A Dutch Approach to the European Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control: Using Life‐Cycle Assessment for the Integrated Assessment of Technologies

In light of the European Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC Directive), traditional environmental regulation can be improved using the framework of industrial ecology. The objective of the IPPC Directive is to achieve a high level of protection of the environment as a whole (Article 1) 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, energy, waste, and multimedia 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 integrated 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 environmental, economic, and social aspects. This systematic approach 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 technologies. Leaving the weighting step to competent authorities of member states and allowing them to consider local issues provides maximum opportunity for the subsidiarity and flexibility principles of the IPPC Directive.