EIC's Political and PR Successes

 

Influencing Policy:

 

ü       EIC has established 14 active working groups to provide a strong voice for the sectors of the environmental technology and services industry

 

ü       procedures have been set up to involve EIC Members in the regulatory standard setting process with the Environment Agency, DEFRA, DTI and the European Commission

 

ü       publication of new Cabinet Office Guidance on taking into account the economic and benefits of high environmental standards in assessing new environmental regulation

 

ü       the development of an EU-wide Federation of environmental technology industry associations with active working groups on Water, Waste and Air. Its successes include the announcement by the European Commission of a new Environmental Technology Action Plan

 

ü       EIC is main industry association for Government Environmental Industries Unit.

 

ü       EIC representatives sit on the European Commission Expert Advisory Forum on the Water Framework Directive; the Government's Hazardous Waste Forum, Marine Pollution Advisory Group; National Air Quality Forum; and a range of BSI Committees

 

Raising the Profile:

 

ü       commitment by the Prime Minister that: “I want Britain to be a leading player in this coming green industrial revolution

 

ü       EIC Conferences and Receptions for our industry, speakers at which have included Margaret Beckett MP, former Secretary of State for the Environment; Margot Wallstrom, European Environment Commissioner; and Barbara Young, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, and other key policy decision-makers

 

ü       A new high level Government Committee on Environmental Markets

 

Achieving Change:

 

ü       Treasury tax incentives to provide incentives for mainstream industry to invest in environmental technology and contaminated land remediation

 

ü       implementation by the EA of mobile plant licences for licensing contaminated land remediation and the announcement by DEFRA of the development of a new tailored remediation permit

 

ü       implementation of the DEFRA’s Local Air Pollution Control (LAPC )Action Plan to tighten enforcement

 

ü       DEFRA and Environment Agency commitment to speed up implementation of the IPPC regime

 

ü       new Environment Agency initiatives to improve the enforcement of water pollution laws

 

ü       increases in the level of landfill tax driving demand for waste minimisation, recycling and new waste treatment technologies – and the recycling of the tax revenues to business

 

ü       lobbying the new Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) to identify the environmental industry as a key sector for support in their official "Regional Strategies"

 

ü       Government support for retrofitting pollution control technologies to older highly polluting vehicles