Currently, the importance of environmental problems not only does not lose its relevance but is constantly increasing. Of particular importance are studies aimed at identifying, studying and expanding understanding of the modern approach to compensation for environmental damage. This article is devoted to the study of theory and legislation in this area. The study proposes to identify possible actions that lead to negative consequences for the environment, as well as ways to compensate for them. The results of this investigation show: despite the fact that the legislation in this area is at a fairly high level of development, it is not without imperfections, which creates problems related to the possibilities of its effective application.