The article examines the essential characteristics of damage caused to the environment, affecting the specifics of its compensation. Consideration of the totality of problems that arise in the compensation of damage caused to the environment leads to the conclusion about the impact of each of the characteristics on the process of damage compensation. Based on the analysis of judicial practice materials, the approaches to solving these problems that have been formed in the course of law enforcement activities have been identified. Special attention is paid to the issues of improving legislative regulation as the most important mechanism for eliminating existing contradictions and gaps.