The Environmental Protection Act (1990), the complimentary Environment Act (1995), and the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive (1999) provide the main framework for environmental legislation and policy in the UK.

The core principle behind this framework is to take an integrated approach to environmental protection, and prevent rather than manage the results of environmental bad practice. For example, with pollution control there is a strong focus on preventing and minimising polluting emissions at source. The IPPC regime now requires the application of the Best Available Technique (BAT) in replacement of Best Available Technique Not Exceeding Excessive Cost (BATNEEC), the omission to the reference of cost emphasising the importance of environmental protection above finance.

An integrated approach also enables a more comprehensive examination of an environmental issue and an assessment of its potential impact. Imbedded in this principle is the philosophy that prevention is better than cure.