The A-Z of environmental legislation

According to a series of surveys conducted by Envirowise, Groundwork, the Institute

of Management and other bodies, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) comprise

99 per cent of the 3.7m businesses in the UK, and are estimated to contribute

around 70 per cent of all waste generated. The surveys all pointed in the same

direction: SMEs were ill-informed of their responsibilities and the legislation

that affected them, and were confused by sometimes conflicting advice from a

multitude of different sources.

NetRegs’ aim is clear: to provide an accessible and easily navigable way for

companies to access the legislation that affects them. “It is important

that the site condenses highly technical information and presents it in a way

that the businesses it affects can understand,” adds Fanshawe.

Management guidelines

Visitors to the site (www.environment-agency.gov.uk/netregs), are presented with logical, clear options from the outset. The

site is broken down into two distinct categories. The first is Management Guidelines,

which help the user to comply with the key environmental legislation that may

apply the the different aspects of their business. Categories include emissions

to air, liquid wastes, noise, packaging and water use. Once a category has been

selected, the user is then asked a number of questions designed to determine

which regulations are applicable. The relevant regulation is then explained

in terms of what it is, how it will be regulated, what activities it will cover

and what will be required of operators.

The second category, Sector Guidelines takes the user through the practical

measures to keep their business sector compliant with the law. Again, business

sectors are listed, from Agriculture, Hunting and Forestry through to Textile

and Textile Products.

The site also features a Legislation link, which is broken down into English,

Northern Irish, Scottish and Welsh primary and secondary legislation. Taking

Primary English legislation as an example, users can access the contents of,

for example the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Secondary Legislation for

England includes, for example The Trade Effluent (Prescribed Processes and Substances)

Regulations 1989, which is set out in its entirety for the user to view.

More resources

After reading the information and identifying the areas of potential concern,

the user has the opportunity to access further information about organisations

that may be able to help. These include the Government, Business Support Organisations,

Professional Bodies and Regulators. The details of the Netregs Project Team

are also available, where comments and suggestions about the site are welcomed.

Continual improvement is very much on the agenda for NetRegs, with an aggressive

timetable in place for the completion of the different sectors on the site.

The first ten sectors became operational by the end of March 2002, with a further

50 set to be completed next year and 40 more by the end of march 2004. In parallel

with this sector work, the Management Guidelines are being expanded and revised,

their coverage being broadened from the manufacturing and service industries

to agriculture, construction, tourism and others. Finally, a benchmarking survey

is being conducted, to establish current levels of environmental awareness among

the SMEs and levels of interest in, and use of, the NetRegs site. This will

establish the benchmark against which future annual surveys will be measured,

to facilitate performance assessment.

Environmental vision

NetRegs forms an important part of the Environment Agency’s vision to get environmental

concerns at the heart of business thinking and operations. This vision has been

integral to the development of NetRegs to date, and in its future plans, as

Tim Fanshawe comments: “I want NetRegs to be the most easy-to-use resource

for SMEs, and for those companies to realise that good environmental management

is the same as good business practice. Essentially, our aim is for the environment

to be integral in business.”