Legislative Changes January 2026

ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION CHANGES

What is it?

These Regulations amendssecondary legislation dealing with the Climate Change Agreements (CCA) scheme. This is a voluntary scheme pursuant to which CCA scheme participants enter into agreements with the Government to reduce their energy use or emissions and, in exchange, are entitled to pay reduced rates of Climate Change Levy (CCL). CCL is a tax on the supply of energy to non-domestic users, introduced in 2001 to encourage energy efficiency. The main purpose of the amendments is to provide for a new phase of the CCA scheme.  There will be three new target periods (periods during which energy efficiency or carbon reduction targets must be met) running from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2030. This will make CCA scheme participants eligible for reduced rates. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations amend the Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging and Packaging Waste) Regulations 2024 (the pEPR Regulations). The pEPR Regulations impose an obligation on businesses which supply packaging or packaged goods (referred to as producers) to pay the costs of dealing with household packaging waste and of the provision of public information about the disposal of packaging waste. In doing so, they shift the costs of managing household packaging waste from taxpayers and local authorities to those businesses who use and supply the packaging (applying the 'polluter pays’ principle). They also place obligations on producers to ensure that a proportion of the packaging they supply by material type (card, glass, plastic, metal, etc) is recycled and to provide evidence of recycling to the regulator.  Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations amend the Vehicle Emissions Trading Schemes Order 2023 (the VETS Order). It introduces additional regulatory measures to support manufacturers. The VETS Order consists of four trading schemes that implement a zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate and a carbon dioxide (CO2) standard for new cars and vans registered in the UK. To meet the targets set out in the trading schemes, manufacturers are given flexible routes for compliance, such as borrowing allowances from future years, converting allowances between the trading schemes, and the ability to earn bonus credits. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

This instrument provides the legislative basis for the operation of the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) system and EPC assessor market within Scotland and revokes and replaces the Energy Performance of Buildings (Scotland) Regulations 2008 (the 2008 regulations) which transposed the EU Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD). However, there are transitional arrangements within the Regulations to allow existing EPCs to be continued to be used for a limited period (until 31 October 2026). Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations make amendments to the Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 (The HNMF Regulations). These amendments have the following effect; Expand on the authorisation regime set out in Part 3 of the original regulations; Introduce requirements on supply to premises; Provide for the establishment of a Special Administration Regime for ‘protected heat network companies’; the partial revocation of the Heat Network (Metering and Billing) Regulations 2014 (HNMB Regulations), to avoid duplicative obligations on authorised persons. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations makes an amendment to regulation 56 of the Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) Regulations 2025 (the 2025 Regulations), which applies Part 2 of the Consumers, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007 with modifications. Regulation 56(7) requires those holding a heat network authorisation to be members of a redress scheme in relation to complaints from domestic consumers, micro-businesses and small businesses. The instrument corrects errors in the definitions of ‘small business’ and ‘micro-business’ inserted by the Heat Networks (Market Framework) (Great Britain) (Amendment) Regulations 2026 (the Amending Regulations). Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations amend the Feed-in Tariffs Order 2012 to delay the deadline by which the administrator of the Feed-in Tariff (FIT) scheme (Ofgem) must publish updated tariffs. This deadline will be moved from 01 February 2026 to 01 April 2026. The delayed deadline will apply only to the 2026 FIT year. For subsequent years from 2027 onwards, the original publication deadline of 01 February 2027 will apply. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations increase fees and charges in relation to the processing of applications for the registration of brokers, dealers and carriers of waste which are imposed directly via the Controlled Waste (Registration of Carriers and Seizure of Vehicles) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 and the Waste Management Licensing Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

HEALTH & SAFETY LEGISLATION CHANGES

These Regulations set out the United Kingdom conformity assessment system for marine equipment placed on ships registered in the United Kingdom. It requires, subject to some limited exceptions, such equipment to be compliant with applicable international or United Kingdom standards. It sets out how such equipment is to be assessed as being compliant with the applicable standards and details the offences and other sanctions that apply where the instrument’s requirements are not complied with. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations amend Regulation (EC) 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the Cosmetic Regulation) to amend the current restrictions on the use of 2-Hydroxy-4methoxybenzophenone/Oxybenzone (commonly known as benzophenone-3), in cosmetic products in line with the uses found to be safe for human health following scientific assessment. Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply

These Regulations establishes a new body that will be sponsored by, and has reporting obligations to, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), and transfers the building safety regulator functions from HSE to this new body. The new body is to be called the Building Safety Regulator (BSR). Find out more about these Regulations and how they affect you by subscribing to We Comply