Office for Environmental Protection

The Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) protects and improves the environment by holding government and other public authorities to account. When fully established, we will: • monitor and report on the implementation of environmental law • advise government on proposed changes to the law and other environmental matters • review and report on government’s progress in meeting environmental goals and targets • investigate suspected failures to comply with environmental law by government and public authorities and enforce compliance where needed. The public can make a complaint to us where they suspect that the government or a public authority has failed to comply with environmental law. We were legally created in November 2021, and expect to be fully established early in 2022. Our work covers England. In the coming months, the Northern Ireland Assembly may also decide that our work will cover Northern Ireland.