Informe El medio ambiente en Europa: Estado y perspectivas 2020

PART 2
TABLE 12.4
Summary assessment — clean industrial technologies and processes
Past trends and outlook
Past trends
(10-15 years)
Outlook to 2030
An increasing number of industrial facilities are covered by emission limits and other environmental
requirements. There is evidence that this has led to reductions in emissions of pollutants, but it is less
clear whether this has resulted in improvements in general environmental management in industry.
Further progress is expected regarding the environmental performance of industry. By 2025 more stringent
best available technique (BAT) conclusions are expected to cover all industrial activities currently regulated
by the Industrial Emissions Directive. Industry’s transition to a low-carbon economy is predicted to contribute
further to emission reductions. However, uncertainties remain over whether general environmental
performance beyond air and water pollution abatement will be fully implemented and thus whether the
objective of implementing clean industrial technologies and processes can be achieved. Therefore, industrial
pollution is likely to continue to adversely impact human health and the environment.
Prospects of meeting policy objectives/targets
2020
Robustness
Europe is making good progress towards the policy objective of securing industry’s adoption of clean and
environmentally sound technologies and industrial processes. Although these are delivering pollution control,
release of pollutants remains problematic.
The scope of the Industrial Emissions Directive is not all-inclusive and a number of industrial processes are
not covered. The number of installations covered by each BAT reference document and BAT conclusion is an
estimate based on reported data, which may be incomplete. The overarching objective of implementing clean
industrial technologies and processes is generic and does not provide a clear target. Therefore, the assessment
of past trends, outlooks and prospects of meeting policy objectives also relies on expert judgement.
not applied systematically or in a
harmonised way across the EU, indicating
considerable potential for improvement
and also for contributing to the
circular economy and energy efficiency
goals. A comprehensive assessment
of the integration of environmental
performance beyond emissions to air
and water will be possible only once
permits become accessible through the
forthcoming implementation of the EU
Registry on Industrial Sites. This registry
incorporates reporting obligations under
the IED and the E-PRTR and will be
operational from late 2019 onwards.
A number of BAT conclusions also
attempt to guide operators to think about
establishing synergistic relationships with
other industrial stakeholders, for example
by capturing waste materials or surplus
energy resulting from processes that
may be of value to others. This concept
of industrial symbiosis (e.g. Bilsen
et al., 2015) is enshrined in BAT for
tanneries with respect to chromium, for
solid residues from steel production and
for sludge or filter dust from non-ferrous
metal production.
Industrial pollution is likely
to continue to adversely
impact human health and
the environment.
Other drivers towards more clean and
environmentally sound technologies
include environmental policies and
regulations that aim to reduce GHG
emissions and thus affect, for example,
the energy mix in the power sector
(Chapter 7). The EU Emissions Trading
System (ETS) and the Renewable Energy
Directive (2009/28/EC) are examples
of this. There may also be additional
incentives for reducing the environmental
impact of industrial installations such as
cutting energy use and thereby operating
cost, displaying better corporate
social responsibility via voluntary
green initiatives or taking advantage
of associated governmental funding
initiatives (e.g. as reported for emerging
technologies by 12 Member States in the
context of IED implementation reporting;
AMEC Foster Wheeler, 2016a).
The European Commission reviews
legislation to ensure that it continues to
be fit for purpose and provides benefits
to society. The IED is currently being
assessed as part of that review process
and a conclusion is expected in early
2020. Both its integration with other EU
policies and progress on implementing
environmental performance benchmarks
contained in BAT conclusions may be
touched upon during this review.
12.4
Responses and prospects of
meeting agreed targets and
objectives
12.4.1
Policy responses to tackle industrial
pollution
Industrial pollution has been addressed
at the national and regional levels across
Europe for decades, and it is beyond the
scope of this chapter to summarise all of
284 SOER 2020/Industrial pollution