Find out what our role is in resource efficiency, where we are working with business to make the best use of resources and what we are doing within our own operations.
As an environmental regulator we support and advise businesses in various ways on managing natural resources. We also work with a range of partners such the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) and the Carbon Trust who promote resource efficiency in business and industry.
We aim to help businesses and other organisations to become more resource efficient through our work in the following areas:
Industrial resource efficiency
We regulate the environmental performance of large industrial installations under the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Directive, including their usage of raw materials, water and energy and their waste production.
Waste management
We are developing a 'whole life' approach to how we regulate key waste streams. A major part of this means helping producers and managers to see waste as a resource and divert it away from landfill and towards places further up the Waste Hierarchy:
Climate change and energy
We support low-carbon technologies and administer a number of statutory schemes aimed at reducing carbon emissions. Many of these schemes and technologies are based around increasing the efficiency with which businesses use energy and other resources.
Water efficiency
We manage water resources for homes, industry, agriculture and for the environment. We have to manage the use of water to maintain supplies and protect the environment, while encouraging sustainable development.
Our own environmental management
Find out how we minimise the environmental impact of our operations, our transport and buildings, our land and construction, our purchasing and our investments:
