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A Decision-Aid Framework to Provide Guidance for the Enhanced Use of Best Available Techniques in Industry

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Abstract

Best Available Techniques (BATs) contribute significantly to the reduction of industrial environmental burdens with respect to air pollution, wastewater, and solid wastes. In Europe, the application of BATs is prescribed by Directive 96/61/EC, which, however, leaves the selection of specific BATs to plant operators. In making their choices, installations have to consider not only the environmental benefits of BATs, but also all relevant cost components. In assessing the economic attractiveness of potential BATs and their combinations, as well as incentives and disincentives to be instituted, the cost of environmental externalities, usually not reflected in market prices, should be taken into account. In this paper, a decision-aid framework combining an assessment of environmental externalities and the utilization of multicriteria methods and, more specifically, Multiobjective Mathematical Programming, capable of addressing all these issues in a comprehensive and coherent manner, is presented. This is illustrated by its application for the region of Attica in Greece, where over 50% of the industrial basis and Athens, with its 4 million inhabitants, are located. The implementation of the framework and its associated tools to 800 installations led to the identification of the specific BATs, alone or in combination, that provide the most cost-effective reductions of four air pollutants (PM10, SO2, NOx, VOC) and CO2. The results also clearly demonstrate the increased pollution reductions that would result from the adoption of BATs made economically attractive by the inclusion of externalities. Estimates of investments and net present values with and without incentives/disincentives are also provided.

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Acknowledgments

The work presented in this paper has been carried out in the scope of a recently completed research project on the implementation of BATs in the Greek industry supported by the General Secretariat of Research and Technology of the Ministry of Development of Greece (National Observatory of Athens and others 2006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Environmental Research & Sustainable Development, National Observatory of Athens, Thission, 11810, Athens, Greece

    E. Georgopoulou, S. Mirasgedis, Y. Sarafidis, V. Hontou, N. Gakis & D. P. Lalas

  2. EPEM S.A., Acharnon 141 B, 10446, Αthens, Greece

    A. Loukatos, N. Gargoulas & A. Mentzis

  3. LDK-ECO S.A., Thivaidos 21, 14564, Kifissia, Athens, Greece

    D. Economidis, T. Triantafilopoulos & K. Korizi

  4. FACE3TS Ltd., “Further Action on Climate, Environment, Energy, Economy, Technology and Sustainability”, Agiou Isidorou 1, 11471, Athens, Greece

    D. P. Lalas

  5. Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics, School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens, Iroon Polytexneiou 9, Zografou, 15780, Athens, Greece

    G. Mavrotas

Authors
  1. E. Georgopoulou
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  2. S. Mirasgedis
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  3. Y. Sarafidis
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  4. V. Hontou
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  5. N. Gakis
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  6. D. P. Lalas
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  7. A. Loukatos
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  8. N. Gargoulas
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  9. A. Mentzis
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  10. D. Economidis
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  11. T. Triantafilopoulos
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  12. K. Korizi
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  13. G. Mavrotas
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Correspondence to E. Georgopoulou.

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Georgopoulou, E., Mirasgedis, S., Sarafidis, Y. et al. A Decision-Aid Framework to Provide Guidance for the Enhanced Use of Best Available Techniques in Industry. Environmental Management 40, 413–429 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0131-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00267-006-0131-z

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