Independent panel’s final report recommends independent environmental regulator be established for NI

Date published: 21 October 2025

Independent panel members Dr Viviane Gravey, Diane Ruddock and John McCallister today launched their final report and presented their findings to DAERA Minister Andrew Muir.

The report contains 32 recommendations that fall under four key themes: clarity and coherence; meaningful independence; better compliance; and transparency and accountability.

Many of the recommendations are designed to have much clearer separation between policy making and regulation and to improve public confidence and trust in governance arrangements.  A key to achieving this is the recommendation that Northern Ireland’s environmental regulator should be independent of government, established as a Non-Departmental Public Body.

The independent panel proposes that the regulator should have oversight of important environmental issues such as air and water quality, waste management, nature and biodiversity and the marine environment, although the exact scope would need to be determined.  The panel acknowledges that greater independence requires clear accountability and cooperation between departments and other bodies.

The report also notes that addressing environmental challenges is not only a DAERA responsibility, but a task which all of government, and all of society, must address together.

Launching the report, Dr Viviane Gravey, Panel Chair said: “Our report is published at a time when Northern Ireland’s environment is under mounting stress. The signals cannot be ignored.  Governance reform is an essential element of our response to the climate and nature crises. 

“While our call for an independent environmental regulator is significant, this must be accompanied by a broad range of meaningful changes across the governance system, some of which could be implemented very quickly. We believe our recommendations, taken as a whole, chart a practical and achievable way forward. 

“Thus we present our report as a ‘call to action’ on behalf of all who want to see a flourishing environment underpinning a thriving society in Northern Ireland.”

Acknowledging receipt of the report, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir said: “I would like to thank the panel for its work and dedication in carrying out this complex review.

“I am fully committed to better and stronger environmental governance and fully accept the review panel’s recommendation that a new independent environmental regulator for Northern Ireland should be established as a Non-Departmental Public Body. I intend to take a paper to the Executive and to address the Assembly on the next steps in the short time ahead. The need to press ahead has never been more evident to ensure we better protect our environment for future generations to enjoy.”

Among the recommendations made by the panel is the need for:

• DAERA to publish a ‘map’ of environmental governance, identifying who is responsible for what, and signposting to key points of contact to enhance accountability.
• the regulator to be supported by an Advisory Committee drawing representation from a wide range of interest groups across civic society.
• all public authorities in Northern Ireland to have a ‘duty to co-operate’ with the environmental regulator to reflect their environmental responsibilities and facilitate the exchange of information.
• the regulator to pursue partnerships with a range of providers to ensure guidance, education and training resources are developed to support regulated industries to understand and achieve the standards expected of them.
• the regulator to make greater use of existing civil sanctions and to adopt new civil sanctions for other environmental areas to broaden the toolkit available to support compliance and enforcement.
• DAERA to exit the current SORPI arrangement with NI Water.
• the Assembly to establish an Environmental Audit Committee to ensure appropriate oversight and accountability in an area of significant public interest.

In making its final recommendations, the panel drew on responses to its Call for Evidence, as well as a wide range of contributions gathered through public meetings and engagements with regulators, regulated parties, and broader stakeholders across the UK and Ireland.

Download the report in full.

Download the Executive Summary.