Environmental permitting as a driver for eco-efficiency in the dairy industry: A closer look at the IPPC directive

This study contributes to the discussion on the potential of the IPPC Directive to serve as a driver for eco-efficiency through the analysis of case studies of British, Finnish and Swedish dairy industries and the corresponding regulatory bodies. The signals given to the companies on the required improvements and the focus of the permitting process – on the manufacturing process rather than end-of-pipe measures – were identified as major factors in determining the influence of the permitting process with regards to eco-efficiency. The analysis revealed that the influence of the IPPC Directive on the dairy industry would probably be noticeable in the UK but less significant in Finland and Sweden. Key issues that require further attention are presented.