Environmental Consultants: The Liability Risk

Originally published in BLG's Environment and Health & Safety Digest, Autumn 2007

Increasing levels of environmental regulation have led to an exponential increase in the number of specialist environmental consultancies.  There are now well over 1,000 such consultancies in the UK, involved in an ever broadening range of work.   

The unique exposures of this profession require suitably tailored professional indemnity cover.  For example, the investigation or attempted clean up of contamination creates the risk of further pollution of the environment.  Cover for resulting potential liabilities, which would normally be excluded under a professional indemnity policy, is therefore essential.