Responding to the report EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation believes it also reflects a far more constructive approach by the Environment Agency towards relations with business and a move away from previous efforts to ‘name and shame’.
Commenting, EEF Head of Environment, Gareth Stace, said:
“Relations between Industry and the Environment Agency have come a long way over the last ten years. There is now a mutual recognition that a positive attitude towards environmental issues benefits both business and the environment. Not only do companies accept they have a responsibility to safeguard the environment but a positive approach can benefit the bottom line.
“For its part the Environment Agency has realised that not everyone in Industry is a bad apple and naming and shaming companies or sectors was not an effective strategy.”
Despite the progress made so far, EEF believes that more can be done by the Environment Agency and business. In particular it believes that the Agency’s positive approach of working with responsible businesses should be firmly filtered down to its local enforcement network, as companies still experience different levels of enforcement and support from their local Environment Agency Officers.
The Agency should also focus its efforts on tackling the most persistent polluters and to acknowledge that significant emitters are not automatically significant polluters. Manufacturers are keen to work with the Agency to address these issues.
ENDS