Consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry

Despite significant reductions to industrial pollution in recent decades, air pollution remains one of the largest environmental risks to public health in the UK. Better access to industrial pollution information will increase public awareness about air pollution, a key finding from the  Air Quality Systems Review. Improving public knowledge about pollutants from industrial sites supports the government’s mission to build an NHS Fit for the Future, enabling citizens to make informed choices which will contribute to tackling cycles of poor health which hold back opportunities and growth. Greater transparency and better access to information about industrial activities in local communities underpins public acceptance of the government’s central mission, economic growth.  Recognising that transparently accessible industrial pollution information relies on good quality data provided by operators, we will consider how to modernise the Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR) digital platform, and we will consider whether there are opportunities to align the UK PRTR reporting with other environmental reporting in order to reduce reporting burdens on businesses.