Risk management of chemicals
Best Available Techniques (BAT) to Prevent and Control Industrial Pollution
Webinar on the Future of Best Available Techniques (BAT) in Industrial Pollution Prevention
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On 8 November 2023, the OECD organised a webinar to explore the current understanding of the Best Available Techniques (BAT) approaches and their future. It addressed key challenges, opportunities for the identification of promising emerging techniques for effective pollution prevention and reduction and the importance of cross-collaboration between regulatory authorities, industries, research institutes and technology providers. The target stakeholders include representatives from regulatory authorities, industry professionals, and technology providers.
Presentations Session 1: Understanding Best Available Techniques (BAT) Around the World
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Session 2: Emerging Techniques for Pollution Prevention and Control
- Mr Simon Gutierrez Alonso, EU (INCITE)
- Mr. GAO Shuwei, Center of Science and Technology Achievements Transformation & Industrial Promotion, Environmental Development Center (EDC)
Session 3: Discussion session with the speakers
- Dr Philgoo Kang, National Institute of Environmental Research (NIER) of Korea
- Mr Kairat Massenov, International Green Technologies and Investment Projects Center (IGTIPC) the BAT Bureau of Kazakhstan,
Why the OECD works on Best Available Techniques (BAT)
An increasing number of countries use BAT as a tool to establish evidence-based environmental permit conditions for industrial installations, in order to prevent and control industrial pollution, and thus ensure a high level of human health and environmental protection. BAT are state-of-the-art techniques that are developed at a scale that enables implementation under economically and technically viable conditions.
Countries spend significant resources on designing, developing and implementing policies for BAT-based permitting. Therefore, there is an added value in sharing experience, knowledge and best practices on this topic amongst OECD member and partner countries. The OECD’s BAT project has so far resulted in the following publications:
- Activity 1: Policies on BAT or Similar Concepts Across the World, 2017
- Activity 2: Approaches to Establishing BAT Around the World, 2018
- Activity 3: Measuring the Effectiveness of Best Available Techniques Policies, 2019
- Activity 4: Guidance Document on Determining Best Available Techniques (BAT), BAT-Associated Environmental Performance Levels and BAT-Based Permit Conditions, 2020
- Activity 5: Value chain approaches to determining Best Available Techniques (BAT) for industrial installations, 2022
- Activity 6: Cross Country analysis of BAT and BAT-associated emission and environmental performance levels in the Thermal Power Plants, Cement and Textile industries, 2022
- Best Available Techniques (BAT) to Prevent and Control Mercury Releases to Land and Water, 2022.
The overall objectives of the OECD’s BAT project are to assist governments to implement policies and practices that embody BAT (or similar concepts) to prevent and control industrial pollution, and to contribute to progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Publications
Activity 1: Policies on BAT or Similar Concepts Across the World, 2017
Activity 2: Approaches to Establishing BAT Around the World, 2018
Activity 3: Measuring the Effectiveness of BAT Policies, 2019
Missed the OECD webinar on integrating value chain approaches to determining BAT for industrial installations? Watch the webinar replay
All over the world, different policies and practices are being implemented to prevent and control industrial emissions in order to ensure a high level of environmental and human health protection. Many of these policies incorporate the concept of best available techniques (BAT) to establish evidence-based environmental permit conditions for industrial installations. However, consideration of value chain aspects in the determination of BAT is not a systematic practice.
The OECD report on Value chain approaches to determining Best Available Techniques (BAT) for industrial installations demonstrates that more systematic consideration of value chain aspects in the BAT determination process can help mitigate overall environmental impacts.
On 5 May 2022, the OECD hosted a webinar to discuss how to incorporate value chain approaches in BAT determinations and related environmental regulatory concepts as well as the challenges faced and possible solutions.
Speakers and presentations:
- Introduction: Koki Takaki from the OECD Environment Directorate
- Value chain and its concepts: Sandra Gaona from US Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA)
- Challenges faced and possible solutions for integrating value chain approaches to national BAT policies: Berrak Eryasa from the OECD Environment Directorate
- Value chain impacts for textiles consumption in the EU and related policies: Lars Mortensen from European Environment Agency (EEA)
- Rethinking business models for the fashion industry: Valérie Boiten from Ellen MacArthur Foundation
Access the presentations here.
List of Best Available Techniques Reference Documents (BREFs)
The OECD compiled a list of Best Available Techniques Reference Documents from different jurisdictions according to industrial sectors.
Video interview on the benefits of a BAT-based approach
Infographics
How do countries determine Best Available Techniques and permit conditions for preventing and controlling industrial pollution?
How can countries strengthen their measures to tackle industrial pollution?
Infographic: Guidance Document on Determining BAT, BAT-Associated Environmental Performance Levels and BAT-Based Permit Conditions
Infographic: Integrating value chain approaches to determining BAT for industrial installations
Who is involved
Forthcoming activities for 2022-2024
OECD member and partner countries have given their support for the BAT project to continue for the period of 2022-2024, with the following ongoing activities:
- Cross-country analysis of selected BAT-Reference Documents (BREFs) for Iron and Steel production, Paper and Pulp production, and Waste Incineration
- Capacity-building workshops on BATs in two to three countries that are just adopting a BAT-based environmental permitting
- Carry out a study on BAT for reducing the environmental impact of emerging global issues, with a focus on Plastics.
- A study on identifying emerging technologies for potential BAT determination.
With the financial assistance of the European Union
The OECD BAT project has been produced with the financial assistance of the European Union. The views expressed herein can in no way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Union.Engage with us
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