environmental thinking into decision-making can reduce risk, create value, support compliance, and strengthen long-term organisational resilience, while helping businesses respond to evolving stakeholder and regulatory expectations.

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ESG is increasingly being shaped by policy direction, regulatory signals, and shifting market expectations. This session explores how governments and regulators are influencing environmental and social performance through evolving frameworks, disclosure requirements, and strategic priorities, and what this means for organisations navigating an increasingly structured sustainability landscape.

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Biodiversity Net Gain introduces a formal requirement to deliver measurable improvements to biodiversity through development and land use change. This session explores the legal framework underpinning BNG, its implications for planning and compliance, and how it is being applied in practice across projects. It will also consider how organisations can navigate obligations effectively while integrating biodiversity considerations into decision-making and delivery.

Environment Bank will present case studies from their national network of Habitat Banks - exploring how BNG units are created, how they work with landowners to deliver high integrity nature recovery, and how they can support developers with effective BNG delivery options

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Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) represents a significant shift in how producers are held accountable for the environmental impacts of their products and packaging across the full lifecycle. This session explores the legal framework underpinning EPR, its key requirements, and what it means for compliance, reporting, and financial responsibility.

It will also consider how organisations can navigate evolving obligations in practice, and the implications for product design, supply chains, and operational decision-making as EPR regimes continue to develop and expand.

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This session delivered by Gillian Pratt, Deputy Director of Future Regulation at the Environment Agency will cover the future direction of environmental regulation, exploring the evolving regulatory landscape and the factors that are influencing this shift.

It will cover how regulation is advancing towards a smarter, more outcome‑focused and data‑driven system that supports compliant operators while holding polluters to account.

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This session will explore how digital innovation is supporting the future of waste and resources regulation. It will examine how initiatives such as Digital Waste Tracking and the Waste Observatory are helping to create a more connected, intelligence-led and data-driven regulatory system. It will also cover how better data, improved traceability and greater use of intelligence can support more targeted regulation, help tackle waste crime, and enable regulators to focus effort where it will have the greatest environmental impact.

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Alan Martin Project Executive at Environment Agency.
Catherine Williams, Senior Advisor and Business Lead at Environment Agency.

The relationship between waste management and the circular economy is shaped by an evolving framework of environmental regulation, permitting requirements, and producer responsibilities. This session reflects on how current waste law supports – or at times constrains – the transition towards more circular practices, including reuse, recycling, and resource recovery.

It will also consider key legal principles such as the waste hierarchy, duty of care, and compliance obligations, alongside emerging policy developments influencing how materials are classified, managed, and kept in use for longer. Participants will gain insight into how legal frameworks are adapting to support circular economy objectives and what this means for organisations operating across the sector.

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Marcus Bell, Director of EPS' Ground Team and registered SiLC/SQP, EPS Ltd.

Understanding key considerations is essential to navigating the development process effectively and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. This session will outline practical top tips for managing planning applications, addressing common legal and procedural challenges, and engaging effectively with planning authorities.

It will also explore how policy frameworks, environmental constraints, and statutory obligations influence decision-making, and how early consideration of these factors can help reduce risk, avoid delays, and improve project outcomes.

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Will Thomas, Partner – Planning law, Browne Jacobson

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A fireside chat with Alex Long from HermeticaBlack, exploring the practical challenges of taking heat network projects from concept to delivery, including commercial structures, stakeholder alignment, procurement, risk allocation, funding and regulation. We will be discussing and reflecting on the key lessons learned from supporting projects across the UK and the broader benefits that heat networks can offer in today’s society.

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Natural capital is increasingly being recognised as a framework for embedding the value of nature into decision-making, investment, and land management. This fireside chat will explore Fisher German’s experience in how emerging policy approaches are shaping the protection and enhancement of natural capital, and what this means for organisations operating across development, infrastructure, and environmental management.

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Christy Wells, Natural Capital Specialist, Fisher German LLP
Helen Gill, Principal Associate, Browne Jacobson

Simple ways to engage your legal team, communicate risk and get the advice you actually need. Have you ever wanted to know: when to involve a lawyer, what information lawyers actually need from the business, how lawyers assess and communicate risk, how to get practical/commercial advice rather than simply a legal answer, and what makes for a good relationship between the business, in-house Legal and external counsel?

If so, come along to this session where we will be sharing practical top-tips, as well as the opportunity to explore and understand both what clients want from their lawyers as well as what lawyers need from their clients.

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