INDUSTRIAL EMISSIONS

THE HARSH REALITY...

Factories have a huge impact on the environment. Through air pollutant emissions, toxic waste disposal and water contamination. They’re one of the main offenders when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions. Alone, they’re responsible for two-thirds of global emissions.
Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide and Carbon Tetrachloride are the main carbon pollutants that come from factory emissions. Carbon Monoxide in particular, is extremely harmful, it can kill you by preventing your body from using oxygen properly.
Air pollution is the single biggest environmental threat to health, it shortens the length of 10,000s of people each year.
Antimicrobial resistant microbes threaten health further, they make it harder for us to treat and overcome illness. As the global temperature increases from climate change, these microbes become more and more common.
Even mental health conditions are increasing because of the stress of climate change.
Access to a more healthy natural environment would save billions of pounds in healthcare.
Air pollution can damage people’s health and wellbeing throughout their lives and even before birth.
The World Health Organisation estimates that environmental factors contribute to about 14% of the total burden of disease in the UK.
There is predicted to be a 10% increase in factory emissions by 2030, compared to 2010. However, there needs to be a 45% decrease compared to 2010, to keep the global temperature under 1.5 degrees.

Pollution caused by industrial emissions is set to be reduced and their environmental performance improved under a new framework of regulation in the UK. The ‘Best Available Techniques Framework,’ or BAT, will enable people working in the industrial sector to work together to identify what needs to change and what can be done to change. The framework states that businesses must use the best techniques available to them to prevent or minimise emissions.
A new governance structure will also be established to see this through. Independent bodies such as the Standards Council, the Regulators Group and the UK Air Quality Governance Group, will all work to make sure that change happens within industry.
This scheme builds and strengthens the already existing Clean Air Strategy of 2019, which is already in place and helping reduce emissions. Its aim is to half the harm to human health caused by air pollution by 2030.

Factory emissions are caused by industries, however, it’s the individuals that make up these businesses. There are multiple things that people can campaign against within their industries that can make the much needed change happen.
When a factory is being built, people need to thoroughly consider their placement. It's important to factor in location because climate and topography affect how and where pollutants are spread.
Renewable energy is something that has been spoken about a lot in the past few years, it’s an easy solution in reducing emissions, and could also save factories money. However, the initial cost in switching to renewable energy can be a hurdle. Although this seems too much of a hurdle to want to attempt, in the long run this would be beneficial to our environment and standard of living.
Before factories jump straight into reducing their waste, they need an accurate picture of the waste at hand. By analysing their waste output, they can then work on what they need to reduce the most and establish a method to do this.
Finally, to assess their progress in reducing their impact on the environment, companies need to perform regular environmental impact assessments to identify their impacts and take action.