A Dutch Approach to the European Directive on Integrated Pollution Precention and Control Using Life-Cycle Assessment for the Integrated Assessment of Technologies

摘要

In light of the European Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC Directive), traditional envi- ronmental regulation can be improved using the frame- work of industrial ecology. The objective of the IPPC Directive is to achieve a high level of protection of the environment as a whole (Article I) by applying the best available techniques (BAT). In essence, the IPPC Directive obliges member States of the European Union to include considerations such as resources, ener~ waste, and mul- timedia emissions when permitting industrial inStallations. This is a marked contrast to traditional environmental regulation that focuses on individual media of an individual site. In order to take all considerations into account, an in- tegrated assessment of technologies is needed, for which a standard method is currently lacking. In this article, a systematic approach is introduced for the integrated assessment of IPPC technologies using life-cycle assessment (LCA), a form of environmental assessment that can be broadened to an overall assessment of environ- mental, economic, and social aspects. This systematic ap- proach has proven to be successful for the environmental assessment of the described cases. It is suggested here that weighting can be omitted for the evaluation of IPPC tech- nologies. Leaving the weighting step to competent authori- ties of member states and allowing them to consider local issues provides maximum opportunity for the subsidiarity and flexibility principles of the IPPC Directive.