The Voice of the UK's Environmental Technology and Services Industry
Who are EIC?
The Environmental Industries Commission (EIC) is an association of over 330 companies in the environmental technologies and services sector.
EIC works to provide the environmental technology and services (“ETS”) industry with a strong and effective voice with Government in the debate about how to ensure that British companies succeed in a rapidly growing worldwide market.
“The Environmental Industries Commission represents a truly dynamic sector of our economy. EIC and its Members have demonstrated responsibility, innovation and leadership in low carbon business – and I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the work you do.”
Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for the Environment, April 2008
“The EIC has been a tireless advocate for your industry through a period of rapid growth over the last few years. With EIC’s leadership, your reputation as a lynchpin of a sustainable UK economy can only continue to grow.”
Malcolm Wicks MP, Energy Minister, July 2007
EIC's Mission
To promote the international competitiveness of the UK's environmental technology and services industry.
To be the lead association promoting and supporting the development of a strong, competitive UK environmental technology and services industry with a sound home market from which to compete successfully worldwide.
EIC's Objectives
- Improve the UK environmental technology and services industry's competitiveness by identifying the barriers to growth
- Promote awareness of the commercial and environmental benefits of environmental technologies and services and achieve a positive public image.
- Win support for a favourable legislative and fiscal framework by advocating practical and cost-effective policies to promote our industry, such as effective enforcement of existing legislation, enactment of progressive regulation (in line with our leading competitors) and the introduction of economic instruments (e.g. fiscal incentives and R & D funding).
- Provide information and advice on UK and EC environmental legislation, R&D funding and market opportunities.
- Facilitate the exchange of information and experience between members.
- Support export initiatives which boost UK companies' competitiveness in overseas markets.
- Promote innovation and technology transfer by providing an effective link between environmental technology and service companies and research organisations.
- Organise an education programme for mainstream industry, promoting the use of environmental technologies and services.
- Promote standards which enhance the industry's competitiveness.
- Collaborate with other national and international organisations in areas of common interest, such as training.
Who does EIC lobby on behalf of?
EIC represents companies providing solutions to the main environmental problems (water and air pollution, contaminated land, waste, transport pollution, climate change, etc). It has the support of leading politicians from all three major political parties, industrialists, trade union leaders, environmentalists, and academics.
How does EIC work?
EIC’s lobbying agenda is driven by its Member companies. EIC provides the lobbying expertise and the access to Government but our Members are the industry experts who can identify the key barriers to the future of their business and, therefore, the initiatives that EIC should be lobbying on.
EIC, therefore, has a unique Working Group structure made up of 14 different Working Groups, each lobbying on a different sector of the environment – see below for more information on each of these Groups.
At every Working Group meeting we are joined by a leading Government official or regulator who attends to speak the Group on a key aspect of its lobbying agenda. The speakers will give a short presentation, followed by taking questions from Members of the Group.
EIC lobbies at all levels of Government, including Ministers and their Special Advisors, Parliament, high-level Government officials and the regulators.
EIC also lobbies at the European level and has strong relationships with the relevant European Commissioners and their officials as well as leading MEPs.
What does EIC lobby for?
EIC’s core message is that high environmental standards are good for the economy. EIC believes that the future of global and UK competitiveness will be based on a transition to resource efficient, low carbon economy – EIC lobbies for the policies that will facilitate this transition.
The environmental industry is driven by regulation and EIC is engaging closely in the Government’s continuing ‘Better Regulation’ drive 1) to ensure it does not lead to de-regulation which undermines our industry and 2) to ensure that the opportunities for streamlining the regulatory framework covering our industry are prioritised.
The lobbying agenda for each of EIC’s 14 Working Groups contributes to this overarching message that high environmental standards and good for the economy, not to mention the future state of our planet.
What are the key issues for EIC's 12 Working Groups?
Industrial Air Pollution
· Defra proposals to deregulate processes from the LAPPC pollution control regime
· Inputting into the LAPPC Process Guidance Note Review
· Extending the Pollution Inventory to LAPPC
· Revision of IPPC
· Input into the Revision of BREF Notes
· The role of the industrial air pollution control sector in meeting EU air quality targets
Water Pollution Control
· Implementation of the Water Framework, Priority Substances and Bathing Water Directives
· Reform of Periodic Review of Water Pricing to smooth out boom and bust and encourage innovation
· Barriers to SUDS technology
· Energy efficiency in the water industry
Contaminated Land
· Policies to support brownfield development
· Definition of Contaminated Land and Risk Assessment
· Definition of Waste and Licensing
· Waste Classification
· Changes in the tax regime for brownfield sites
· Resolving problems with remediation licensing and the definition of waste
· Lobbying for improvements in application of CLEA in Scotland
· Pressing for Scottish Executive to take more account of remediation issues in regeneration policy
Waste Resources Management
The Group is working to secure complementary policies across the material life cycle with the overall aim of waste prevention:
· Minimising Virgin Material Use – through, for example, sustainable procurement and promoting resource efficiency
· Recovery and Treatment
· Disposal – both through regulation (specific material bans on landfill) and fiscal measures (landfill tax)
.
Carbon and Environmental Mangement
· UK and EU Carbon Management Policy - the key legislative and regulatory drivers for carbon management across the economy
· Sustainable Procurement
· Carbon and Environmental Management Systems, including their certification
· Corporate Reporting – environment and social reporting in companies and across their supply chains
Environmental Laboratories
· Promotion of MCERTS for soils
· Extension of MCERTS for water testing to all environmental waters
· Extension of MCERTS to on-site sampling
· Enforcement of Operator Self Monitoring
· Consistency of UKAS accreditation
Sustainable Buildings &Energy Efficiency · Zero carbon homes and non-domestic buildings
· Financial incentives to facilitate the uptake of energy efficiency technologies in buildings, including improving the Enhanced Capital Allowances scheme
· Energy efficiency in existing buildings
· Public Sector Building Projects
.
Transport Pollution
· Government support for Low Emission Zones and other measures for encouraging retrofitting pollution control technologies to vehicles
· Implementation of emission reduction measures for non-road vehicles
· The role of the transport pollution control sector in meeting EU air quality targets
Renewable Transport Fuels
· Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation
· Sustainability and Carbon issues
· Implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive
· EU Fuel Quality Directive
Business & Innovation
· Tackling regulatory barriers to innovation
· Government support for environmental technology and services R&D
· Proposal for a web based ‘portal’ on public sources of R&D funding
· Government support for environmental exporters.
· Business Link support for environmental exporters.
· UK Trade and Investment focus on environmental exporters
