14-15 SB1009 Policy Tracker 18/9/09 11:49 am Page 15
in association with the Environmental Industries Commission’s Envirotech News
www.eic-uk.co.uk • 020 7935 1675
WASTE CARBON REDUCTION
UK REGULATIONS CONSISTENT WITH WEEE DIRECTIVE NEW OFGEM INVESTMENT PROPOSALS
Details: Following a Judicial Review, the High Court has Details: Ofgem has announced investment proposals to
ruled that UK regulations governing the collection, incentivise companies to connect up to 10GW of
treatment and recycling of electrical and electronic low-carbon generation to their networks over the
equipment are lawful and consistent with the EU next five years. Ofgem is also proposing a new
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive £500M Low-Carbon Networks Fund to
(WEEE) Directive. The UK is recycling about 7kg per support large-scale trials of advanced technology
head of population, exceeding the 4kg requirement including smart grids, and new commercial
set by the European Commission. The Government arrangements with customers. These advances will
has stated it will monitor the system and bring help the networks to accommodate growth in local
forward amendments to the Regulations for generation, electric vehicle use and other
introduction in 2010, which will streamline the developments anticipated in a low-carbon economy.
system and reduce the administrative burden Information: ofgem.gov.uk
placed on businesses. SCOTTISH CLIMATE CHANGE BILL
SCOTTISH ZERO-WASTE PLAN Details: The Scottish Climate Change Act became law on 6
Details: The Scottish Government has launched a consulta- August 2009. It ties the Scottish Government to
tion on ‘Scotland's Zero Waste Plan’. The draft plan achieving an 80% reduction in greenhouse gas
proposes a number of approaches to reduce waste, emissions by 2050. The Act also includes legally
increase recycling and send less waste to landfill, binding targets to deliver renewable heat, which
including: ■ creating 2,000 jobs through collection, means that the Scottish Government has to come
sorting, reprocessing and treating waste, forward with a national action plan within 12 months
■ encouraging businesses to reduce waste and of the Bill coming into force.
increase their recycling of commercial waste, ■ the Information: scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Environment/
possible implementation of further landfill bans on climatechange/scotlands-action/climatechangeact
materials including glass, metals, textiles and wood,
TRANSPORT
■ improvements to recycling facilities in public
places and more kerbside recycling; and GREEN TRANSPORT GRANTS FOR FLEET MANAGERS
■ increasing the focus on re-use, including potential Details: The DfT has announced £1M of funding for the
targets. The consultation asks for comments on a Infrastructure Grant Programme. The Infrastructure
number of questions on key areas of delivery. The Grant Programme is part of the DfT’s package of
final version of the plan will be published in 2010. measures to lower the sector’s carbon emissions by
Timeline:
C
The deadline for responses is 13 November 2009 14% over the next decade. Funding will be made
Information: scotland.gov.uk/publications/2009/08/19141153/0 available to fleets developing facilities for the use of
WASTE HANDLING STANDARD biofuels or recharging points and other such infra-
Details: BSI and Constructing Excellence in Wales (CEW) structure requirements for electric cars.
have published ‘PAS 402 Waste resource Timeline:
C
Consultation ends 25 September 2009
management. Specification for performance Information: lowcarboneconomy.com/community_content/
reporting’. The new standard sets a consistent _low_carbon_news/6650
methodology for reporting performance in waste CARBON SAVING OPTIONS FOR HGVs
recycling and recovery rates. Firms adopting it must Details: The DfT has published Review of Low Carbon
produce a public annual report with quarterly data Technologies for Heavy Goods Vehicles. It presents
on landfill diversion and material recovery rates for an analysis of a number of HGV technologies with
each material type. It can apply to any type of waste carbon-saving potential and evaluates these tech-
but is aimed at construction and demolition firms. nologies in terms of CO
2
benefits, technology costs,
Information: bsigroup.com environmental costs arising from production of the
ANAEROBIC DIGESTION PLANS OUTLINED technology, safety and other limitations, and the
Details: Defra’s Anaerobic Digestion Task Group has maturity of the technology within the market.
published Developing an Implementation Plan for Information: dft.gov.uk
Anaerobic Digestion. The report concludes that the
ABOUT THE EIC
incentive and regulatory regimes covering anaero-
The Environmental Industries Commission works to provide the environmental
bic digestion (AD) must be streamlined to speed
technology and services (ETS) industry with a strong and effective voice with
the technology’s development. The technology government in the debate about how to ensure that British companies succeed in a
should also have its own dedicated government
rapidly growing worldwide market. With more than 330 company members, the EIC is
team, with a separate external advisory group.
the lead trade association for the ETS industry. For a free copy of EIC’s Envirotech
News, email info@eic-uk.co.uk
Information: defra.gov.uk
Sustainable Business ❘ October 2009 15
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