PESTLE – Legal
The L in PESTLE stands for legal influences.
Laws describe rules. These are enforced through organisations such as the police force who make sure the rules are being followed. If they are not, they will intervene and potentially arrest anyone who is breaking the rules.
The legal environment is constantly changing as the government introduces new laws through parliament. These laws affect individuals and organisations by making certain things illegal or legal, or stating that they should be carried out in a specific way.
Real-life example
Wales led the UK in introducing a charge for plastic bags in shops.
This has now been adopted in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland as a result of the successful experience in Wales.
This has changed the way individuals act as they are more likely to reuse plastic bags. The government has estimated that over the next ten years, this will result in an expected overall benefit of:
- over ÂŁ780 million to the UK economy
- ÂŁ60 million savings in litter clean-up costs
- carbon savings of ÂŁ13 million