Protecting the environment in an interconnected world means looking beyond our own borders. Air pollution, climate change, emerging chemicals, radioactive substances and waste crime all present challenges that require shared expertise and harmonised regulatory action across countries. That's why the Environment Agency plays an active and increasing international role - sharing knowledge, learning from new approaches, and ensuring world-leading science underpins our domestic decision-making.
Our EA2030 strategy sets out our ambition to expand international knowledge-sharing partnerships, enhance regulatory outcomes through collaboration and work more closely with global partners as the world changes.
The examples that follow show how this approach is being put into practice to deliver sustainable growth and improved environmental outcomes worldwide.
Building robust knowledge networks with regulators and international bodies
Our EA2030 strategy envisions that by 2030, we will:
Expand international knowledge-sharing partnerships to bring in business data and intelligence that helps us improve our services and anticipate risks. Work more closely with partners to solve problems together, collaborating to make progress as the world changes and avoid, reduce, or mitigate environmental challenges that may have global impacts.To deliver on these ambitions, it is critical that we engage on best techniques and expertise with our international partners including regulators and international bodies.
Case study: Sharing our insights in South Korea
In November 2025, the UK Best Available Techniques team attended the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Expert BAT Group in South Korea. The UK BAT team sets a benchmark for environmental technical standards and principles across industry by downloading and sharing best practices used to reduce emissions and impacts on the environment.
The OECD Expert BAT Group identifies best available techniques worldwide and shares guidance to support countries developing environmental protection plans, focusing on standards, techniques and emission limits. At the event, the UK BAT team gave our feedback on OECD projects from hydrogen manufacture to the circular economy in metals, whilst also sharing their expertise on the UK BAT process.
The meeting was followed by a two-day event hosted by the South Korean Environment Agency, where over 120 inspectors and industry representatives exchanged insights on BAT implementation and emerging techniques. day event hosted by the South Korean Environment Agency, where over 120 inspectors and industry representatives exchanged insights on BAT implementation and emerging techniques.
Tackling waste crime across borders
Waste crime is a serious challenge in the UK and overseas. As waste moves across borders for treatment, reuse and recovery, unregulated or criminal operators can exploit gaps to undermine legitimate businesses and pollute the environment. The impacts of poor waste management on communities, the environment and the climate can be felt far beyond where the waste originated.
That’s why we’re taking decisive action alongside our international partners to tackle illegal waste operations.
Case study: export of waste pneumatic tyres
We recently reviewed our regulation of waste tyres and their export and found that waste tyres may have been sent to illegal pyrolysis facilities in India. Under Indian law, the import of waste tyres for pyrolysis is illegal. Eighty-nine percent of the UK’s waste rubber is exported to India for recovery into secondary products. We have a duty to ensure wastes are treated by destination recovery facilities in an environmentally sound manner.
To help tackle this problem, we invested in our partnership working with the Indian environmental authorities and committed to enhanced verification checks for exports of waste pneumatic tyres exported to India from 1 October 2025. We have also committed to provide additional training to our staff about the requirements of the UK Waste Shipment Regulations.
This strengthened approach will help us stop illegal exports, reduce environmental harm, and protect legitimate businesses on both sides of the supply chain.
This is the first step in our ambitious plan to increase regulation of article 18 (green list) wastes. We plan that from July 2026, exporters will need to provide data for all article 18 waste and undertake risk-based compliance activity – ensuring these shipments are the right quality and being treated correctly overseas. We will be consulting exporters about a proposed charge and take account of feedback. This is an interim compliance step until digital waste tracking for waste shipments is available.
Enhancing sustainable growth and global safety through nuclear collaboration
The Environment Agency is the independent environmental regulator for the nuclear industry in England. We make sure that nuclear companies and the sites they operate meet high standards of environmental protection throughout the stages of design and construction, operation, and decommissioning. Our international connections help us to regulate effectively, share best practice and ensure our approach reflects international benchmarks.
Case study: ARPANSA-EA knowledge exchange
In May 2025, the Environment Agency’s Nuclear Regulation team hosted the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) in Bristol for a mutual knowledge exchange meeting.
The two-day meeting shared technical knowledge on environmental radiological monitoring programmes and radiation incident management, which are crucial areas.
By strengthening our relationship with ARPANSA, we are showcasing how international regulators can work together to protect the environment whilst delivering sustainable growth.
Nuclear technology and radioactive substances can also present serious risks if not managed to international safety standards. That’s why our staff engage with international bodies to contribute our expertise to shaping those standards where we can add value.
Case study: IAEA task force visit to Fukushima Daichii In December 2025, the Environment Agency’s Chief Regulator Jo Nettleton travelled to Japan as part of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) task force overseeing remediation at the Fukushima Daichii Nuclear Power Plant.
The devastating impacts of both the Fukushima tsunami and the ensuing nuclear explosions at the plant led to the release of large amounts of radioactive material from the reactors.
One of the impacts of this has been the generation of vast quantities of radioactively contaminated water - around 1.3 million cubic metres is stored across the site. A major water treatment facility (ALPS) was constructed to remove most of the radioactivity, after which the water is being massively diluted with seawater and disposed at a slow rate into the sea over a period of thirty years.
The task force concluded that the discharge of ALPS-treated water from the power station is progressing in line with international safety standards, providing expert oversight to ensure confidence in the Japanese government’s approach.
Our involvement helps ensure global confidence in nuclear regulation and reinforces our role as a trusted regulator.
What’s next for our international engagement?
Across the Environment Agency, teams are collaborating with overseas partners on issues ranging from air quality monitoring to flood resilience, plastic pollution, chemicals regulation and nature protection. As we deepen this work, we are making greater use of virtual engagement to reduce emissions, cutting travel costs and opening more international opportunities.
Maintaining our prominent international position and forming new partnerships ensures the Environment Agency remains an authoritative, science-driven and forward-thinking organisation. We are committed to enhancing our work on the international stage as we move towards 2030.
Our international work demonstrates that strong regulation and global collaboration go hand in hand - protecting people and the planet while supporting sustainable growth at home and abroad.
For further updates on our international engagement work, follow the Chief Regulator’s LinkedIn page.
seen at 14:42, 23 March in Creating a better place.