Consultation on UK Best Available Techniques for preventing or minimising impacts on the environment from industry

Industrial installations undertaking specific types of activity are required to use Best Available Techniques (BAT) to prevent and reduce emissions to air, water and land.

BAT refer to the most effective and advanced techniques which are economically and technically viable for the industry sector and are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment as a whole.  

BAT is used to determine the types of abatement technologies and methods operators should put in place, as well as establishing associated emission levels.  These are then used to determine individual emission limit values within each installation’s environmental permit.  Efficient regulation of industrial emissions not only ensures environmental protection but also plays a crucial role in delivering sustainable economic growth, clean power and community health. 

These BAT Conclusions (BATC) were developed based on outputs from the EU Best Available Technique Reference Document (BREF) process, in which UK representatives participated until 31 January 2020. This process also included input from sector-specific Technical Working Groups, which provided comments and evidence. The final UK BATC were produced using evidence from current industry practices, sector activities and regulatory submissions within the UK context. 

The UK BAT regime, established following consultation in 2021, is based on a transparent, collaborative data and evidence-led process where stakeholders including regulators and industry work together to set standards that safeguard and build on the high levels of environmental protection already in place. 

Your input and perspectives on these proposed BATC are valuable and will contribute to the robustness and effectiveness of the UK's BAT regime framework aimed at minimising the environmental impact of the industrial sectors concerned:

• Ferrous metals processing (forming)
• Ferrous metals processing (galvanizing) 
• Textiles
• Common waste gas management and treatment in the chemical sector

Before providing feedback, please review the draft BATC plus interpretation guidance and supplementary information for the relevant sector(s) available here and below.

If you have any comments or complaints about the consultation process, please address them to: consultation.coordinator@defra.gov.uk