How we regulate
Our role as Scotland's principal environmental regulator is to protect and improve the environment by ensuring that activities which could cause harm, such as pollution or resource misuse, are properly controlled.
Our approach to regulation
The SEPA has refined its regulatory approach (pdf 1.03MB) to better address the urgent environmental challenges facing Scotland, including climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss. Recognising the environment as central to the nation’s identity and wellbeing, SEPA aims to protect and improve air, water, and land quality while supporting sustainable business growth. Their strategy focuses on using regulation to safeguard communities, help Scotland adapt to environmental changes, and promote a transition to net zero.
SEPA’s regulatory work is guided by four core principles:
- Precautionary action
- The polluter pays
- Prevention
- Rectification at source
These principles are applied through a targeted and proportionate approach, prioritising areas with the greatest environmental risk or opportunity. SEPA ensures consistency in decision-making through evidence-based policies, strives for continuous improvement, and maintains transparency and accountability in its interactions with stakeholders.
To deliver on its goals, SEPA employs six key elements:
- Leveraging all available influences
- Understanding environmental conditions
- Addressing systemic issues
- Combating environmental crime
- Ensuring compliance
- Fostering partnerships
This comprehensive framework enables SEPA to regulate effectively while encouraging innovation and collaboration across sectors to achieve lasting environmental progress.
Activities we regulate
Certain industrial activities can release pollutants into the air, affecting local and regional air quality.
SEPA regulates these activities under the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012. Operators must prevent or minimise emissions to air, water, and land, and meet strict environmental standards.
SEPA also monitors emissions and supports emergency responses to incidents that may impact air quality, such as chemical fires or industrial accidents.
Land can become contaminated through past or present industrial use, waste disposal, or accidental spills.
SEPA works with local authorities to identify and manage contaminated land, ensuring it is assessed and, where necessary, remediated to protect human health and the environment.
Certain business and land management activities can introduce pollutants into Scotland’s water environment.
These include discharges from sewage systems, industrial processes, fish farms, and surface water drainage from urban areas. Pollution can also arise from diffuse sources such as agriculture, forestry, and construction, where run-off carries contaminants into rivers, lochs, or groundwater.
These activities are regulated under Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (EASR) which require appropriate authorisation depending on the type and scale of the activity.
Radioactive substances are used in sectors such as healthcare, research, and energy.
SEPA regulates their use, storage, and disposal under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018. Depending on the activity, operators may need a permit, registration, or must comply with general binding rules.
SEPA also monitors compliance and manages legacy contamination from historic uses.
SEPA regulates how waste is stored, transported, treated, and disposed of to prevent harm to the environment and human health.
This includes licensing waste management facilities, overseeing the movement of waste, and tackling illegal waste activities.
Some low-risk activities may be exempt from licensing but must still meet specific conditions.
Prioritising our regulatory activity
We regulate thousands of businesses across Scotland and handle over 8,000 incident-related reports each year. Every report of an environmental incident is carefully assessed, and we prioritise our actions to focus on those that most effectively protect the environment and local communities.
Our highest priorities
We give top priority to:
- Environmental incidents that cause significant harm
- Serious non-compliance with regulations
Lower priority issues
We may take longer to respond—or may not take action at all—for:
- Environmental incidents with little or no impact
- Minor non-compliance with regulations
By focusing our efforts where they matter most, we aim to deliver the greatest benefit to Scotland’s environment and its people.
What else informs how we regulate?
Enforcement and penalties
Our regulatory approach is shaped by more than just incident reports. We also use legal frameworks, operator data, and scientific evidence to guide our decisions and protect the environment. For more information on these processes, see:
- Environmental liability regulations - Operators must prevent or repair serious environmental damage caused by their activities.
- Operator monitoring - Some businesses must monitor and report their environmental impact to support our compliance checks.
- European and international directives - Our science teams help ensure we meet UK, EU, and global environmental obligations through data and reporting.
Guidance and next steps
We provide guidance, support and information for anyone considering environmental matters within their business:
- Make an application - Find more information on permits, registrations, and compliance for activities that we regulate and to make a application under the Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations (EASR).
- NetRegs provides free environmental guidance for businesses throughout Scotland.
- Scotland's environment web brings together everything you want to know about Scotland's environment in one place.
If you need further information or have an enquiry, contact us and we will aim to respond as quickly as possible.