Environment (Principles, Governance and Biodiversity Targets) (Wales) Act 2026

1. Introductory Text

2. PART 1 ENVIRONMENTAL OBJECTIVE AND PRINCIPLES

   1. 1. Environmental objective

   2. 2. Environmental principles

   3. 3. Welsh Ministers’ duties when making policy

   4. 4. Natural Resources Wales’ duties when making policy

   5. 5. Environmental assessments: public authorities’ duties

   6. 6. Environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement

   7. 7. Environmental principles and integrating environmental protection statement: procedural requirements

3. PART 2 THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE WALES

   1. The Office of Environmental Governance Wales

      1. 8. Establishment of the Office of Environmental Governance Wales

      2. 9. Independence of the OEGW

      3. 10. General purpose etc.

      4. 11. Duty to prepare and publish strategy

   2. Monitoring, reporting and advising functions

      1. 12. Monitoring and reporting

      2. 13. Advising the Welsh Ministers

      3. 14. Advice, guidance and assistance on environmental law

   3. Information notices

      1. 15. Information notices

   4. Representations

      1. 16. Representations

   5. Investigations

      1. 17. Investigations

   6. Compliance notices

      1. 18. Compliance notices

      2. 19. Urgent compliance notices

      3. 20. OEGW’s review of compliance notices

      4. 21. High Court review after failure to take specified action

   7. Improvement reports and improvement plans

      1. 22. Improvement reports

      2. 23. Improvement reports: content

      3. 24. Improvement plans

   8. Co-operation duties

      1. 25. Co-operation duties

   9. Disclosure of information and confidentiality

      1. 26. Disclosure of information to the OEGW

      2. 27. Confidentiality requirements: the OEGW

      3. 28. Confidentiality requirements: public authorities

      4. 29. Application of Environmental Information Regulations 2004

   10. Staff transfer schemes

       1. 30. Staff transfer schemes

   11. Interpretation

       1. 31. Meaning of “environmental law”

       2. 32. Meaning of “public authority”

       3. 33. Meaning of “effectiveness of environmental law”

       4. 34. Meaning of “failing to comply with environmental law”

4. PART 3 BIODIVERSITY TARGETS, ETC.

   1. 35. Biodiversity targets

   2. 36. Public authorities’ duties

   3. 37. Welsh Ministers’ plans under section 6 of the Environment Act

   4. 38. Reports under section 6 of the Environment Act

   5. 39. Evaluation report

   6. 40. Promoting awareness of biodiversity

5. PART 4 GENERAL

   1. 41. Power to make consequential etc. provision

   2. 42. Regulations

   3. 43. Service of notices and other documents

   4. 44. General interpretation

   5. 45. Consequential amendments

   6. 46. Coming into force

   7. 47. Short title

6. 1. SCHEDULE 1

      THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE WALES

      1. PART 1 STATUS

         1. 1. Status

      2. PART 2 MEMBERSHIP

         1. 2. Members

         2. 3. Disqualification

         3. 4. Terms of non-executive members

         4. 5. Removal etc. of non-executive members

      3. PART 3 STAFF

         1. 6. Chief executive

         2. 7. Other staff

      4. PART 4 APPOINTMENT REQUIREMENTS

         1. 8. Appointment requirements

         2. 9. Disapplication of appointment requirements: interim members

      5. PART 5 COMMITTEES AND DELEGATION

         1. 10. Review committee

         2. 11. Other committees and sub-committees

         3. 12. Joint committees

         4. 13. Delegation

      6. PART 6 PROCEDURE ETC.

         1. 14. Procedure

         2. 15. Validity of proceedings and acts

      7. PART 7 FINANCIAL MATTERS

         1. 16. Funding

         2. 17. Accounting officer

         3. 18. Accounts

         4. 19. Audit

         5. 20. Examination into use of resources

      8. PART 8 REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

         1. 21. Annual report

      9. PART 9 SUPPLEMENTARY PROVISIONS

         1. 22. Register of interests

         2. 23. Supplementary powers

   2. SCHEDULE 2

      THE OFFICE OF ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE WALES: STRATEGY

      1. 1. Content

      2. 2. Procedural requirements

   3. SCHEDULE 3

      STAFF TRANSFER SCHEMES

      1. 1. Power to make staff transfer schemes

      2. 2. Modification of staff transfer schemes

      3. 3. Duty to lay staff transfer schemes before Senedd Cymru

      4. 4. Interpretation

   4. SCHEDULE 4

      CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS

      1. 1. Environment Act 1995 (c. 25)

      2. 2. Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32)

      3. 3. Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 1)

      4. 4. Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 (anaw 7)

      5. 5. Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 (anaw 2)