Environment in Scotland

Pinsent Masons LLP brings deep expertise to the environmental law market, covering the full spectrum of contentious and non-contentious work from regulatory advice and regulatory enforcement to project-based and transactional issues. Consequently, the team led by energy and infrastructure specialist Jennifer Ballantyne is an attractive partner for energy, infrastructure, waste management, housing and manufacturing sector clients. In the energy space, the team deals with renewable, nuclear and conventional energy projects, where it acts for utilities alongside national and international developers and, thanks to its solid planning offering, regularly handles matters at this particular intersection. This cross-disciplinary approach is matched, thanks to the firm's national and global footprint, with impressive cross-border and multijurisdictional capabilities. Gordon McCreath is another key member of the team and noted for his expertise in the energy, waste and water sectors.

At Shepherd and Wedderburn, Scott McCallum assumed the role of practice head following Patricia Hawthorn becoming a consultant in May 2020. Both have a focus on environmental consenting, due diligence and compliance alongside matters at the intersection with planning. This interface expertise constitutes the team's key strength, leading to regular instructions from national and international developers alongside energy and waste disposal sector clients requiring assistance with the construction and operation of onshore and offshore wind, wave, tidal and energy from waste projects. Besides planning aspects, this typically includes environmental regulatory matters, nature conservation regulations and environmental impact assessments. Other work is transactional in nature with consenting, permitting and grid connection being regular features.

Anderson Strathern is well equipped to handle a wide range of contentious and non-contentious environmental matters covering the energy, chemicals, waste, transport and marine sectors. Acting for private and public sector players, the former routinely instructs the team with matters arising from project developments, such as environmental impact assessments and environmental consents alongside associated regulatory and planning issues, while the latter has recently received assistance with climate change and net zero strategies as well as land and water contamination issues. Alastair McKie is a key contact for contentious environmental work and co-heads the practice with director Neil Amner, who regularly handles operational consents, waste, water and contaminated land issues.

With senior associate Joanna Waddell, a key contact for environmental enforcement, CMS has one of Scotland's few lawyers purely focused on environmental law. She is a key member of the team led by Robin Hutchison, who specialises in environmental regulation and planning-related matters with a particular focus on the energy and infrastructure sectors, while handling waste management and water sector work constitutes another key portion of its workload. In the non-contentious sphere, this typically includes advice on environmental impact assessments, environmental permits, habitats regulations appraisals, nature conservation obligations and waste law. Its expertise in pollution prevention and control alongside assisting with environmental due diligence exercises complements this offering which is regularly called upon by public and private sector clients alike.

MacRoberts LLP is adept at handling environmental work at the real estate intersection, including water discharge, waste management and environmental liability issues, alongside transactional instructions, while the team is equally experienced in environmental disputes, including SEPA investigations. Senior associate Louise Gibson heads up the practice and has a focus on contaminated land, waste and operational permits alongside regulatory compliance. Clients include corporates and sole traders across various sectors.