Britain's industrial and energy sectors are set to benefit from a
new, modernised environmental permitting regime – with greater
flexibility, faster timelines and less red tape poised to boost
innovation and drive economic growth.
As set out in the landmark
Corry Review, current environmental regulation can be
risk-averse, inefficient, and difficult to navigate, holding back
innovation and growth.
An eight-week
consultation looks to reform permitting in the industrial and
energy sectors and deliver a simplified framework that is fit for
the future – helping British industry to embrace tomorrow's
technologies more quickly, increasing competitiveness and
creating economic growth.
The plans could see a more common-sense process for approving
time-limited trials for cutting-edge new technologies, such as
the use of hydrogen as fuel at industrial sites, to help
accelerate the process of bringing them to market.
As set out in the consultation, the Environment Agency could also
introduce a new registration approach for low-risk installations,
such as data centres and back-up generators. This will slash
permit waiting times – potentially from months to days – and
lower business costs.
Learning from international best practice from other countries,
including the United States, new flexible permits could be
issued. This would set an overall cap on emissions at individual
installations, rather than for separate processes at a facility,
stripping away layers of bureaucracy and reducing duplication of
red tape, while also cutting emissions.
Air Quality Minister said:
Britain is the birthplace of the industrial revolution and
supporting science and innovation is a central pillar of our
mission to drive economic growth.
Through the Plan for Change, our once-in-a-generation reforms
will streamline regulation for vital industrial sectors that
protects the environment while enabling growth and innovation.
Through the government's Plan for Change, the reforms will
provide regulation that support industry meet the challenges of
the next decade and beyond.
Modernising, simplifying and accelerating the permitting
framework will deliver clean power, improve air quality, and
clean up the country's polluted rivers, lakes and seas.
Philip Duffy, chief executive at the Environment Agency,
said:
Modernised regulation can help deliver growth, innovation and
protect the environment and communities.
Today's consultation marks a positive step forward in efforts to
make our regulatory regime fit for the future, with proportionate
but robust rules that enable the UK to compete globally whilst
supporting nature's recovery.
The Environment Agency will match this ambition with improvements
in how we deliver the regime, with better IT, faster turnaround
times and a commitment to support sustainable growth across the
economy.
Environmental permitting underpins the industrial and energy
sectors through a world-leading approach to pollution control
that protects communities and the environment.
Industrial emissions have fallen significantly in the last 30
years, delivering more than £52 billion in benefits to human
health, ecosystems and labour productivity.
However, the framework can and should work better in delivering
the Government's Plan for Change, net zero ambitions, and
environmental and health improvements.
