Environment and Climate Change Committee

The Lords Environment and Climate Change Select Committee scrutinises environmental and climate policy, including waste management, water security, and nature conservation. Operating as a House of Lords select committee, it conducts detailed inquiries through witness evidence sessions and publishes findings to inform parliamentary debate. The committee has devoted sustained attention to waste crime enforcement, examining both the Environment Agency's current approach and the government's 10-point plan to strengthen action against illegal dumping and related offences. It has also undertaken a major inquiry into drought preparedness across multiple sectors, taking evidence from the Environment Agency, Ofwat, water companies, the Office for Environmental Protection, and stakeholders including the National Farmers Union on water resilience and infrastructure challenges. Most recently the committee has widened its drought focus to include emerging pressures such as data-centre water demands and agricultural water use, building a comprehensive picture of water stress across the English economy.