In the foreword to a new report that focusses on how the Environment Agency has regulated to achieve better outcomes for the environment, Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, sets out an approach to dealing with climate change impacts on the environment. The approach should be about 'regulating right':

"Good regulation is not about a process – what some call red tape – but an outcome: a cleaner, greener world. Good regulation is not about eliminating risk but about managing and reducing it. Good regulation is proportionate, focusing on what will make the most difference and calibrating the costs of the regulation to the benefits we achieve. Good regulation is business friendly, with simple processes, clear goals that make it easy for operators to do the right thing, rewards for those who do and painful consequences for those who do not."

The report goes on to outline how since 2000 when regulation was put in place it has delivered significant improvements, and in places where there has not been a good regulatory framework performance has gotten worse. 

You can find the full report here.