The Environmental Information Regulations set out the definition of what is environmental information. It includes information recorded in any form on:
- the state of the elements of the environment, such as air, water, soil, land and biological diversity;
- emissions and discharges, noise, energy, radiation, waste and other such substances;
- measures and activities such as policies, plans, and agreements affecting or likely to affect the state of the elements of the environment;
- reports, cost-benefit and economic analyses used in these policies, plans and agreements;
- the state of human health and safety, contamination of the food chain and cultural sites and built structures (to the extent they may be affected by the state of the elements of the environment).
The full definition is given in Environmental Information Regulation 2(1). In some cases it may not be clear whether the information requested is environmental information or not. Our guidance on what is environmental information explains this definition in more detail.