Our remit

Environmental Standards Scotland (ESS) is a public sector body, set up as a non-ministerial office, independent of Scottish Government, and accountable to the Scottish Parliament.

We’ve been set up to ensure environmental laws and standards are adhered to in Scotland, replacing the European Union’s scrutiny and enforcement role after Brexit.

We cover a broad range of environmental law, including all aspects of environmental protection and harm, particularly in relation human beings and their enjoyment of the environment.

Our role is to scrutinise, investigate and secure improvements in public authorities’ compliance with environmental law, the effectiveness of environmental law, and the way it is being implemented and applied in Scotland.

We cover all public authorities, including the Scottish Government and its agencies, as well organisations carrying out functions on behalf of public authorities.