Threads / Environmental Permitting Reforms / Industrial emissions: modernising environmental permitting
Consultation Outcome Published 15 Apr 2026 Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs ↗ View on GOV.UK

Industrial emissions: modernising environmental permitting

Seeking views on regulatory reforms to the environmental permitting framework for industrial emissions.

Opened 26 Aug 2025
Closed 21 Oct 2025
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The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is seeking views on proposed reforms to environmental permitting for industry.

The proposed reforms will support the government’s missions and priorities on growth, clean energy, health, the circular economy and environmental improvement.

There are proposals about:

  • enabling innovation and encouraging new technologies and techniques
  • agile standards – a rapid, predictable and integrated approach to standard setting
  • proportionate regulation and coherence in the environmental permitting framework
  • regulator effectiveness and efficiency
  • creating a transparent environmental permitting framework

Defra will use your feedback to develop policy related to the proposals. We will hold another consultation on the detail of this policy.